Tag Archive | Education

Daily Prompt: Fifteen Credits

Another school semester will soon begin. If you’re in school, are you looking forward to starting classes? If you’re out of school, what do you miss about it — or are you glad those days are over?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us LEARNING.

It has been 3 years since I retired… Time has flown by quickly… minutes to hours… hours to days… and now days to years…

Yes… I miss school… I spent 12 years of just attending school like any other kid…

loving every minute of it…

School was fun to me…

cursive writing… I loved making those beautiful curved letters…

reading… not easy for me that first year… had no pre-school or kindergarten at that time… but, by the next year… I was learning quickly and asked to help other kids…

math…my torment… but, when learned… felt so proud… Hated reading problems as they were called… but, loved geometry… drawing all of those angles and shapes… using a compass… protractor and ruler… (the art in me I guess)

geography… learning of different countries… people… places… I would never see… a world opened to me through books and films…

history… learning of past presidents and who formed our land… laws… the constitution… discoveries made by people… found it to be quite interesting…

english… Loved words… never liked learning all of those names for different parts of speech… nouns… pronouns… adverbs… I did love adjectives… descriptive words… how wonderful!… letter writing was neat… punctuation could give me fits…

literature… stories … books… heroes… characters… authors… fun!

science… planets… rocks… experiments… equations (yuck!)… earth… formulas (another yuck!)… bugs…animals…birds… people… VERY interesting…

art… favorite subject for me… the smell of crayons… paints… the pencils for drawing… colored chalk dust… colored paper…clean white paper to put that first bit of color on… Loved it!

music… singing… sometimes dance… instruments… piano playing… harmonizing… chorus… A happy feeling …

play time… inside and out… jump rope… kick ball… games… What’s not to like???

friendships… special girlfriends… some to this day!… cute boys…

teachers… some good… so memorable… some bad… (Very few)… what each taught and their techniques…

classrooms… I dreamed of my own…and how I would fix it… teacher‘s desk… seating charts… colorful pictures…bright sun coming through windows… watching first snowflakes and wondering if we would get out early…

field trips… visiting places I would never have gone to… seeing things I would never had seen… Hearing things I would never have heard… AWESOME!

lunch time… sack lunch kids… cafeteria food… cafeteria ladies… sitting talking with friends… always rushing to eat fast in 20 minutes…

bus ride… I was a safety patrol on the bus… badge and all… noisy kids… but, really liked our bus driver… Mr. G… and the trips on that big yellow bus… so fun sitting with friends…

snack time… cookies and milk… Oreos from a boy who liked me…

This was a description of “my school years“… and then I got a job in the school system… a dream come true… working with special children…

30 years later… retired… but, the descriptions of school memories are pretty much the same… work was just like a repeat of my school years… just looking on from a different perspective…

To spend my whole life in school… leaves lots of memories… and yes, I will always miss those days…

Daily Prompt:Fifteen Credits (msudlj.com)
Junior High [Daily Prompt: Fifteen Credits] (unknowinglee.wordpress.com)
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Daily Prompt: Fifteen credits August 21, 2013 (thedisc0nnect.wordpress.com)
Daily Prompt: Fifteen Credits (lumar1298.wordpress.com)

My Lifetime Dream/Goal Reached! (Sunday Grateful) 7-4-13

Aug4

I’ve had to pinch myself a few times!

Ask myself, “Did I really get that phone call?”…

Talk about it… so that I know it’s for real..

Keep thinking about it and smiling…

Saying “Thank You” hundreds of times to my Lord…

You see… I finally got the job I’ve wanted ever since I was a little girl…

My dream…

My hope…

My talent put to use…

and just perfectly fits my life at this time…

God is good!… and when the time is right… prayers are indeed answered…

I have to give praise for this wonderful happening that has been given me…

I had taken a painting class about two months ago… and while there… I happened to ask the owners, “Do you need someone to teach the painting classes?”…

and they said, “As a matter of fact we will need someone!… in a month or two when we move to a larger location”…

What was so surprising… they were quite impressed with my “natural” talent… and took my phone number…

