Tangle your page, untangle your mind.

Author:Simon Peters

Licence: Free for commercial use

from http://all-free-download.com/

It's not December yet, but it's ok to admit, here, just between us, if you're already feeling a wee bit Grinch-y round the edges.

What do you do need a little brain-break but need something to do with your hands?
Try tangle patterns. (Maybe you know them as Zentangles®. It's a registered trademark, use it respectfully!) Almost as addictive as coffee or chocolate, but way better for you. And NO, you don't need to be an artist and you don't even need to be able to draw a straight line. TANGLE patterns, for a reason. So that's the lame excuses binned!

Start small, doodle some lines and swirls and see where they take you. There are no mistakes, just variations in pattern. If you really need some ideas, knock yourself out with Google Images, Pinterest and YouTube. Type in "Christmas Zentangles" and lose yourself for a while. But don't just look, pick up a pen (OK, a pencil, if you've lost too many points on your Pen License) and have a go. Search "Zentangle for Beginners" and start to fill a small shape. (Sticky notes are great. I love sticky notes! Carry them everywhere. With a nice smooth pen, they are the ultimate multi-tasking organisational and de-stressing accessory!)

My most recent tangle, 

see it doesn't need to be perfect. 

And my sticky note stash (well, some of it!)

Kids love tangle patterns too. You can almost see the creative neurones sparking as they become engaged with them. Our students (and families) also need some de-stressing, mind-quietening opportunities at this time of year, just as much as we do. So start your Christmas art activities with this Elements of (Christmas) Art: Line lesson and you'll set your class up for a peaceful, creative December. Not an year-end time filler, a Visual Arts which lesson reviews and explores the artistic element of Line before engaging the students in the tangle pattern activity. A suggested learning intention, success criteria and assessment rubric is included in the lesson pack, as well as suggestions for adaptation and extension.  The possibilities are endless. Have fun with it!

EDITED TO ADD: Buy this weekend, (November 24-26) for a 10% discount from TES and the opportunity to enter win 27 top teaching gadgets! Santa might come early! Yes, there ARE sticky notes! (and some nice higher tech jobbies too, so do yourself a favour!)

Cracker Christmas Bundle

Save time, save money, enjoy and extra Christmas coffee catch-up with friends. You know you deserve it!

Enjoy a creative Christmas in your classroom, with this comprehensive collection of Advent and Christmas resources. These resources are for real learning in Visual Arts, Literacy and RE as you countdown to Christmas. Adaptable for a range of ages and grades and anchored to the elements of art, imaginative and persuasive texts and religious traditions and themes, these resources include many suggestions for adaptation and extension. Time-saving for class and subject teachers. Excellent resources for casual relief (substitute) teachers, and student teachers to have in their "bag of tricks" as the festive season approaches. Also suitable for out-of-school groups and programs. 

Bundle purchase saves 80% Why wait? 

Merry Creative Christmas!

(Coffee photo from pixabay.com)

Assessment Bundle Update!

New look, new resources added! Pick up this comprehensive UPDATED Assessment Resource bundle  and get a jump on next year's planning! Bundle purchase saves 75%

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***UPDATED WITH NEW PAGE LINK****

In which I reveal I'm a Word Search Grinch....

So, the reports are under control (or they will be soon)  and we're ready for some fun. So are our students. More than ready! But, of course, we're 21st Century educators and we're all on board with making the most of the valuable learning time remaining until Christmas.  And so the cry goes out - "Break out the Find-A-Words!"

Sigh.

I think this is one Christmas tradition that we can quietly retire.  A find-a-word is a fun way to while away a long train journey - well, it was before we had mobile phones. (Oops showing my age again! ) Does that make word-searches the new retro hipster thing now? Hmmm.....maybe there's a market..... but not for school! At this time of year, the Christmas word search book should be a stocking filler not a classroom time filler.

