Today is another Valentine's Day and again I have followed the pattern of success and expect a wonderful evening with our parents and my siblings and spouses. I gave bags of candy to each of my children's families and actually sent cards to my grandchildren on time this year....and am depending on the post office to deliver them on time. I have planned a meal, desserts and taken the focus off of me this year and placed it on others....because I have found it truly is more blessed to give than it is to receive.
Living a life of love daily is more rewarding than a life of regret or a life of resentment.
At the end of my life when I stand before God I don't want to have to try to explain a broken marriage....
"well, he never brought me flowers......"
Face it! No one can love you perfectly or as much as you want.....only God can do that.
I have learned:
....that if you expect something you had better have communicated your expectations because he can not read your mind.
....that if you plan something you need to be sure it is in his plans. too.
....that the sexes have different ideas of how to express love.
....and that the problem with us begins with me.
....I can only change me and if I plan to change him I need to be prepared for disappointment.
....and that life is better with him than without him.
....for him to feel love I had better learn his love language (take the quiz The Five Love Languages)
So for this day of love I wish for you a lifetime of loving.
Happy Valentine's Day.
Saying I love you should really mean I have found in you a person whom I respect and find qualities that I can appreciate and have chosen to treat you lovingly for the rest of my life, putting your concerns and happiness ahead of mine.
And thanks for hanging in there with me.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
A Week of Love (Continued Part 5)
.....Another year and I planned to get it right this time. But no big surprise gifts to be misunderstood, no more stars in my eyes as to what romance is, and no room for resentment....this year WILL be different.
After all I had enough practice by now on how not to do it.
The odds were in my favor....right?
On Sunday afternoon Holly and I started off by making the candy centers and sugar cookies and dipped the centers as time permitted during the week. I put together a great menu for our special supper together ended with the creme de la creme dessert....a new recipe I found that looked especially intriguing...a chocolate ganache cake.
In the approaching days I greeted him with a special measure of enthusiasm each day, looked at him while he talked, listened to his jokes....one more time, sat next to him on the couch while we watched our big screen TV after the meal and we held hands....while he slept.
The evening of Valentine's Day we invited our parents in to share our evening with us. I can not remember the conversation but I remember the love that flowed around that table and the smiles and laughter. If I received flowers or candy I can not remember them either now but what I do know is that the good feeling lasted for a very long time.
....."OH, BOY!"
We got it right!
To be continued....
After all I had enough practice by now on how not to do it.
The odds were in my favor....right?
On Sunday afternoon Holly and I started off by making the candy centers and sugar cookies and dipped the centers as time permitted during the week. I put together a great menu for our special supper together ended with the creme de la creme dessert....a new recipe I found that looked especially intriguing...a chocolate ganache cake.
In the approaching days I greeted him with a special measure of enthusiasm each day, looked at him while he talked, listened to his jokes....one more time, sat next to him on the couch while we watched our big screen TV after the meal and we held hands....while he slept.
The evening of Valentine's Day we invited our parents in to share our evening with us. I can not remember the conversation but I remember the love that flowed around that table and the smiles and laughter. If I received flowers or candy I can not remember them either now but what I do know is that the good feeling lasted for a very long time.
....."OH, BOY!"
We got it right!
To be continued....
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
A Week of Love (Continued Part 4)
...Somewhere between the candy hearts and the broken hearts love happened.
The problem with love is the Hollywood packaging we buy into. We are led to believe it is all flutters and giggles and romance but really .............
love is that thing that follows.....
that grows from the first day you were attracted to each other and ripens and ferments over the years.
So I turned off the soap operas and closed the sexy romance novels forever and closed that chapter in my life and began to look at the older man who sat across from me and saw the young man I loved....imperfect just as I am, aging as gracefully as we can, silver streaking our hair, lines around our eyes.....
Valentine's Day this year would be really special. I decided to buy the guy something really big and something he would love....a big screen TV.
What guy would not like that?
Men like the noisiest trucks,
the most powerful guns,
the grungiest boots ....
I saved up enough money, watched for the sales, talked to salesmen, made my purchase and arranged delivery on Valentine's Day.
