Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County know the power of peer-to-peer mentoring. Their High School Big program allows for committed, responsible high school students to mentor at their neighboring elementary or middle schools. Ofelia DeLuca, Team Leader for BISS spoke to my First Priority students today about the impact you guys can have by mentoring younger students through BISS. If you would like to know more about how to become a Big Brother or a Big Sister see me sometime this week and I will discuss it with you in more detail. I have a stack of mentor applications on my desk and I will be passing them out to interested students for the next few days. All applications are due back to me by Friday so that I can drop them off at the BISS office before the weekend. I want my students involved! Like I have said to you guys many times, you will receive back more than you give, I guarantee it!
Steven's promposal will have a Starry Night theme! I love it. Art history is huge at Blanche Ely High School. My passion for art history has rubbed off on all my students!
Sometimes simple words say it best. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart!" Words cannot express how proud I am of my First Priority Leadership Team. They faithfully lead our after-school student lead Christian fellowship club. They were true leaders in every sense of the word! I wish all of you all the happiness in the world. I know that in years to come I will hear how great your lives turned out. I believe that your lives will make a great impact in this world because you all have already made a great impact at Blanche Ely High School. I will never forget you ladies, and I will cherish this photo forever.I love you guys so much. Ms. B.
I love, love love seeing all the lilies in the store this time of year. Lilies are my favorite flower. I reposted this older blog because of all the Easter lilies that I saw this weekend. Ms. B. If any of you took the time to see some of my watercolor paintings on the ‘Teacher Work’ page of this site you will notice that I paint a lot of lilies. My favorite flower is a lily, let me tell you why.
Lilies are beautiful, elegant and appear to blossom in an ever so effortlessly and gentle manner. The lily has its deepest color in the center... the heart of the flower. But, the real reason that I love lilies is because they grow best in the valley where it is darker. They do not grow well on the top of the mountain where the bright sun is too harsh...just like me, let me explain. My life mirrors that of a lily. I grow best in the ‘valley’ times of my life, not in the mountain top experiences. Don't get me wrong, I love when things are going well for me, but I grow more as a person when I am faced with challenges. I consider the ‘valley’ times, those hard times in life when I face trials and obstacles that seem too big for me to overcome. Times of heartache, brokenness, loneliness and failures. The valley is darker than the mountain top because the mountains block the sunlight and cast shadows down into the valley. Just like when the ‘valley’ times of our life appear to be darker than the more joyful times. Yet, it is in tough times of life when I change the most. I find my inner strength and discover my self-worth when I feel cornered and go into survival mode. I grow in character, emotionally and spiritually when times are hard. It is in these times that I search for my faith and put my trust in what I believe to be true and meaningful in life. Have you heard it said, “Your true colors come out when you are in a crisis”? How true this is! Tough times separates the weak from the strong...the survivors from the quitters! I have learned to embrace all seasons of my life. The good years and the bad years. Just like the ‘Lily of the Valley’ flower, I blossom and grow best in the valley. So, if life is casting shadows on your sunny day…slow down, breathe and try to discover how you can best use this experience to make needed changes in your life so that you can come out a better, stronger and healthier person. Learn to grow in the valley. Be a lilly and don't let an overcast day keep you from moving forward in life. Life can be tough and you can hit rock bottom at times. But remember, when you hit bottom, the only way to go from there is up! I love you guys, Ms. B Many of you are using Google images freely in my classroom. You must be aware of what is truly "free" and what is considered Internet theft. I created a 2 minute iMovie tutorial that will guide you as to how to properly chose images online. This will be a part of our class Digital Citizenship website. Please view and be prepared to contribute to our class discussion tomorrow. Love, Ms. B.
