As Heard in Art Class...
As frequent Artventuring readers know, in addition to my mixed media work, and art consulting, I teach art part time in the Raleigh Parks and Recreation system. My students range from 18-months to 15 years old (the youngest attend with caregivers...I'm good, but not THAT good!). Yesterday, I began my 6th year of teaching 6-week sessions at the Sertoma Art Center, with classes running throughout the year. Here's my blog post about my very first class, written in 2011: http://artventuring.blogspot.com/2011/01/baby-steps.html. Wow, that seems like much longer ago than 5 years!
I've learned a great deal since that first class experience, and have come to appreciate and admire art teachers who provide instruction, inspiration and encouragement to their students every day.
Luckily, I am able to craft my own curricula in a variety of classes, including: Art Around the World, Monday Masterpieces (formerly Spotlight on Famous Artists), Wild Animal Art, Art-Rageous Prints, Game Creators, Petite Picassos, and Mini Monets. So, in a 6-week session, I can have students creating their own board games, painting blue dogs like George Rodrigue, making potato prints, creating tiger paper bag puppets, painting ladybugs, and creating "smush" paintings. It's fun, and never dull; the kids are a constant source of energy and amusement.
So, here goes... As heard in art class:
"Ms. Michelle! It's a beautiful day today! Are we going to paint tigers?" --3-year old today, upon bounding into class for the first time. (Yes, it was a beautiful day, and yes, we did paint tigers)
"Look at our toucan hats! We look beaky." --4-year old, upon seeing the photo below.
"My bird can't fly, but she's okay about that. She has a purple feather on her head." --8-year old, proclaiming her bottle bird complete.
And, during this project, in Spotlight on Famous Artists, the general consensus among the 7- to 10-year olds was that Picasso was either "really creative," or "really confused". When I asked if he could've been both, they answered with a resounding "YES!"
Off to prep for tomorrow's class...more from the art class files soon...
I've learned a great deal since that first class experience, and have come to appreciate and admire art teachers who provide instruction, inspiration and encouragement to their students every day.
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| Young artist working on Kandinsky circle painting |
So, here goes... As heard in art class:
"Ms. Michelle! It's a beautiful day today! Are we going to paint tigers?" --3-year old today, upon bounding into class for the first time. (Yes, it was a beautiful day, and yes, we did paint tigers)
"Look at our toucan hats! We look beaky." --4-year old, upon seeing the photo below.
No comment to report here; I just love this "fashion model" recycled tissue box monster with her pink pipe cleaner (or 'chenille stem', for the PC among us) bow, white feather, and pink shoes with yellow pom poms to match her yellow legs.
Off to prep for tomorrow's class...more from the art class files soon...
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