I could hardly contain myself with excitement over my secret. I knew he would love it.
It was big....not the biggest available, but as big as our space would allow without building on.....
The day came and with the help of the two young men I had convinced to assist me it was placed in it's corner and connected for use.
He walked in,
me:all smiles and excited,
he looked at the TV and said, "What did you do?"
So excited and proud of myself for doing such a good thing for my husband, I said, "Happy Valentine's Day. I bought this for you."
He looked at it and then disagreed, '"You bought that for yourself so you can watch your HG stuff on it."
He did have a slight smile on his face as he accused me of making the purchase for myself but the statement was what he truly believed and it was the farthest thing from the truth.
I protested his statement but to no avail. My enthusiasm began to fade and I felt unappreciated and unloved.
All I really wanted was his appreciation for my efforts or to hear him praise my ability to surprise him, or offer some words to make me feel important to him...he didn't even need to buy anything for me if he had played his hand better. Instead, he had insulted me, been unappreciative of my gift to him and to make things even worse he was empty handed.
My love bucket had a huge leak in it and I no longer felt his love flowing into it.
....the day was not over yet and realizing that this day was taking a turn for the worse he made a hurried trip to town in search of something to sooth my hurt feelings, returning with a package of wrapped carnations from HEB's floral department. Taking the flowers from his hand I plunged them into a vase of water, I thanked him somewhat unenthusiastically and continued preparing the evening meal.
Oh, how difficult relationships can be.
Why did the marriage license not come with an instruction manual?
To be continued....
The problem with love is the Hollywood packaging we buy into. We are led to believe it is all flutters and giggles and romance but really .............
love is that thing that follows.....
that grows from the first day you were attracted to each other and ripens and ferments over the years.
So I turned off the soap operas and closed the sexy romance novels forever and closed that chapter in my life and began to look at the older man who sat across from me and saw the young man I loved....imperfect just as I am, aging as gracefully as we can, silver streaking our hair, lines around our eyes.....
Valentine's Day this year would be really special. I decided to buy the guy something really big and something he would love....a big screen TV.
What guy would not like that?
Men like the noisiest trucks,
the most powerful guns,
the grungiest boots ....
I saved up enough money, watched for the sales, talked to salesmen, made my purchase and arranged delivery on Valentine's Day.
I could hardly contain myself with excitement over my secret. I knew he would love it.
It was big....not the biggest available, but as big as our space would allow without building on.....
The day came and with the help of the two young men I had convinced to assist me it was placed in it's corner and connected for use.
He walked in,
me:all smiles and excited,
he looked at the TV and said, "What did you do?"
So excited and proud of myself for doing such a good thing for my husband, I said, "Happy Valentine's Day. I bought this for you."
He looked at it and then disagreed, '"You bought that for yourself so you can watch your HG stuff on it."
He did have a slight smile on his face as he accused me of making the purchase for myself but the statement was what he truly believed and it was the farthest thing from the truth.
I protested his statement but to no avail. My enthusiasm began to fade and I felt unappreciated and unloved.
All I really wanted was his appreciation for my efforts or to hear him praise my ability to surprise him, or offer some words to make me feel important to him...he didn't even need to buy anything for me if he had played his hand better. Instead, he had insulted me, been unappreciative of my gift to him and to make things even worse he was empty handed.
My love bucket had a huge leak in it and I no longer felt his love flowing into it.
....the day was not over yet and realizing that this day was taking a turn for the worse he made a hurried trip to town in search of something to sooth my hurt feelings, returning with a package of wrapped carnations from HEB's floral department. Taking the flowers from his hand I plunged them into a vase of water, I thanked him somewhat unenthusiastically and continued preparing the evening meal.
Oh, how difficult relationships can be.
Why did the marriage license not come with an instruction manual?
To be continued....
A Week of Love (Continued Part 3)
...as the business of being a wife and mother got well under way the responsibilities became heavier and heavier and I was often physically tired and emotionally drained.... just a couple of the side effects of having a family if a list exists.
The poor man who loved me.
In my eyes
....He did not come home early enough,
....he did not take me places often enough,
....he did not send me flowers,
....he did not say the things I wanted to hear,
....or do the things I wanted him to do and
....he would wait until late in the day to even think about what he was going to do for me.
