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)

"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)