'Tis the Season to Imagine! What better time to spark some imaginative writing integrated with art and design? Choose just one of these these tasks for a class brainstorm and watch the creative ideas fly. Even reluctant writers will be inspired by these Christmas Writing and Design prompts which are a little bit different to the traditional letter to Santa. Use as task cards for individual choice extension or develop a whole lesson sequence around them. Each task which can be scaffolded to address a variety of needs and abilities as students develop their skills with imaginative and persuasive texts. Students will be able to work individually or collaboratively in small groups or on a class-wide project.

This collection of eight creative Christmas prompts includes something for a variety of interests, from the future automotive (or aeronautic) designers, to the fashion-conscious, to the foodies. A range of texts are suggested, including personal narratives, plays, poetry, comic strip, and screen and paper-based advertising.

Check out  "Tis the Season to Imagine!" writing and design prompts for your class and retire the find-a-words. Give the photocopier a rest. Save them for your next long trip and save on phone data and battery too!

We're All About the Feedback!

Photo from http://pexels.com

Here in Australia, it's getting to the pointy end of the year. Report time. We're all about the feedback!
I may give away my age here, but I'm (only just) old enough to remember working out grades with a calculator and writing report comments with carbon paper copies and hoping my proof-reading buddy didn't find too many mistakes - but also hoping they found them all! I've seen a number of evolutions of report formats in several schools. What format are you using? What about the comments? Are you restricted to a limited selection, writing all your own or assisted by a comment bank? Or gone to no comments at all in an effort to get families to actually come in and chat?  Is anyone still using the dreaded (and dreadful) "pleasure to teach"? What's the proofreading procedure? Has anything unfortunate ever slipped through?

Speaking of "feedback and feed forward", can we all agree that for the purposes of blogging convenience, mostly when I write "feedback" I ALSO mean constructive, encouraging "feed forward" not just summative, corrective "feedback" . It's just so clumsy to keep writing both. I once attended a professional development day where "alignment" "feedback" and "feed forward" were worked into every other sentence, almost every PowerPoint slide and the obligatory joint Google docs (that seem to be replacing the traditional butcher's paper and markers, although sometimes we were offered both!)  I began to plan a drinking game - one drink for "alignment" and double shots for "feedback" and "feed forward" .......but this is a serious educational post and I will distract you no further with such lightweight matters. It is, as I mentioned earlier, the pointy end of the year. Forgive me.

There are weeks of valuable learning time remaining, and we must make the most of them (as, no doubt, we've all been reminded).  While we're sorting those end-of year assessments and grades and summative reports, how are we getting on with the day-to-day facilitation of learning through quality feedback to our students? Time to release some responsibility, spread the sticky note love, and get your students more involved.

Photo from http://pexels.com

Yes. Now. Seriously. Why not? Yes, it's almost the end of the year (depending where you are), yes, it's close to Christmas, yes, the students are getting restless. Yes, yes, yes, to all that, that's exactly why they're ready for something new, something a little familiar but a little bit different, something that's going to set up great learning habits for next year and something that, with the Christmas season approaching, promotes KINDNESS. Win/win for everyone!

T.A.L.K and L.E.A.R.N was developed in Creative Arts classes for NSW Stage 3 (Years 5 and 6) but can be successfully adapted across the curriculum and across a range of grades. A simple process of peer and self-assessment, the T.A.L.K process builds KINDNESS (K) into the well-known TAG approach (Tell them something about their work, Ask a question, Give some feedback) or the "Two Medals and a Mission" or "Two Stars and a Wish" approach. A simple change, but specific and transformative.

T (Tell two things you like about their work) A (Ask a question about their work) L (Look again carefully at their work) and K (KINDLY, give suggestions to work on) encourages students to treat each other's efforts with respect, "LOOK again carefully" and "KINDLY give suggestions" encourages respect and demonstrates value of the student, the work and the process. With a little teacher modelling, students develop the habit of giving relevant and respectful feedback to each other. They begin to look forward to it, and to carry it on with little prompting.  Those crinkled, scrawled sticky notes are treasured more than we realise.