After all, wasn't Valentine's Day the day for him to express his love to ME?
I was always sweet to him,
made his meals,
cleaned his clothes,
did all those special things for him
and
...it was me who gave him children!
He would come home happy to be there and immediately his attentions were directed to the children and the squeals of the children and his roar to scare them announced his arrival to me while I worked preparing for our meal.
I showered my attention on the children more and him less.
I made sure my children had the candy or sweet cards or little gifts
and
him just a card.
We both grew away from each other........and the years rolled on.
We were no longer so young but still we both had much to learn.
When would we ever learn?
To be continued...
Yes, I have tears in my eyes!!!!
Okay, really they are pouring down my cheeks. Oh, kids coming in.
The poor man who loved me.
In my eyes
....He did not come home early enough,
....he did not take me places often enough,
....he did not send me flowers,
....he did not say the things I wanted to hear,
....or do the things I wanted him to do and
....he would wait until late in the day to even think about what he was going to do for me.
After all, wasn't Valentine's Day the day for him to express his love to ME?
I was always sweet to him,
made his meals,
cleaned his clothes,
did all those special things for him
and
...it was me who gave him children!
He would come home happy to be there and immediately his attentions were directed to the children and the squeals of the children and his roar to scare them announced his arrival to me while I worked preparing for our meal.
I showered my attention on the children more and him less.
I made sure my children had the candy or sweet cards or little gifts
and
him just a card.
We both grew away from each other........and the years rolled on.
We were no longer so young but still we both had much to learn.
When would we ever learn?
To be continued...
Yes, I have tears in my eyes!!!!
Okay, really they are pouring down my cheeks. Oh, kids coming in.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A Week of Love (Continued)
Continued from A Week of Love
.......The years rolled by and with each coming year for a while a child was added to our brood, making money a little tight, time a little pressed and tensions a lot higher.
Valentine's Day became just another day. Grandma would always bring the little ones a red heart sucker. Promptly as the suckers were unwrapped the kids were placed in the bathtub to keep their sticky fingers off of the walls and furniture. They learned the routine and would bring me a sucker and start for the bathroom.
I guess they outgrew that.
I loved to get the children the conversation hearts.......pure sugar.
They never outgrew that.
The chocolate in heart shaped boxes started rolling in each year, usually bought by me and sometimes from a grandparent or two but were always shared by the whole family. It was not unusual to find a box of empty wrappers and crushed chocolates because someone liked only the ones with the nuts in them.
Flowers never came from a florist and back then I can not remember the store carrying flowers like they do now. If I received a flower it was picked from one of the blooming bushes in the fence rows. The first one I received graciously since I had never seen the bloom and it was a novel idea. It was a full length of a branch with many yellow brushy blooms and smelled sweet and as he gave it to me he said he thought of me as he passed by it on the tractor.
But in coming years when I began to hear the stories of all the good things the other husbands were doing for their wives I was resentful of a husband arriving empty handed late into the evening with just a little blooming stick from the fence row tucked in his pocket.
And it did not satisfy me.
It was difficult for me to recognize the sacrifices he had made of his time to keep us fed and clothed.
But I was young and had much to learn.
To be continued.
.......The years rolled by and with each coming year for a while a child was added to our brood, making money a little tight, time a little pressed and tensions a lot higher.
Valentine's Day became just another day. Grandma would always bring the little ones a red heart sucker. Promptly as the suckers were unwrapped the kids were placed in the bathtub to keep their sticky fingers off of the walls and furniture. They learned the routine and would bring me a sucker and start for the bathroom.
I guess they outgrew that.
I loved to get the children the conversation hearts.......pure sugar.
They never outgrew that.
The chocolate in heart shaped boxes started rolling in each year, usually bought by me and sometimes from a grandparent or two but were always shared by the whole family. It was not unusual to find a box of empty wrappers and crushed chocolates because someone liked only the ones with the nuts in them.
