Lasting Memories-Old Fashioned Photos

Happy Easter! Enjoy your time with your families!

I have a confession to make. My kids think I am "old fashioned". And they love the 70's, which were my teen years. They think the 70's were "old school." Excuse me, but that was just yesterday! LOL

So when the challenge at Lasting Memories this week called for old fashioned pictures I figured a picture from when I was in first grade (1967) was fair game.

Supplies:

Scrapbooks and Cards Today Spring Kit :I really love this kit good value and variety

Paper:  Pebbles Take Note and Family Ties, Crate Paper On Trend, Bazzill Borders

Butterfly Heart Embellishments: I made these from scraps and Distress Stains and Markers

Stamps: Hero Arts Antique Engravings Use Discount Code Spring10 for 10% off your entire order:)

Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories

Wood Veneer Embellishments: Studio Calico and Scrapbook and Cards Today Spring Kit

Wire Bird: Scrapbook and Cards Today Spring Kit

Flowers: Stash



Tip: This photo is the ONLY picture I have being in the classroom as a student. So I used Scrapbook Adhesives Photo Corners, so that the photo could be removed if necessary.

Challenges:

Frosted Designs: Use a Scallop (under photo)

Stuck on Sketches: 

Hiding In My Craft Room Freestyle

Clearly Inspired: Anything Goes

Happy Easter!

Lasting Memories-Autumn

 It's time to celebrate Autumn at Lasting Memories.  Dig out those Autumn photos or feel free to use autumn colors, foliage - you get the idea, right?? We look forward to seeing all those creations! Don't forget, challenge ends next Sat, Oct 6th at 6pm!

 I love this time of the year-although my mold allergy does not, lol! Those silly moldy decomposing leaves are my downfall! But I do love the colors of the trees-although it looks like it is going to be somewhat diminished this year thanks to the drought this summer. And I am envious of my DT sister Tina who has those beautiful mountain trees to look at this time of the year.

So you would think as much as I love Autumn that I would have had no problem getting this layout done and on time.But sigh...it was not to be. I had an idea..but then I could not find the photo. So I picked out new photos and chose a sketch challenge I wanted to do....alas no mojo. According to my DT sister Kimberly our mojo went out to have coffee...and considering the fact that I HATE coffee that may be very well where my mojo went. So I struggled all day telling myself I could not do anything until it was done. (And it is BEAUTIFUL here, so  you would have thought that would have motivated me.)

And then I went to go get my Sizzix Tim Holtz Autumn Gatherings die to do my leaf embellishments on my layout. And I am embarrassed to admit it, but it was still in it's packaging-AND it's RETIRED. Oh do I need Lasting Memories to have some use your stash challenges!!!  How embarrassing:(

 My photos in my layout are from when I was teaching. I took my class to the river every couple of weeks to test the water quality and for the kids to have a hands on learning experience. On this particular day we were working on tree identification. The kids had life jackets on because we were by the river and doing some water testing too.

Supplies:
Cardstock and Paper: DCWV, Micheals
Trim: My Mind's Eye Lush
Die: Sizzix Tim Holtz Autumn Gatherings, Sizzix Tag
Ink: Tim Holtz Gathering Twigs
Stickles; Copper
Adhesives: Glue Dots, Glue Glider Pro,Tombow Power Adhesive Tabs



Challenges:
All Sorts Challenge Blog: #174 Create a Scrapbook Page
Use
Creative Scrappers #227

Looking forward to enjoying your Autumn Splendor!

Lasting Memories Challenge #83- April Fools Challenge

Today is a big day at my house. First the theme this week at Lasting Memories is “April Fools!” – Show us your ‘sneaky’ tricks!! Idea’s: hidden journaling, hidden photo’s, hidden tips and tricks. 

I really thought about this one. I decide to do a layout from when I was teaching. And to do it with papers and stickers that are over 10 years old!!!! (Another secret- I never throw anything away.) And the foam dots I used on the safety cone to give it  3D affect are really the scraps left over from the dots:) And I tilted the entire design-which is a first for me. I also recycled left over graduation toothpicks for the flags on the Safety Cones. 

Journaling: One of my classroom goals for my students was to teach them citizenship. Weekly we made trips to the river to test water quality observe animal and plant life, or to clean up litter. Other times we went around the city stenciling storm drains with "No Dumping."  Teachers from upper grades how the kids would talk about water stewardship years later!


I don't have a list of supplies because everything  on this layout is so old it is discontinued or out of business. Remember Over the Moon Press????? (It's the dotted paper.)

And our family has a real live April Fool, but we refer to him as our April Blessing. Scott is 21 years old today. Happy Birthday, joy of my life! I love you! Scott fooled everyone by coming into this world 8 weeks early. Now if I could only get you to do your chores early too!!! LOL


Have a day filled with April Blessings!

