Matting Mania

I am spending my weekend cutting mats.
I know you are all tremendously jealous! I have to cut 35 more before Monday; actually, before tomorrow night. You see, Mike and Gabe are camping as part of our Stake's Father/Son campout. So, I have until they return simply because it will be much easier to cut mats on the floor without a two-year-old trying to assist me. I have cut about 30-40 mats this week already, but I am afraid I will run out of matboard before I finish. I have to hang a little exhibit of art that my kids created this year in class, and since I started matting, I feel like I really need to finish them all. It is being judged and we are awarding ribbons and prizes, so I want every student to feel that their artwork has been given the same treatment as the rest. I did float (pasted to a board which is slightly larger) a couple of pieces, but, alas, I forgot my Yes! Art Paste at school. Bummer!!
I considered having every student mat their own pieces, but, my mattboard supply is limited, and it is my experience that every one work will need two mattboard pieces if a student cuts it versus one if I do it myself. I don't care that it would be an excellent experience for them, yadda, yadda, yadda... it is the end of the year, I am tired of teaching, and I want this show up and ready! For all those out there who think, "What a baby! Tired of her job as she is preparing to have three months off! Waaa!!!" You try teaching 150 ninth grade students for nine months and tell me that you don't feel like you deserve a break! Don't get me wrong, I love my work! I love what I do. But, having three months to recharge my batteries is why I have not yet burned out on this gig. Trying to help shape our future generations, numbers of whom do not have a parent at home desirous of doing that task themselves, is a tiring, time-consuming, all-encompassing little job for which I am certainly underpaid, underappreciated, and, well... underrated for doing. But I do it. I go to work each day and try to keep my energy up and my smile plastered to my face as I deal with all sorts of craziness that I won't get into here.
So... this "little" show will hopefully be my way of helping my students feel like this year has been worth something. That their work, however hard I pushed them to do better, do more, and do, is worthy of recognition.
I have a student who refused to listen to a thing I tried to teach him all year. He fought tooth and nail, assuring me that he was the better artist and that he could learn absolutely nothing from me. He received crap grade after crap grade for crap work that he refused to try on. His mom yelled at me for not recognizing the genius which is her son. I showed her his work, and she said something to the extent that if I had assignments that challenged more, he'd do better! Have you seen my other blog?? I challenge the heck out of my kids! Well, this kid comes up to me this week to tell me that he is sorry that he hasn't tried in class. Sorry that he has not allowed me to teach him. (Imagine that!) This last assignment, a still-life, was really difficult for him. I went over and gave him a few pointers and he actually tried what I demonstrated for him. Guess what!? It looks great! He is so proud of this one piece; this little still-life drawing that he fought having to do because "it is a stupid waste of time." This student spent yesterday after school working on his still-life, and came to my room for three periods today to work and stayed after school again today! So it took me all year to get to him, but I did.
Finally!!!