Student Work: A Link

ms. estef (mi amiga and assistant for this semester) posted some examples on her blog of the recent student artwork.

http://stefstuever.blogspot.com/2011/02/student-artwork.html

check it.

Student Work: High School Sidewalk Chalking

for the high school class' first group project they were assigned to do two different chalking installations, one in a semi-public place (Doulos campus) and one in a public place (the zocalo...er i mean the park in the center of town). these images are from their first installation last week. Tomorrow we will be going down to the park to do the second installation.
Their theme for their designs were based on re-interpreting the word Heart based on the passages Proverbs 4.23, Matthew 5.8, Jeremiah 29.13, and Psalm 24.3-5. The students were to attempt to abandon cliche meanings or depictions of Heart and give their audience a different message.

sometimes being an art teacher is sweet.

I'll post some images of their park installation later.




unrelated-- please pray for health, flexibility and trust

< <> >
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.”

He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

February Update

we're back in groove. this semester i feel a ton more prepared and organized for school. a lot of that i attribute to having my friend stef here to help me out for her internship. i guess when there is someone else that needs to know what is going on, i am forced to think lessons through more and keep everything in line. i also did a lot more prep work and planning before the semester even started. so my mind was much more prepared for the work as well.

i did not actually set resolutions for the new year, but i have sort of made some up loosely as this semester has started. one of them was to be consistent about using daily learning targets in each of my classes. (learning targets, in expeditionary learning, are a deconstructed version of the class objectives or curriculum standards that the students receive and understand to help better assess their learning per each class period and for the teacher's reference and assessment of the students-- they can be both academic and character based). So far I think I have done a pretty good job and keeping up with these, it's a little bit extra work to prepare them, but it definitely pays off and i can see the fruit of using them almost immediately.
my second pseudo-resolution was to start working out regularly again. i think i've gotten the running routine back; however i still am very angry those mornings i wake up even earlier to run in the dark, until my legs finally get moving, then i am ok. the yoga workouts haven't become regular yet, but one thing at a time right? i am also giving a short private ballet lesson twice a week to a 7th grade student, so that will hopefully keep me on my toes (pun slightly intended).

there really isn't too much going on that is out of the ordinary.
the rainy season has turned out to have a lot less rain than i expected and a lot more heat. i can't complain too much though. i was just telling keith's mom in an email that I was talking with a friend at lunch the other day, and we both agreed that it's times like these that make us feel worlds apart from where we are from. Being snowed in or even icy coldness seems so different/distant that what our lives are right now. I mean it's February 7th and I'm walking around outside wearing the same thing I wore on October 7th or could even wear on June 7th for that matter.

i'll consider posting some more pictures soon. of what... you'll just have to wait and find out...

how about i leave you with a sample from one of my after school ballet classes.