Middle School Male Layout- Gifted and Talented Advocacy

 Sometimes a school year can be defined by the actions of a single teacher and the impact can be felt for years to come. If you are lucky you will find that amazing teacher who turns on the light bulb of knowledge. Unfortunately though, there can also be that teacher who has has tunnel vision and can not see beyond. Unfortunately James found the tunnel visioned math teacher in 7th grade and it impacted him for years to come. 

James is gifted. In a previous school system he had received services for the gifted in third grade. He flourished in the program. When we moved the gifted teacher (who previously taught in our new school system)  tried to advocate for him to be in the new school's gifted program. Despite hours of meetings and providing documentation the new school refused to allow him to be in the gifted program until after he had been in the school for a year. They also lied and said the previous school system said he wasn't ready for the gifted and talented program. This was a major issue, because in the original school's gifted program they had already covered the 4th grade curriculum and used the same books. So in essence as a gifted child he would be repeating his fourth grade year.

After bringing James to a meeting, so that the school would have to put a face to the name, the school compromised with letting him skip fourth grade. But I was forced to sign a waiver that I would I would waive my right to sue if he experienced psychological damage from this in later life! LOL

In 7th grade they refused to put James in an advance Math class because he was disorganized. Many gifted and talented kids are disorganized. I tried to advocate for him, but instead he was bored and the grades dropped because he misplaced the papers. In reality his disorganization occurred after a spinal cord surgery. Before that he was bordering on obsessive compulsive. So the school should have been providing the structure to help with the disorganization, but instead they spent the time complaining about his disorganization rather than teaching him how to overcome it.

Thankfully he found a teacher right out of college in high school. And she recognized his talent. He was on track for general math and he wouldn't have the classes he needed for Purdue. She advocated for him and got him into advance math classes-but it meant he had to take Algebra One and Algebra Two at the SAME TIME. He graduated with straight A's in math and with a 3.8 GPA. On his SAT he scored in the 98th percentile in Math. He is in his freshmen year at Purdue, but he has enough credits to be a second semester Sophomore. Yet a 7th grade teacher felt his needs were better met in a general math class!

Having a child with special needs and the other child gifted and talented, plus having taught special education for almost 19 years, it is sad to say advocating for the  gifted child has been the tougher battle through the years. There are protected programs in place for special education. Lots of services are available. But gifted programs are the first to go when there are funding issues. Qualifying for gifted services is a local decision with no State-wide benchmarks. Our state is constantly focusing on "brain drain" (Bright kids leaving the state after graduating). I honestly believe if they would focus more on making sure these kids are encouraged in school and given the opportunity to grow instead of stagnating, our kids might be more enthusiastic about staying in the state. But they are smart enough to know their kids are going to have a challenge in getting an education that is challenging.

So my layout today is representative of that year. The quotes I chose for it represent James'  bright future, thanks to that beginning high school math teacher. He recently changed his career goals and is majoring in languages, business management and political science because he wants to work in an Embassy. He recently got a summer internship in a Consulate.  He is reaching out for his dreams and winning. 

I choose the Crafter's Companion Strawberry Kisses My Boy Shoe Stamp because it reminded me of his 7th grade year. He had the gifted and talented running shoes to be off and running, but due to the poor insight of his math teacher it ended up being a sleeper year. (There's a puppy sleeping in the sneaker.)

Journal Stickers: " The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."- Eleanor Rossevelt

"All of our dreams can come true...if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney


Supplies:
Paper and Cardstock: DCWV Grade School Stack, The Girls Paperie Paper Girl, Bazzil Typhoon, Black Scrap, Copic Express Blending Cardstock
Copics:Y08, Y04, Y02,.E31, E34,E35, R14, R17,C1, C2,C3, B41, Multi-liner 03 Black, YR04, B45, R14
Stamp: Crafter's Companion Strawberry Kisses My Boy
Embossing Power: Ranger Black Super Fine Detail
Ink: Colorbox Charcoal Chalk
Stickers: Stash


Challenges:
Hotshot Craft Blog   One for the Boys
2 Sisters Challenge   Anything Goes
Let's Get Sketchy   Impromptu Challenge Sketch

Wishing you a day filled with opportunities to reach for your dreams!

Hoot- Owl Classroom Layout

Teaching was the joy of my life. Having to retire from teaching was the hardest part of becoming ill with Behcets.  I was one of those teachers who believed life experiences were the best way to teach kids Reading, Math, English, Social Studies and Science. There were no textbooks in my room. Instead we used children's literature and real life experiences.

My classes were known as the Elkhart River Elementary Scientists. The barn owl was locally threatened so the kids spent time learning about it's habitat and what they could do to help the owl. We also dissected owl pellets (Sterilized Owl throw-up, lol) to discover what the owls were eating. A local raptor rehabilitator brought an owl to the classroom, so the kids could meet an owl in person. Since owls are nocturnal we were having no luck seeing them during our weekly field trips to the river. So this layout is from a day in my classroom.

