Sunday, September 30, 2012

Carrots and Chicken Mittens

Chicken Mittens 
Carrots from my garden
I designed a new pair of mittens - CHICKENS! Using US size 9 needles and a double strand of Cascade 220, the body was a quick knit. I think I'll try them in another color set. These look like Rhode Island Reds!






My garden is done for the season. I dug up my carrots in the rain yesterday. Digging carrots is fun. We had a stir fry last night with fresh carrots - they are so sweet! I will plant garlic in a few weeks and then dream of next summer.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Art Room, 'Mindset'

School's in session and it looks to be a great year ahead. The students have settled in quickly and are eager to create artwork.  I spent several days cleaning and rearranging my classroom before school started. I love the new traffic flow. This year I'm promoting my room as 'the quiet zone' - and it's working, mostly. It is hard for the students to work quietly while sitting on cafeteria benches...
I'm feeling like I work for the coolest school district. We have each been given a copy of Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. I find this book to be truly inspirational. I'm not done with it yet, but the big idea is that with the right mindset we can all learn how to fulfill our potential - and coach our students to reach theirs. We also read Inevitable over the summer. This book introduced us to the concept of 'mass customized learning' - essentially each learner learns at their own rate and in their own way. With technology and creative planning, we can uniquely educate each and every student and help them become life long learners. We are doing our part to be the best teachers we can be in this age of change!