Flowers never came from a florist and back then I can not remember the store carrying flowers like they do now. If I received a flower it was picked from one of the blooming bushes in the fence rows. The first one I received graciously since I had never seen the bloom and it was a novel idea. It was a full length of a branch with many yellow brushy blooms and smelled sweet and as he gave it to me he said he thought of me as he passed by it on the tractor.
But in coming years when I began to hear the stories of all the good things the other husbands were doing for their wives I was resentful of a husband arriving empty handed late into the evening with just a little blooming stick from the fence row tucked in his pocket.
And it did not satisfy me.
It was difficult for me to recognize the sacrifices he had made of his time to keep us fed and clothed.
But I was young and had much to learn.
To be continued.
A Week of Love
I am afraid that we often set ourselves up for disappointment where our relationships are concerned. Now after many, many years of experience and a lot of growing up I am able to look back on my life, although with a bit of embarrassment, with the knowledge that I could have prevented much heartache had I just been a little wiser, learned to listen to unspoken messages, looked at the heart of the one who loved me, communicated my thoughts and expectations and been more forgiving of his shortcomings. So if you will indulge me a little while I remember some past Valentines Days we can laugh together and hopefully glean a little something from them.
Our first Valentine's Day together was as a married couple since we had only known each other for eight months total and six of those months were the dating months. We were still learning how to love each other and both full of anticipation of what we wanted from each other and here it was Valentine's Day before we fully communicated our expectations.
Being newlyweds and crazy in love I looked forward to his return home. Daily I listened for the sound of his truck rattling down our street and finally turning into our rocky driveway clattering so much it sounded like every bolt had shaken loose on the ol' Ford. By the end of the first month I could distinguish his rattle from all the other noisy trucks. Today, I was especially anxious to have our romantic evening together. I had been planning our time together for a couple of weeks. There would be a heart shaped box of chocolates for him, a romantic card professing my love and of course, I would make his favorite pie. I had planned my action!
I listened and listened for the familiar rattle and finally I could faintly hear it....still daylight out even. He clattered into the driveway, drove up nearly even with the kitchen window, without even looking in my direction slammed on his brakes, threw the truck in reverse and raced down the street in the opposite direction he had originally come.
My first clue that the evening was not planned on his part.
Shortly after he returned with a very small paper sack and in it was a package of Brach's candy corn....not even red, no flowers, no card.... nothing but candy corn.
I remember looking at the candy corn and saying, "...but this is Halloween candy, not Valentines candy."
He was so proud of himself for remembering that it was my favorite candy
.....and I was so disappointed it was not Valentine candy in a heart shaped box.
I said, "You waited so late you could not get a heart shaped box of candy?"
"Oh, sure, there were lots of them and men were grabbing them up. I could have gotten one for you but I knew you loved candy corn."
Looking back there were several things that did disappoint me about the evening but I wonder now why I could not listen to his heart. We had still been dating on Halloween. He remembered me saying then that I loved candy corn.
But I was eighteen, he was twenty-three....we had a long way to go..
To be continued....
Our first Valentine's Day together was as a married couple since we had only known each other for eight months total and six of those months were the dating months. We were still learning how to love each other and both full of anticipation of what we wanted from each other and here it was Valentine's Day before we fully communicated our expectations.
Being newlyweds and crazy in love I looked forward to his return home. Daily I listened for the sound of his truck rattling down our street and finally turning into our rocky driveway clattering so much it sounded like every bolt had shaken loose on the ol' Ford. By the end of the first month I could distinguish his rattle from all the other noisy trucks. Today, I was especially anxious to have our romantic evening together. I had been planning our time together for a couple of weeks. There would be a heart shaped box of chocolates for him, a romantic card professing my love and of course, I would make his favorite pie. I had planned my action!
I listened and listened for the familiar rattle and finally I could faintly hear it....still daylight out even. He clattered into the driveway, drove up nearly even with the kitchen window, without even looking in my direction slammed on his brakes, threw the truck in reverse and raced down the street in the opposite direction he had originally come.
My first clue that the evening was not planned on his part.
Shortly after he returned with a very small paper sack and in it was a package of Brach's candy corn....not even red, no flowers, no card.... nothing but candy corn.
I remember looking at the candy corn and saying, "...but this is Halloween candy, not Valentines candy."