Painting class I took with daughter-in-law…

The new location was only a store over from their immediate shop… so the location was ideal for me… less than 15 minutes away from my home…

I was elated!… that they seemed interested…

and this past week the owner called and wanted to now if I was still interested…

YES!… I wanted to shout!… Yes, indeed! …

I bet I was grinning from ear to ear!…

She wanted me to come in for a class and just paint again along with the customers that had signed up… taking some mental notes as to how they did things…

I had been one other time for a class with a friend of mine… so I was learning their ways already… and liked what I saw…

Painting I did with friend…

We painted a Lake Scene… and I talked to all of the customers just to get a feel of what that would be like…

I love that part of course!… I love people… listening to them… and connecting…

I do think I have a natural teaching ability too…

I’ve never had the opportunity for college… but, the jobs that I have had… have prepared me well…

This company will also be opening a new shop in Elizabethtown, KY… not too far from Louisville… So, I feel I am getting in on the ground floor as to speak…

( There was a movie called “Elizabethtown“ out a few years back… filmed in this small town)

The company called KOCH and CO. … have become busier since I first painted with my daughter-in-law over two months ago…

That’s a good thing for sure!

So it will be part-time… Money is good … will have a helper and all I have to do is teach the class…

How awesome is that! …

I will have a couple of practice class sessions to begin with… being critiqued as to where I might need some help…

but, then will be on my own…

My goal / dream being reached in my lifetime…

How blessed I feel!

I Don’t Understand The Picture You’ve Painted (thesyncronisedlife.wordpress.com)
I Teach. What’s Your Superpower? (pinterestinspiredclassroom.wordpress.com)
Dream It! Do It! You Create Your Own Luck by Taking Chances! (rojasgilda9.wordpress.com)

Daily Prompt: Back To School

Jul30

If you could take a break from your life and go back to school to master a subject, what would it be?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us MASTERY.

I would like to take classes in Art Therapy…

The following statements pretty much sum up why I would like to do this…

The tenets of art therapy involve humanism, creativity, reconciling emotional conflicts, fostering self-awareness, and personal growth.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

k8956821

“Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of communication. It is practised by qualified, registered Art Therapists who work with children, young people, adults and the elderly.

http://www.baat.org/

I worked with mentally handicapped children for 30 + years… and in doing so … I would often use my natural talent of Art to work with these “special” kids…

I saw that through the process of art which can include drawing, painting, coloring, creating… moods/behaviors changed… self-confidence was built… and a calmness came into the bodies of these children…

A feeling of pride emerged… and I… in turn… learned about them…

their needs…

their desires…

their wants…

their talents…

Being able to contribute to these changes… by doing something I loved to begin with… was so rewarding and fulfilled a small part of my dream…

Going back to school and mastering the techniques needed to fulfill this wish… would make my life pretty complete!

http://youtu.be/exRRwiIFNUU Video: Wonderful info on what ART THERAPIST do all over the world!

Art Therapy Column (brokenlightcollective.wordpress.com)
Here’s a video about art therapy. It starts (artforhealth.wordpress.com)
Lessons Brought From Art Therapy In Action (dag093.wordpress.com)
Art Therapy’s Identity Crisis (theselfatelier.wordpress.com)
Art Therapy (engageadhd.org)
Art psychotherapist Annalie Ashwell: My work can give people a sense of empowerment (metro.co.uk)

Vase of Flowers

Jun1

Another painting class… This time with a friend I made at the YMCA… She picked a picture of a vase with flowers to paint… The store… KOCH’S Painting… lists several different choices to pick from… on a monthly calendar…

I always like the choices but, usually end up making it my own… in some way… The flowers in the picture were all pink…

This was the one we were to copy…

I made them the colors I have in my bathroom… I had the same picture up for so long… I decided I needed a change…

I’ve painted a long time… so I’ve learned from trial and error as I go… but, can always learn a new technique… a new way of doing things…

My beginnings…

My finished painting…

Hung in my bathroom…

My friend painted hers pretty much like the picture offered… It was really nice… It takes about 3 hours to complete… By using acrylic paint … the paintings dry pretty quick with the aid of a hair dryer …

My friend Janice…

Beginning of painting…

Finished painting…

The girl who owns the store and her partner have said they would like me to teach some of the classes… I would jump at the chance … It would be ideal!… A few days a week… teaching what I love… doing what I love… Talking to people and seeing the joy on their faces as they make something with their own hands… So when their new store opens… I hope to be working again… Retirement is good… but, having a job like this would be right up my alley!