To make the Owl Peek A Boo: Cut out 2 owl shadow on the Cricut Give a Hoot Cartridge Size 3. Freehand the velvet paper head tuft feathers. The beak is also free hand. Fold it in two to give it dimension, inking the fold and edges. Cut out the wings and use foam tape on top of the original owl to give dimension and the appearance it is looking over the picture.

I used foam tape to give the leaves dimension and give the impression that the pictures were up in a tree.


Supplies:
Paper and Cardstock: October Afternoon Campfire Collection, Imaginisce Happy Camper, Core'dinations So Mod, Brown velvet paper
Circut Cartridge: Give a Hoot
Die Cuts: Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy, October Afternoon Campfire
Embellishments: Fibre Craft Google Eyes



Challenges:

Cricut 360 Challenge 8: School Themed-  Any Cartridge

Sketchabilities

Have a "Hoot" filled day!
Elizabeth

Books and Reading for Young Folks

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

As a teacher I could not abide textbooks. I have had the eye opening experience of writing state standards for education and then writing state mandated assessments.  And while the educators who are on the committees have the children's best interests at heart, it becomes evident very quickly that it is a political game of chess and not all of the parties involved have the children's best interests as their motivation. What drives publicity and then later votes is what reigns supreme in regards to standards and textbook selection. I would like to believe that has changed since I retired from education, but as I read the headlines unfortunately I believe it continues to be the same. Textbooks are written to meet political agendas, not to meet the needs of the child.

I found my special education students did not respond to textbooks. My kids often came to me with no reading skills. So it made no sense to me to continue to use textbooks that had already failed. Instead my classroom was filled with children's literature. And one of my all time favorite historical author's was Jean Fritz. She captured the kids' imaginations. She found out small trivial details that would never find their way into a textbook, but that were interesting and relevant to kids. It made them want to stay in from recess just because they had to know what Benjamin Franklin was going to invent next! Or what did George Washington eat for breakfast?

I also found that sometimes a historical figure appearing in the classroom was so much more interesting than a teacher. So there were days I would travel back in time to find someone to come visit and spend the day with the class. And I would take a much deserved day off from teaching, LOL. (And I still can't believe it that the kids bought that story!)

So on this particular day Ms. Humility from the 1700's came to the 1990's. What a shock it was for her! The children spoke strangely! There were electrical candles that the children called lights run by electricity. But Ms Humility had just been to Mr. Franklin's house and electricity came from lightening. Did the children figure out how to put a thunderstorm into a computer to make it work?????? And girls wearing pants and dressing like boys? Were they not afraid of being shamed and being sentenced to spending time in the public square and being ridiculed?

What a day the children and Humility had. The American Revolution became real to the children. Different viewpoints were being discussed. Why taxing tea was just unforgivable King George! And now not only did men have the right to vote about taxes, women now had the right to vote???? Humility almost died of shock.

So now Humility has returned to her own time, and all I had left was a picture of her visiting. So what to do?

BO BUNNY LEARNING CURVE
When the Bo Bunny Learning Curve line came out I was just breathless with excitement. I loved the paper. And low and behold a friend is selling it on an EBAY at an awesome price and you get to pick and choose which parts of the line you want to make your own kit! To see it click on this link: Bo Bunny Learning Curve Products

I used the blackboard paper behind Humility's picture because I wanted to draw the correlation between the centuries. The 1990's blackboard with the message from me is behind Humility in the picture. She was so relieved to know blackboard's still existed! I also copied 3 of my favorite Jean Fritz books that we later read in the classroom onto glossy paper so they would look like the paperbacks we had in the classroom. And all of my books in the classroom had library cards, so they were a natural to incorporate.

SEWING ON PAPER
And since sewing was a major occupation in Humility's time, I stitched the ribbon and Humility's photo to the page. A word about sewing on paper. It takes some practice. Paper is very unforgiving. There are no do overs with sewing. Every time I sit down to sew I always practice on scrap paper. Lots of things can go wrong. Paper creates a ton of dust. The adhesive I use to tack it down before I sew causes the needle to gum up. I clean the machine weekly. I have a brush I dust with. I use Un-Du adhesive wipes to wipe down the needle and the fabric feeder. I oil the moving parts once a week. And I learned all of this the hard way. The first machine I used for sewing on paper I destroyed in three months. This machine has lasted two years. It is a cheap Singer Simple I bought at Wal-Mart for less than $75.00. Cleaning time has paid off well!

Here's the resulting page:

Books and Reading for Young Folk

 I am sure Humility would be amazed!

Have a wonderful day of learning moments!

Elizabeth