Our class digital citizenship site (in progress): http://donnabonavia.weebly.com/ I just wanted to take a moment tonight to thank ALL my classes for a great day! I usually don't lecture that long, so I appreciate how attentive all of you were today. I was especially proud of 6th period when our Principal, Mr. Johnson stopped in to observe me teach. He sent me a great post-observation report and he raved about all of you! Thank you for making me look so good!!! Today was a historical overview of the Pop Art and Post Pop Art movement that took place in the 50's and 60's here in the U.S. and in Brittain. Tomorrow we will begin to lay out the art lesson. Although I introduced many Pop Artist to you today, we will focus on the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Review the tutorial tonight and come to class prepared to begin drawing. Have a great evening, love, Ms. B. I said that I would put the topic of the Cinderella movie to rest, but I keep getting amazing views from you guys! I have to share this one. Someone shared the point about holding onto anger. Of course, I am referring to a fairytale but I am using it as a metaphor for life. Think about it, Cinderella forgave those who were cruel to her and she walked away from it all to live a wonderful life, right? Would her life be so wonderful if she held onto the hurt and unfair treatment that she received in life? If she continued to think about all the mean things that they did to her and the terrible names that they called her, could she have a truly happy life? The answer is no. We must let go of the pain and when we forgive others for mistreating us we must put to rest what happened. If you don't then they continue to abuse you even if they are no longer in your life. You will never be free of the past pain and disappointments if you keep reliving it. Apart of forgiving people is letting go. It is called reconciliation, or in other words 'peace'. Making peace with what happened and allowing yourself to grow stronger because of it. Remember what I have told you in the past, when you hold onto something that you should let go, your hands are not free to grab hold of something better. Let go of anger and resentment and be open to allow good things to come into your life. Stay strong and have courage, and remember to always show kindness. Love you guys. Ms. B. Ha, ha! You guys crack me up! No one will admit through the blog that you liked the movie, but you will privately through email. Thank you for your honesty. One last point then I will put this topic to rest. If you did not see the movie, view the trailer that I attached to yesterday's blog and notice the scene where the stepmother tears Cinderella's dress preventing her from going to the ball. Life sometimes, "tears our dress" so to speak. Bad things happen to good people and at the time we think it is a disaster. Certainly Cinderella considers this moment a disaster. In the movie, she finally crashes and says the words, "I don't believe anymore". She hit rock bottom and for a moment she lost hope and faith. If we are honest, we have all been there. Our innocence and dreams shattered by the cruelness of this world. And yet it is at the moment of darkness when light bursts in and things change! If that moment of intentional cruelty did not happen to Cinderella, she would not have gotten a more beautiful dress, a carriage and ultimately a better life. Stay with me here guys. Don't think of this as me writing about a fairly tale, this is true to life. When bad things happen to good people and you keep your integrity through the trial, you will ultimately end up the winner in the end, trust me. It can be explained in a universal language with words like; karma, ying-yang, what goes around comes around, you reap what you sow, etc. Remember that no matter how dark the night gets, light comes in the morning. No matter how bad things look, stay courageous, be kind and have faith and I promise you that things will turn around. When you look back at life someday and you think to yourself, "Wow, I thought that was a disaster", but it all work out for the better. You can't imagine things being any different because it is those moments of trial and tribulations when we find out who we really are and we find our inner strength. We grow stronger, wiser, full of courage and hope and then we pass that hope on to others who find themselves in similar circumstances. It is the circle of life. It is a gorgeous sunny day here in our nation's capital. I have wonderful plans today. I shall see you bright and early on Monday. All my love, Ms. B. "I have to tell you a secret that will see you through all the trials that life can offer; have courage and be kind". Hello everyone. I hope that you are enjoying spring break. I know that I promised to write over break, but I have been so busy here in DC with very little downtime. I did, however take a break to go see a movie. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I went to see the new Cinderella movie that is showing in the theaters…and no, I didn’t take a kid with me, I went alone with my head held high, Lol!
Seriously, lets be honest with each other…boys, when those old superhero movies come out you really want to go see them, and girls…we all love a story like Snow White and Cinderella regardless of how old we are. Well, I absolutely loved this movie! When I was a little girl, I loved fairy tales. I loved the idea of courageous boys and girls who overcame cruel people. I also am a sucker for happy endings. The theme of good triumphing over evil in life and in the movies gets to me every time! Also, the concept that if you keep believing that your dreams will come true, regardless of how bad it gets, and you do your best to be “courageous and kind” then it will all work out for you in the end. The interpersonal themes of this movie are tremendous. There are so many adult lessons in this fairy tale that we could discuss it for a long time. It is about courage, kindness, and forgiveness. It is also about staying true to yourself when evil people set out to harm you. Cinderella never gave up and in all ways she always was kind and loving. But it is also, about bullying. In the movie, Cinderella is exasperated by her stepmother and stepsister’s cruelty and she finally asks her, “Why are you so cruel?” The stepmother responds, “Because you are so beautiful and still full of goodness, and I am…” Hurt people hurt people. As I watched the movie I thought of the people who hurt me in my life. Looking back, I realize now that they were insecure hurting people. They thought that they would hurt me to make themselves feel better, but just like Cinderella did, I continued to show kindness, love and I stayed courageous… and it all worked out for me even more than I could ever imagine or dreamed. The last scene of the movie was the best. It was sweet justice! Cinderella has nothing to offer the Prince but her love. She says that she is a poor country girl with no dowry. He had all the riches that he ever needed, but what he didn’t have was love. He accepted her love and took her by the hand to take her home with him. But, before she leaves, she turns to face the people who were so cruel to her and simply says the words, “I forgive you” and then walks away to live happily ever after. Ok, I admit that I am a softie, but even the hardest heart has to feel some kind of sweet revenge or justice that the beautiful kind girl won over the wicked evil ones…it is my sincere hope that all your lives end up as happy as a fairy tale. My life has! Just remember, when you are faced with cruel, evil people who intend to lie and destroy you, "Have courage and be kind” and you will have victory in the end. Have a great weekend. Love, Ms. B. I just uploaded a new flipped classroom tutorial for Art 2 students on how to use a view finder when composing a drawing. Please watch the tutorial and come to class ready to draw the still life that I set up in our classroom. I also recommend that you go back and watch the "Rule of Thirds" and "Positive - Negative Space" tutorial for review. See you in the morning! Ms. B. We are going to have fun this week! I planned some relaxing and fun lessons for you! This week's Flipped Classroom Video has been posted. Please watch the tutorial and come to class prepared to begin. Hello Tigers. Art 1 students will learn how to draw using a drawing technique called, stippling. I uploaded the tutorial to this site under the Flipped Classroom tab. Please watch the tutorial and come to class prepared. Ms. B. I know, I know, I keep saying that I am done decorating my art room...but I just can't help it! I'm addicted to art...and teaching! I am creating a "welcome mural" at the entrance of my art classroom. Who better to welcome art students than the Mona Lisa, in full color!