Showing off our artwork…

Thinking Daisies… (kastiyos.wordpress.com)
Acrylic Paintings with Neon (torontofoodiemommy.wordpress.com)
Vases of flowers (lizziegoldenblog.wordpress.com)
Paint + Drink || Drink + Paint (dearlazulie.com)
From Inspiration to Interesting Places (blueheronwrites.com)
Artist Showcase: Lisa Daria – a (totally amazing) painting a day (beautifulhelloblog.com)
Transition of a Region – Acrylic Painting (landscapeartblog.wordpress.com)
A re-newed love affair with painting (dressedupinstitches.wordpress.com)

Middle School!… Here I Come!

May18

My youngest Granddaughter is moving on up to Middle School…

Where has the time gone…

She is such a joy!…

I always say, “She makes me smile!”…

full of energy…

loves sports…

has many friends…

smart…

and that smile and mischievous grin gets us all…

Talking so fast… I have to slow her down at times…

So, yesterday she had “Her Day”…

Mom, Dad, “Paps” (her other grandfather), Uncle Doug and Bobby (Poppy) and I … came to sit in those unbearable bleachers just for her!…

The gym was crowded with parents, grandparents, brothers/sisters and friends to wish them well in their next step… Middle School…

Kennedy accepting her certificate…

Being that I worked in a Middle School for such a long time… I know these will be stressful years at times… happy years at times… and personalities will appear that you never knew existed…

The program consisted of a talk from one of the Principals of a Middle School… songs were sung about moving on to new adventures…

and the receiving of an Award of Completion of Elementary Years…

A video on a big screen depicting all of the graduates… pretty neat!

Long enough… and with a DJ and a party being planned … We took photos and expressed our congratulations! …

and waved good-bye…

Her smile lets us know she was glad we came…

Red Roses , an Autograph Dog , cards with money…

and many hugs…

“Good Luck Kennedy… Enjoy these wonderful years!”

Love, Grandma

Painting for Fun!

May16

Last Thursday Night my daughter-in-law and I went to a painting class…

Painting classes have become very popular in Louisville in the last year…

Some classes are held in restaurants… some at their own business sites…

They might serve wine… cheeses/fruit… crackers…

maybe cupcakes for kids…

I’ve been to three…. so far…

I love to paint!… but, having never had professional training… I dare not say that I’m a true painter…

I have painted murals on walls at several schools… wall murals in people’s homes… and just for my own pleasure… to sell at craft bazaars…

I guess you can say I’m self-taught… and have God-given talent…

Some find my work quite good…

This painting class was not far from where I live…

Koch’s …

They do framing … display and sell art of different artists… and have painting classes for all ages… Parties may be on their agenda as well as the pre-set classes for any age…

They were painting an interpretation of the Louisville skyline for a booth they were setting up for a fair… “Louisville Independent Business Alliance” …when we were there…

Painting still wet …

Painting at the fair with our Louisville Mayor… that weekend…

There are many designs to choose from on their monthly calendar…

My daughter-in-law chose the artwork we were to paint… I wanted to treat her… since she was excited about the fact that she would be painting something she could actually hang in her new home…

It was called “Magical Tree”… I called it “whimsical”… and it was fun to do…

You could follow along and do just as taught… or change it up a bit to make it your own…

Melanie chose bright colors… so fun!…

and I went with a more subdued coloring to fit with my decor…

This photo was posted on their Facebook Page… how neat!

The swirly lines for tree branches were so fun to make…

and leaves were just depicted by dots…

Melanie has already hung hers and mine is still sitting there… waiting for me to decide on an appropriate place… or I might even give as a gift …