He was so proud of himself for remembering that it was my favorite candy
.....and I was so disappointed it was not Valentine candy in a heart shaped box.
I said, "You waited so late you could not get a heart shaped box of candy?"
"Oh, sure, there were lots of them and men were grabbing them up. I could have gotten one for you but I knew you loved candy corn."
Looking back there were several things that did disappoint me about the evening but I wonder now why I could not listen to his heart. We had still been dating on Halloween. He remembered me saying then that I loved candy corn.
But I was eighteen, he was twenty-three....we had a long way to go..
To be continued....
Friday, January 30, 2009
When...
Another week down. I look forward to each weekend with great expectation but I fear I am wishing my life away when I should be enjoying each day for its special blessings.
As a young girl I used to think "when I am a teenager I will be grown and then my life will begin".
Then as a teenager I thought "when I get married then I will really be an adult and my life will be perfect".
The years rolled by and I married and became a young wife and I thought "when I have children then my life will be complete".
Then as a wife and young mother I thought "when I can have a house of my own with enough room for my children to run and play and have their own space then my life will be easier and I will be content".
Then as a home owner, wife and mother I thought "when the children are grown and married I will have my life back again and have time to do all the things I have put off doing".
Then my children grew, married and I had everything I could ever dream of including a job with responsibilities and then I thought "Saturday will be wonderful. I can clean out my crowded closets, wash my many clothes, organize my over crowded pantry and start a new painting, watch an old movie on TCM and read that book I have so little time to read, visit with my children, grandchildren and family and find time to go shop for groceries."
And it was not so....
but it is good.
As a young girl I used to think "when I am a teenager I will be grown and then my life will begin".
Then as a teenager I thought "when I get married then I will really be an adult and my life will be perfect".
The years rolled by and I married and became a young wife and I thought "when I have children then my life will be complete".
Then as a wife and young mother I thought "when I can have a house of my own with enough room for my children to run and play and have their own space then my life will be easier and I will be content".
Then as a home owner, wife and mother I thought "when the children are grown and married I will have my life back again and have time to do all the things I have put off doing".
Then my children grew, married and I had everything I could ever dream of including a job with responsibilities and then I thought "Saturday will be wonderful. I can clean out my crowded closets, wash my many clothes, organize my over crowded pantry and start a new painting, watch an old movie on TCM and read that book I have so little time to read, visit with my children, grandchildren and family and find time to go shop for groceries."
And it was not so....
but it is good.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Looking Pretty
Today as I stepped outside of my classroom into the outside world one of my students called out to me from nearby, "Hi, Mrs. Royal. You sure look good today."
Now...I am no dummy!
This was afternoon and I know I look tired and the hair that I have severely pulled back this morning is now trying to make an escape from the combs that are holding it back. The wiry gray hairs that I can no longer deny are popping out all over my head, the lipstick is long gone with nothing but a faint smile left over, I am still carrying the extra weight from the past year and my clothes are no prettier today than they were last week when I wore them. So how do you explain the random compliment?
I am the teacher; he is the student.
But nonetheless, it brought a smile to my face, reminded me of my own children when they were young and cute....still are cute...not so young anymore (sorry, kids). My baby turned 30 this past November. My oldest grandchild will be eleven this year! Whoa!
When Caleb was just three or four he saw his grandmother returning home from a day teaching first graders. From across the parking area he yelled out to her, "Grandma, you look so pretty today!"
What a charmer! By the way, he is still working his charms on the older ladies and at least one young one!
But that aside, it also brings to mind my experiences as a high school student. I was taking freshman English with Mrs. Groce, who unfortunately possessed the sharpest nose I had ever seen which in my opinion on first encounter made her pretty weird looking. Looking back now I realize that she must have been a fairly young woman at that time. I don't remember much about her class but I do remember that by the time the year ended I loved her and thought she was one of the most beautiful women I knew without even considering her actual features.
Truly when you love someone you view their heart, the inner beauty of a person shines through...the reverse can also be true.
Now...I am no dummy!
