Graffiti in the Classroom.

   These are the demos that I did for each period, maybe I'll put some of the kids' up later.

So for as long as I've been teaching, my students sketchbooks have plagued me.  The covers are always so ugly and beat up that every time I collect to grade, I get really depressed. (one ugly cover is one thing but imagine having to look at 190 ugly covers... bleegh... puke!  I've tried lots of things, but I am never happy with the results. However, I am really stoked about this idea!  We stenciled our names on the covers of our sketchbooks with spray paint!  The kids love it just as much as I do.   The best part though..... I did this at the beginning of the semester with all my new students (I switch students at semester) and of course at the beginning of each semester there are always a couple of students that are thinking that they are too cool for school, and they are only here to show you their attitude, blah blah,.... the best part was watching those kids, do a 180 overnight (it usually takes me much longer to win them over if I ever do)!  Now most of those kids are little darlin's, and doing fabulous work on the other projects we've been doing.   The down side to this project is that I am rather anxious for the custodians to cut the grass before admin sees that the grass around my outside door is crazy colorful with spray paint.  I like it, but I don't know if they will.  Silly kids, didn't always spray paint of the piece of plastic I gave them. heh heh. Oh, and yes, I did tell my boss what I was doing ahead of time.

     Anyway, on a side note.....those of you who have heard anything about Sunnyside know that it is known for two things, smelling bad and gang problems.  So it's not uncommon to see graffiti around town.  All of it is pathetic though, in fact the only good stuff comes in on the trains, from out of town.  The little gangsters in this town ought to be ashamed of themselves, ASHAMED!  Anyway, maybe we shall see some descent stuff around town. If they are going to deface, at least they can do an interesting job of it.