I had emergency surgery on my toes on Tuesday night and subsequently missed class on Wednesday and Thursday. As a result, I had much work to do at the school on Friday. We began sketching our painting onto the canvas this week, keeping in mind all of our lessons on technique and the elements and principles of art. The kids were a little intimidated at first, so, I asked them to make a series of three sketches to capture what it is they wanted to say to the world through their art. This helped the kids brainstorm and build confidence within themselves and made the blank canvas seem less daunting. The kids are also required to do a research paper by the end of the semester and I asked them for an outline. Most of the kids had never created an outline before so, we went through the process step by step. I gave them a handout which allotted them to fill in their content in the appropriate spots. This was a very important step for the kids because as they enter into college, they will need to know how to write research papers. One of the challenges I am currently having is a struggle with Monday mornings, the kids seem tired and a little irritable. I am working on finding ways to start the week off in a positive way.