This was afternoon and I know I look tired and the hair that I have severely pulled back this morning is now trying to make an escape from the combs that are holding it back. The wiry gray hairs that I can no longer deny are popping out all over my head, the lipstick is long gone with nothing but a faint smile left over, I am still carrying the extra weight from the past year and my clothes are no prettier today than they were last week when I wore them. So how do you explain the random compliment?
I am the teacher; he is the student.
But nonetheless, it brought a smile to my face, reminded me of my own children when they were young and cute....still are cute...not so young anymore (sorry, kids). My baby turned 30 this past November. My oldest grandchild will be eleven this year! Whoa!
When Caleb was just three or four he saw his grandmother returning home from a day teaching first graders. From across the parking area he yelled out to her, "Grandma, you look so pretty today!"
What a charmer! By the way, he is still working his charms on the older ladies and at least one young one!
But that aside, it also brings to mind my experiences as a high school student. I was taking freshman English with Mrs. Groce, who unfortunately possessed the sharpest nose I had ever seen which in my opinion on first encounter made her pretty weird looking. Looking back now I realize that she must have been a fairly young woman at that time. I don't remember much about her class but I do remember that by the time the year ended I loved her and thought she was one of the most beautiful women I knew without even considering her actual features.
Truly when you love someone you view their heart, the inner beauty of a person shines through...the reverse can also be true.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Art of Boredom
Years ago a friend of mine , the mother of five or six children each about 2 years apart made the comment that sometimes she loved to sit and listen to the clock tick. We all laughed when she said it as if we all understood exactly what she meant but as the years have gone by and our lives became hectic I began to understand that statement on a completely different level.
There is something magical about listening to the clock tick. Something comforting....comfortable....calming....a music all it's own.
The fear of boredom is epidemic among my students and it spreads among them as fast as the news of the latest fight in the hallways. The kids are selling this attitude to the parents who are clamoring to keep the kids occupied with every minute of their awake time.
I used to take it as a personal insult when a student of mine would look up at me with dull eyes and state "I'm bored". The first year of teaching I worked to make activities more fun, gave them more choices, tried to keep them more involved and worried over it all. But soon I began to notice it had nothing to do with me or the activity at hand but rather the student himself. I can still remember the worst of those students who complained of boredom with a vengeance. There was something lacking in them....the ability to find contentment in the absence of entertainment, or the twiddling of fingers or ....the doodling in their minds...they lacked creativity! Now I smile as I give them my pat answer to "I'm bored." and say, "you bring that with you. It is up to you to learn how to deal with that." There is something special in the quiet moments of the day that allow you to stop and reflect on the day, or let you mind just go blank and use your eyes and ears to communicate with you or let your imagination run wild. There is nothing to be feared that is for sure.
I was sent a link recently that expresses just those ideas. I hope all you mothers, grandmothers and teachers out there will stop and read the articles linked below in the quiet moments of your day. It may help you to raise more creative, happier children.
The Blessing of Boredom (Click on Title)
And don't neglect reading this one either.
The Joy of Boredom. (Click on Title)
I hope today you find time to cherish the moments you can sit and relax while you listen to the sounds of nature, children talking in the distance, laughter.....the ticking of the clock.
There is something magical about listening to the clock tick. Something comforting....comfortable....calming....a music all it's own.
The fear of boredom is epidemic among my students and it spreads among them as fast as the news of the latest fight in the hallways. The kids are selling this attitude to the parents who are clamoring to keep the kids occupied with every minute of their awake time.
I used to take it as a personal insult when a student of mine would look up at me with dull eyes and state "I'm bored". The first year of teaching I worked to make activities more fun, gave them more choices, tried to keep them more involved and worried over it all. But soon I began to notice it had nothing to do with me or the activity at hand but rather the student himself. I can still remember the worst of those students who complained of boredom with a vengeance. There was something lacking in them....the ability to find contentment in the absence of entertainment, or the twiddling of fingers or ....the doodling in their minds...they lacked creativity! Now I smile as I give them my pat answer to "I'm bored." and say, "you bring that with you. It is up to you to learn how to deal with that." There is something special in the quiet moments of the day that allow you to stop and reflect on the day, or let you mind just go blank and use your eyes and ears to communicate with you or let your imagination run wild. There is nothing to be feared that is for sure.
