Teaching in the Ghetto....

So as I have searched for teaching jobs I have found some really great school districts that I have applied to. In contrast I have found some very interesting jobs posted in some interesting school/areas of houston.
As much as I would love to be michelle phiefer in "Dangerous Minds" or the teacher in "Freedom writers"( which by the way I have never seen any of these films) ..... making a life changing difference, teaching students to be expressive with paint and art then with crime....I admire real life teachers like that... but I don't think I'm cut out to be teaching in the inner inner city of Houston.....

House Huntin'

So.... currently robert and I are looking for a place to reside while we are in houston texas. What we are learning fast is, soon as somthing is posted, its been taken....
For example, last night rob was mass-emailing renters about their posts on the rice website. Anyway--- we found this great place (well it sounded great) in a "safe" residential area outside of downtown. Anyway--- I guess rob and the owner were e-mailing all last night and today. I guess he e-mailed her at least 10mins after she posted. She told rob today that since then there have been 10 people inquiring about the place. Fun eH?
She is going to have an open house in saturday, and we are having robs sister, tara, check it out. As you all know.... EVERYTHING looks better on the internet than is really is. We think this place is pretty good... we will see. I like the fact that the manager does background checks on all of her tenants... actually that is realy really smart.
If all else fails, Robert and I can build a cardboard box house. We could live right off of the corner of Rice. Then we wouldn't have to worry about commuting... doesn't sound to bad.... I foudn this cardboard box house on-line!

Just for the weekend

Over the weekend we had some really good friends of ours come and visit us, the Kenningtons and the Amourims from p-town! This picture I chose of the wives, because I think we all look awesome... We had a lot of fun when they were here--- we went to the temple, we made lots of international food... since katie lived in germary for most of her life, Casey (her hubby) served his mission in Japan, and the Amourims are from beautiful brazil--- we had an array of recepies and meal choices.





We went inner-tubing down a river in Boulder Colorado, and cruised the streets of downtown. I felt bad, because I was such a poop! the last 2 days, I wasn't feeling very well at all so I was taking lots of naps and laying in bed :( yuck! Anyway--- Roberto and I enjoyed having them visit. We enjoy their friendships so much!

A Startling Resemblence?

So the other day I was thinking about the office.... and the oh so odd and funny characters we love to watch... And the other day I came to the startling thought--- that we ALL resemble these characters in some way--- in some way we have shared or share similar character flaws or traits.
Ok-- I'm not trying to make this a deep thoughtful post, but I did have some thoughts of why as a young child.... I shared similar traits as... Angela...

1. When I was 6 yrs old, I would wear my "smoking kills' pin over to my neighbors house whose (wonderful, kind) mother smoked. I wore the pin in hopes that his mother would get the hint that smoking was bad for your body. A couple of years later, my neighbor’s mother told me that she had quit smoking.... I wonder if she did that out of guilt, and that I would stop wearing the pin.

2. When I was 8 or 9 years old, after church, I saw some boys in my class throwing their scriptures into the basketball hoops. I told them "Future missionaries of the lord DO NOT throw the word of God around like that.

3. In grade 3 in PE class, we played a game called "resurrection". I told my teacher that I did not like the name of it because I felt that it was sacrilege, because of what the term resurrection meant. This is Canada... and so in order to be politically correct... we changed the name to something else....

Ok thankfully.... as an adult, I have HOPEFULLY grown out of this bratty self-righteous character. To be honest I think it only lasted while I was 7 yrs. old.

However, as an adult, Angela and I are very different.... Ido not scowl all day; I do not like numbers (hence I'm not an accountant.) I do not like posters of cats or anne geddes pictures. I do not like weird men who love fantasy creatures and who thinks superheroes are real people.

Our summer house...ummm...more like housesitting

This is where rob and I are staying this summer. A friend of ours offered us to stay/rent/watchover one of his houses while rob is doing an internship in Denver. We are living in castle rock, and we enjoy living in denver very much! We appreciate the generosity of our friend.... and its located in a safe neighbourhood-- which is nice to know.







I will, however note, I have become a fan of granite countertops!

Some more artwork

As much as I would LOVE to say that I taught these students EVERYTHING they know.. and that it was my expertise that helped them create the amazing pictures... I think that some of these kids are just dang talented....... and work hard.. all I can say is that I gave them the assignment... taught them how to do it... and volia -- the rest is up to them..

The self portraits are my 9th graders. We talked about and looked at different abstract artworks, and self portraits and the art movement Fauvism. We discussed the role of colour and how it is used more as expression than for realsitic purposes.
Of course I taught my students proportions of the face, and measurements, and they created a "realsitc" self portrait drawing. Then I made them creat a second one,.... and man were the second ones 100x better! Practice makes perfect!


Disclamer about the Packing tape, human sized statues... Yes it was educational... it was not an excuse to let my students tape eachother up! They learned about a pop sculptor-- George segal.....

Memories of Lehi Jr. High

Here are some pictures of some of my students artwork.
I thought that you would all love to see what in the world I do with my students. Big update! I am currently looking for art teaching jobs in houston! Its amazing what summer does to you! And i swore that I was retiring... what can I say-- I think rob is the only person that I know who comes home from his job and says " I LOVE my job!" I like to compare teaching to parenting--- (except that we send the kids home after 8hrs) I highl doubt that a parent says " i love my job-- when:
1) baby spits up on you
2) Child is sick with the runs-- its all over the bathroom floor
3) you are trying to grocery shop... and your children are screaming.
people are staring... and you have an appointment that you need to get to...
and you are trying to mast patience...

of course I am not talking from experience... just from observation..

OF COURSE parenting has its rewards...... you probably see them every day... but... they are there.
Like teaching, parenting is a thankless job-- nobody notices the wonderful, hardwork, and scarafices you make....
So.... teaching has its rewarding moments.... it really does, they are just far and few... and thats ok---- it really is...
because like parenting its probably the most rewarding and influential profession around!