Happy First Week of School!

 Hello and welcome back! I am so excited to be back teaching students, even if it is from a distance. I've chosen to teach virtually from my classroom because I missed my space so much!

I've enjoyed getting to meet my new students! I have one more class I will meet with on Thursday, and I am really looking forward to it. If you are reading this, then you must have clicked the link on my syllabus! This is the blog that I have been using since my first year of teaching (I can hardly believe that this is already year six), so you can scroll through and see stories and pictures about the assortment of projects my former students have worked on. This is my third year as the creative arts teacher at OMS and before teaching here, I was the 5th-8th grade art teacher at Frederick Classical Charter School. The projects designed for art students at the charter school were based on world history, so it was easy to adapt many of my lessons for my creative arts students here!

In creative arts, students explore world culture and look at the many different ways they express themselves through art. Students will also have the opportunity to talk about cultures they identify with and share elements of art with their classmates! Virtual classes may seem impersonal in a way, but this is a hands-on class that students can succeed in from any environment.

I also teach one section of year-long Invention & Innovation. If there are any I&I students out there who are craving a little bit of artistic creativity, I can always share some art mini lessons with you to work on in your free time - I know that it is so hard to choose just one elective when you have several interests, so I'm happy to share my resources!

Invention & Innovation is the other 7th grade exploratory opposite of creative arts. Next semester, my students in CA will take I&I with Mr. Kinloch. I&I is a class that allows students to explore  the history of inventions and innovations and apply the design process to create a new product, process, or system. Students are able to put their creative spin on any project and are always encouraged to show off their imaginative ideas!

Please explore the tabs at the top of my blog. The Virtual Art Show is a fan favorite because I keep record of all of the slideshows from my previous classes. The Spring 2020 Virtual Art Show will give students an idea of some of the artwork they may produce during our semester together. 

If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to message me on Schoology or through email! I look forward to an awesome year!

Welcome to Second Semester!

Welcome new students to Creative Arts! It was a pleasure getting to meet all of my new students yesterday. Due to the shortened school day, we briefly discussed what students could look forward to throughout the semester and I gave them a tour of the classroom. When we return to school, we're going to dive right in to our first project. Students will also be completing an "All About Me" activity and a creativity exercise so I can get to know a bit more about them and see them express their creativity. I will be sending home a syllabus (via email) this week to explain classroom procedures and what to expect in Creative Arts. This blog is a resource for both parents and students to use throughout the semester. The Creative Arts tab is where I post slideshows and necessary links (which are also accessible to students in Schoology). The Contests tab lists out information for art contests in the area. Stay tuned for a few additions to that page! If you would like a preview of the projects students will complete in this class, the Virtual Art Show is where I display some of the unit's best work. I also use this blog as a resource for parents to learn more about what is happening in the classroom. I am working on making sure I update the blog on a weekly basis, so check back every once in a while for a new post. I tend to post more frequently on Twitter (@StrasserArt_OMS) and Instagram (@MsStrasserArt_FCPS) throughout the week, so follow me on social media for frequent classroom updates.


Welcome to my returning Red class to Invention & Innovation! This is my first time teaching I&I and I am excited to learn more about various technologies alongside the students. This course allows students to learn about technology and invention in a hands-on experience. Each unit consists of a challenge for students to prepare for and complete, involving building and crafting. I am excited for this course because it is very much a creative outlet, just through a different platform than visual art. I will be sending home a syllabus this week for you to look over. I will also be sending home early next week a paper copy of the I&I safety pledge that needs to be signed by both the student and a parent/guardian to ensure that everyone is aware of the rules and potential hazards in this course. Class will meet daily in the art room, but some projects require us to use equipment in the technology education lab. I will occasionally posts updates on my blog of what students are working on in class, but social media is definitely going to be the better place to check for I&I updates.


Stay warm on this windy snow day!