I was sent a link recently that expresses just those ideas. I hope all you mothers, grandmothers and teachers out there will stop and read the articles linked below in the quiet moments of your day. It may help you to raise more creative, happier children.
The Blessing of Boredom (Click on Title)
And don't neglect reading this one either.
The Joy of Boredom. (Click on Title)
I hope today you find time to cherish the moments you can sit and relax while you listen to the sounds of nature, children talking in the distance, laughter.....the ticking of the clock.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Teaching the Arts
It is a quiet morning...the end of the first week back at school (after the holidays) which must be the longest week in the history of education!
I pray every morning that I can get through to my students, inspire them to learn, bring out the genius in them, all while they behave themselves in an appropriate way. Even so sometimes teaching art to a large group of high schoolers is like herding a bunch of cats while a bunch of chimpanzees are loose among them .
Now that most of the boys tower above me and whose voices are deeper and louder than mine it is a most challenging job for an old woman which I think I have become (most assuredly I am to them whether I am or not). For the most part I am very pleased with my students but every now and then there will be one or two who want to buck the system and have to be exterminated.....I mean....ah, dealt with. But nonetheless I have students whose art works are turning out to be wonderful. I would like to share some of their work with you so you can see what students are doing in their classrooms when they put their minds to it and sometimes while they are not but happy accidents will happen and a persistent art teacher is usually present keeping in mind that sanity is not always necessary when teaching art. These are unfinished works so if there is a large blank space it is probably just the area that they have not gotten to and the white of the paper is showing through. As they become finished I will post them again so you can see the final results. (Actually, by teaching I am helping keep Caleb in business because when they finish their work the parents are so proud of their darlin's they rush down to Caleb's shop and have it framed. Yeah!)
Art I students are working with collage. Collage being the use of found materials like magazines and advertisments. My students have been instructed to tear up the magazine pages into little pieces and glue them into place. This is a challenging project because it requires searching for pages with the color you need and then merging the little pieces together in such as way that it gradually changes the values as is necessary. And since my budget that has not seen an increase in the last sixteen years although the enrollment has more than doubled and class size increased by 10 students on average recycling is not just environmentally responsible it has become necessary.
The following pictures are all art I students work and the last picture is a close up of the one before it so you can see how the artwork is created.
Roosters 
Zebra
Parrots 
Waterlily Detail of Waterlily Below
I pray every morning that I can get through to my students, inspire them to learn, bring out the genius in them, all while they behave themselves in an appropriate way. Even so sometimes teaching art to a large group of high schoolers is like herding a bunch of cats while a bunch of chimpanzees are loose among them .
Now that most of the boys tower above me and whose voices are deeper and louder than mine it is a most challenging job for an old woman which I think I have become (most assuredly I am to them whether I am or not). For the most part I am very pleased with my students but every now and then there will be one or two who want to buck the system and have to be exterminated.....I mean....ah, dealt with. But nonetheless I have students whose art works are turning out to be wonderful. I would like to share some of their work with you so you can see what students are doing in their classrooms when they put their minds to it and sometimes while they are not but happy accidents will happen and a persistent art teacher is usually present keeping in mind that sanity is not always necessary when teaching art. These are unfinished works so if there is a large blank space it is probably just the area that they have not gotten to and the white of the paper is showing through. As they become finished I will post them again so you can see the final results. (Actually, by teaching I am helping keep Caleb in business because when they finish their work the parents are so proud of their darlin's they rush down to Caleb's shop and have it framed. Yeah!)
Art I students are working with collage. Collage being the use of found materials like magazines and advertisments. My students have been instructed to tear up the magazine pages into little pieces and glue them into place. This is a challenging project because it requires searching for pages with the color you need and then merging the little pieces together in such as way that it gradually changes the values as is necessary. And since my budget that has not seen an increase in the last sixteen years although the enrollment has more than doubled and class size increased by 10 students on average recycling is not just environmentally responsible it has become necessary.
The following pictures are all art I students work and the last picture is a close up of the one before it so you can see how the artwork is created.
Roosters 
Zebra
Parrots 
Waterlily Detail of Waterlily Below
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