Visit the text link above or click on the pic below to see more about T.A.L.K for peer feedback and L.E.A.R.N for self assessment resources.

Good luck with your end-of-year reporting. I hope you receive some terrific feedback for yourself. Feel free to share some feedback and reporting reflections in the comments. ABC 702 listeners or Sydney Morning Herald readers might have heard Richard Glover's recent reflections on "How to Shock a Millenial" and Part 2: Make a Millenial Feel Sorry For a Baby Boomer  I've already mentioned the calculator and the carbon paper? Have we any other old-school reporting stories to share?

"When the bloom on the jacaranda tree is here..."

Altogether now, Australian primary teachers, sing up: "When the bloom on the jacaranda tree is here, Chris Mouse time is near" What, you haven't heard of Chris Mouse? He must be related to Stuart Little. It's one of my favourite five-year old mondegreens (misheard lyrics).  I can't sing that song any other way. (That five year old is a high school teacher now; not sure if entertains his students at this time with songs about Chris Mouse.) 

Actually, when the bloom on the jacaranda tree his here (in Australia) Advent is near - and the colour is perfect, how cool is that?  The first Sunday of Advent this year is December 3, time to break out the purple media and get the art activities ready. For something new this year, try my Advent Stained Glass Window Activity, exploring the artistic elements of Colour and Shape, and the concept of symbol, as well as Hope, Love, Joy and Peace, the themes of the Four Sundays of Advent.

Advent Stained Glass Windows: Exploring Colour and Shape is a versatile and engaging Visual Arts resource for a range of grades and ages, which works both as a collaborative or individual task and lends itself to differentiation for a range of abilities. Students can work with a variety of media from markers, oil pastels or paint to collage or cellophane construction. With a focus on each Sunday's theme, the activities can be developed from a single lesson into an ongoing project linked to your Advent RE unit.

Advent Stained Glass Windows is available as a single resource or as part of a bargain Advent Arts bundle designed to engage your students in a creative countdown and a meaningful preparation Christmas this year through learning in Visual Arts, Religious Education and Literacy.

How Soon is Too Soon?

Three days into November and social media is abuzz with the annual dilemma. How soon is too soon for all things Christmas? Memes abound, family and friends are divided: putting up the tree, Christmas music, watching cheesy Christmas movies - should we delay until December or have at it now?

What about your workplace? Your classroom? Does your school have a "No-Christmas Until..." policy? Do you have one for your classes?

There's nothing like being prepared in advance when your calendar turns to that magical date. Even better when your forward planning sings from the songsheet of clear learning goals, specific success criteria and curriculum alignment and assessment. Not the most Christmas-y words, perhaps, but as much music to the ears of your educational leaders as choirs of angels (or wanna-be angels!).

Get your Christmas lesson planning underway with the Elements of Christmas bundle (at a very merry bargain price, discounted even further this weekend with tes.com Fireworks Flash Sale - see previous post). No shut-up sheets, no random time-fillers (and no find-a-words). Five lesson packs, with real learning plans based on the Elements of Art, flexible and adaptable, with opportunities for variation and differentiation. Thoroughly resourced and including editable class assessment record and editable rubric for your formative/summative assessment. Detailed lesson plans to leave with casual relief (substitute) teachers, if required. Ideal for casuals to have in their bag of tricks. Fun for out-of-school hours programs. For parents, too, something to help those long hours of the pre-Christmas countdown pass at home.

Click on the text link above or the pic below. Merry Christmas Planning. Have fun with your art!

Friday Fireworks!

20% off all my TES resources.

Comprehensive, flexible and adaptable lesson packs for Picasso and Christmas. More Christmas lessons coming soon! Can be used as stand-alone lessons or bundled for units of work. Games and activities for the Elements of Art. All your assessment requirements in lesson packs as well as assessment planning resources, incorporating self and peer assessment.

All the hard work is done so you can relax and enjoy some art with your students.

Click on the pic! Happy Friday! (New TES purchasers, also look for the NOVEMBERNEWBIE code)