ANYTHING Can Be A Texture Tool

 ANYTHING Can Be A Texture Tool

In my career as a middle school English teacher, one of my greatest joys was leading class discussions. Using a “talking stick” was always a good choice, but why not make it fun! When a student wished to speak, I would sometimes use a plushie toucan. I used to say, “Who can talk? You can. If you have the toucan.” Once a student had spoken, the toucan would be tossed to the next speaker. This little cutie has been cuddled by many hands over many years. He probably misses that. 

Prior to the toucan, I used a koosh ball, which eventually had to be retired, due to the temptation to lob it too enthusiastically across the room.

Thankfully, I still have that toucan and koosh ball. After all the fun I had printing with balloons and baggies, it occurred to me that a koosh ball would create a similar effect. So . . . a new use for my old koosh ball. Expect to see a lot more “koosh” papers in my work.