Being in my classroom use to be like being in a black and white movie, but now it is vibrant and full of color! An inspirational space for my students to be inspired. Good night Tigers, Love, Ms. B. This week we will study the art of MC Escher. Escher was an illustrator who created very fascinating art that I know you guys are going to love! I uploaded the Flipped Classroom video (in the form of an iMovie) onto the Flipped Classroom tab of this site. Please come to class prepare with an idea for your surrealistic hand drawing. See you tomorrow! Ms. B. Scroll down to find the video. I had to switch the flipped classroom page to a blog page...tutorial should start uploading faster. Ms. B. My heart...pounds a little faster when my eyes view a glorious masterpiece hanging on the wall of a museum. I feel my heart pound a little faster when I hear a symphony, or see a wonderful performance on stage. But nothing compares to how my heart feels when I see a child produce a beautiful work of art.
I am teaching Kenson (11th grade) how to paint in oils. He painted a self-portrait with me today after school. When I looked over at him sitting quietly painting with his headphones on...I was amazed. I felt my heart expand and I said to myself, "There is nothing more beautiful in this world than opening up a new experience, idea or concept to a child that would never have had the experience...and then watch them create beautiful things". Kenson has not had an art class in years and look what was inside of him! I left work smiling... Thank you for making my birthday so special, I felt very loved today!I know I am a little late with this...forgive me. I am always amazed when I read this famous quote made by Dr. Martin Luther King spoken over 4-5 decades ago. He spoke of creating 'Critical Thinkers" and Character Education! In the last decade the educational community speaks the same message about creating "critical thinkers". They say that this is the "new direction" in teaching and learning. Well guess what guys, M.L.K. said those words back in the 60's!
A brilliant anointed man who over 4-5 decades ago spoke about the direction of education and now-a-days others want to take claim to the thought. Let us never forget what a beautiful soul he was and may his legacy live on in our hearts and minds forever. Love Ms. B. Dominque is not one of my art students because all 6 of my classes are too full (no seats available in the room). However, I could not let that keep her from growing as an artist! When she came into my room and introduced herself and showed me her beautiful artwork, I was impressed. I was even more impressed at what a lovely young lady she was on the outside and the inside so I stay after school with Dominque and we paint together. Today Dominque painted this beautiful boat painting and I worked on the Monet mural. We listened to music, painted and had a lovely time together. She is a very special young lady!
Hello Tigers! This week we will be looking at a 20th century art movement call Surrealism. The flipped classroom tutorial this week is in the form of a screencast over my powerpoint presentation. Please watch the tutorial and come to class prepared. Love, Ms. B.
My blog has become 'un-expectingly" popular! To my surprise my site is now ranked 4th in all Broward County Public Schools related websites. This site/blog stands alone, meaning that I have not linked it to any other site for traffic, so my high traffic stats amaze me. For those of you who are in education and follow my teaching I would like to inform you that as a part of my graduate studies I am researching and posting information on another blog that I created about the emerging trends in technology for the classroom. Specifically I am researching the new pedagogical model of teaching called "The Flipped Classroom". I have completely flipped my classroom which makes my classroom on the leading edge of the newest trend in education and technology. Although this model is widely used in Europe and Asia, only 10% of American teachers have adopted this pedagogical model. For more information on the "Flipped Classroom" model and to follow my graduate work on this topic, please log in at www.dbonavia.com. Today I was eating lunch at my desk...looking at the mural that I painted and I had what a call an "art spark"! I thought to myself, "Mondrian would look great on that little part of the wall" so I stopped eating, grabbed a paint brush and started painting. My afternoon classes never heard of, Piet Mondrian but I got them curious. My morning classes will be surprised when they see what I did in an afternoon. I would like to add one more artist to my murals and that will be Henri Matisse. Once I paint Matisse's cut-outs to the front wall in the classroom, I am done! It was a wonderful Friday. Ms. B.
A great week of Van Gogh!Shelia and I are having breakfast talking about my favorite artist, Vincent Van Gogh. Everyone loved my "Starry Night" shirt and cup! Check out the iMovie I made of our week studying Van Gogh. Love, Ms. B. F.Y.I. this week's flipped classroom video is on our site here not on YouTube. I need to train you guys to log into our class website and not just onto YouTube. Next week I will go back to YouTube. Ms. B.
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Donna BonaviaI am an art educator and a professional artist. I write this blog to guide my students in (SEL) social, emotional, and academic development. S.E.L. is the District of Columbia Public School's priority because we believe that we must educate the whole child. Yale National Initiative
Fellowship 2017 2017-DCPS Standing Ovation recognition Highly Effective Teaching
DCPS Capital Commitment
Fellow 2015-Present Archives
October 2019
This work by Donna Bonavia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at www.msbonavia.com. |