A Case of the Amidones

It's not quite as physically disturbing as the flu, but it's pretty much just as contagious as pink eye.  It rears its head every school year, multiple times a year, but just around this time is when it starts- near the end of our first real project.  Yesterday, we had our first outbreak.

My four Fine Art 1 classes are just about wrapping up their first project- graphite still life, and I must say they've been working like crazy.  Each class comes in and without any prompting, gathers their materials and gets to work.  They've been very open minded and put forth a ton of effort, and just like every other year, I've got a ton of naturally talented kids. 

However, yesterday the Amidones began.

In one of my morning classes a particularly advanced student put the final touches on his project, which I then framed for the front hall.  I gave him some perspective worksheets to practice with while the other studnets finished up, and that was all it took.  The hands started shooting up all over the place.

Amidone?! Amidone? Amidone?

It was like a virus, quickly working its way not only through that class period, but all four of my Fine Art 1 classes.  Once word got out that someone had actually finished the project, all bets were off.  I spent most of my day crushing all the hopes and dreams of each child who eagerly asked, Amidone!? (just like that, in one long word, rushed and panicked.)

I usually do pretty well with the Amidones, but eventually they gang up on me and break me down.  Toward the end of the day I was starting to feel it.  I'm so glad the weekend is upon us so I can rest up and crush those Amidones on Monday.

No, you're not done, and every time you ask me, I'll find something else you need to fix!