I am a very lucky teacher.   I LOVE my job!

Here are a few kinders mixing colors at our paint center.  It really is amazing to see them explore the paint, develop their own "recipes", teach others and be inspired by the colors they created.  They are learning and working like artists.  I once had a parent tell me that nothing educational happens in the art room.  I wish she could see the self directed learning these kids do. 

They start with their own ideas, explore the materials and create something.  Sometimes it looks like an 8 year old made it ... which is actually a good thing, especially when an 8 year old made it! Art created by children looks very different than art created by children directed by an adult.   Being able to develop and explore an idea or material is sophisticated work.

"What will become of these children when there is no art-guide to lay out the materials, provide inspiration, shore-up motivation and list the required steps toward success?" (p. 12, CHOICE WITHOUT CHAOS)  In my opinion, they will simply stop making anything.

These kids REALLY Make me smile!

This girl is an artist!  She heard about weaving, went home and researched how to make a loom with her mom.  Together, they went shopping for supplies, made a loom and started a project!  I helped her take her project off the loom on Thursday last week.  It was beautiful and well made.  Click here to see her finished project.

Kidtrinsic Motivation

Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB)

Intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? " Kidtrinsic, I'm thinking. Motivation that is generated from within, fed by equal parts curiosity, creativity, and competition to see who can learn fastest by building the coolest [insert kid-generated structure name here.]" Joyce J
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TAB-ChoiceArtEd/

 

 

 

Does Anyone Actually Read This?

A few weeks ago a student told me that she and her grandma read my blog.  I was so embarrassed, I hadn't updated in months!   When I first decided to blog, I was thinking it would be the best place to help people understand my ideas and philosophies about teaching art.  I still think that, except that I also believe that I need to update at least once a week if I really want this to work.   So here goes....

 I have expectations and routines like other art teachers, but I don't teach projects.  We look at examples of art, and artists working in their studios.   We discuss the elements of art and the principles of design but I don't have projects that center around them.   I offer a lot of choices and challenges and hope that students can discuss their work with more thought than, "I was bored so I ..."

I am always worried that parents and other teachers don't think I am doing enough to educate children in art.  But I truly believe that being able to make something with intention is a pretty big deal and if every student can do that in the 35-40 minutes of art they have each week we are doing great work.

We won't always make great things to look at, but I believe the story of the process is the true value in art making at this level.

I LOVE Fridays!

I love Fridays!  I have a really fun 4th-5th grade class as my last class of the week.  There are always a ton of smiles and innovative ideas in the room when this group walks in.

This week a student asked if she could stay to help me put the chairs up.  She started talking about how she really likes art and she wishes she could have art more often.  She even said that she wished she could have art as her homeroom class!

"But how would you learn math?"  I asked her.  "We measure things, we sort things..."  she started to say.
"How about reading?"  "We could read about artists...."

The conversation continued on like this and she had a response for every subject I asked her about.  I love knowing that she can connect art to so many areas without any (direct) coaching from me.  She has figured out how it all fits together.  She made my day!

I Wish.....

I was talking with a parent last week about her children.  I said that her son made my day when he walked into the art room saying to himself, "I love art, I love art..."  He was excited to be there. 
The parent smiled at my words, but started to tell me that her neither of her kids were very good at art. 

Her kids are some of my best students! They almost always have a creative story to go with their work.  Their stories/work reflect their interests and they enjoy the process of making something.  They embrace the materials and they try (without anyone judging them) the techniques I introduce. 

I wish that we could forget about the end product in the art room and think about the process of making art.  I truly believe that is where the value of art education lies.

Proud of My Students

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"A scientist at MIT tells me that his grad students are very smart and
technically capable, but when they get an unexpected result, they are slow in
their ability of figure out what they have discovered. He says their greatest
need is to become more creative." Marvin Bartel

"Science  students have learned to be careful to avoid mistakes…not how to learn from mistakes. They lack the imagination and creativity to see their own discoveries when they happen…they waste time & energy because they have not learned to actually experiment. Their science classes assigned them lab work where they already knew... answers before they did the lab work." Marvin Bartel

 

Teaching for Artistic Behaviors encourages creativity.  You might not always like what you end up with, but at there is something important about exploring your ideas in a "hands on way."