(no subject)
So...for those of you who don't know, I teach art using centers. My room is set up in mini studios, with all (well, most) of the supplies accessible to the kids all the time. I give a 5-ish minute demo a the beginning of class, and then turn them loose to create whatever strikes their fancy. If they want to paint, they paint. If they want to draw...well, you get the idea. As they work, I circle around and offer help/suggestions. It's been awesome, and kids love it.
I'm on a listserv with other art teachers using the same methods, and here's a story posted by one teacher from Oklahoma. Here's the beginning - from fairly early in the school year:
I was teaching 1st grade (the class my son is also in) and we had just looked at the paper construction center and the different types of lines you could make with the paper strips. They had just been released to centers and a very sad little boy was sitting staring at his paper.
I went sit by him and ask what was wrong. He said, " What if I am not an awtist? What if I don't think I am an awtist at awl? I have to be in awt and I am not an awtist!" I said, "Well, you don't have to be an artist to like art and enjoy using the art supplies. And besides, if you aren't an artist what are you?" He said, " I am just a little baby scwibble, scwabblewr...." and put his head down in the cutest, saddest way possible. I asked him if could I show him some pictures from one of my favorite artist.. he agreed and I went and got a NEW TEXT BOOK and showed him some of the pictures in there, zoning in on Jackson Pollock and whatever else worked for the moment.
He then got a very serious adult type voice and said "I think I get it. You don't have to be good to be an artist." That wasn't where I was headed with that...ha ha... so I said "There are different types of artists and they don't all draw and paint real stuff." He assured me that he "got it now" and sent me on my way. At the end of class he came to me and told me that he was an artist afterall! He made a paper sculpture that also had a portrait of him about to take off in the rocket ship. Pretty cool stuff.
A couple of days ago she posted that her administration is making her stop using centers in the art room because they think it's "too much like daycare" and "she isn't really teaching." They have flat out told her that she needs to have every student doing the same thing at the same time. They've also put her on probation due to her "lack of teaching." She's been in the process of telling all her classes that they will no longer have centers in the art room.
Here's today's part of the story:
I gotta tell you about one of my first grader's (completely uncoached) rants on choice today!! He is the same one that was the "little baby scribble scrabbler" earlier this year.
After I told the class that today was their last day to use the centers and blah, blah, blah. This kid just went on a tyrade. He told me that "You could learn more by listening to kids than by having kids listen" and he demanded to know why this type of decision was made. Then he started making a puppet with "fight the power" written across its chest. He kept calling me back to him with more words of wisdom. He told me that "No artist who was ever worth anything followed instructions. They had to learn to make their own rules!" He also said that he was "Quite surprised that the real principal would agree to this type of decision because he seems like a freedom loving type of guy!!!" He wanted me to push the office call button so that he could make an appointment to speak with admin. I told him to go home and talk to his mom and see what she said and sure enough they called as soon as he got home!
I was really trying to calm him down because I am sort of afraid of the backlash with my principal thinking I am somehow inciting these kids to riot. I promise I am not, they are just in love with art and their own choices I even have kids asking me the best way to protest this and they are quite outraged that no one asked them what they thought when it is THEIR class. poor guys.
A FIRST GRADER, PEOPLE!!! This kid is 6, and he's making "fight the power" puppets. He's my new hero. Seriously.
I'm on a listserv with other art teachers using the same methods, and here's a story posted by one teacher from Oklahoma. Here's the beginning - from fairly early in the school year:
I was teaching 1st grade (the class my son is also in) and we had just looked at the paper construction center and the different types of lines you could make with the paper strips. They had just been released to centers and a very sad little boy was sitting staring at his paper.
I went sit by him and ask what was wrong. He said, " What if I am not an awtist? What if I don't think I am an awtist at awl? I have to be in awt and I am not an awtist!" I said, "Well, you don't have to be an artist to like art and enjoy using the art supplies. And besides, if you aren't an artist what are you?" He said, " I am just a little baby scwibble, scwabblewr...." and put his head down in the cutest, saddest way possible. I asked him if could I show him some pictures from one of my favorite artist.. he agreed and I went and got a NEW TEXT BOOK and showed him some of the pictures in there, zoning in on Jackson Pollock and whatever else worked for the moment.
He then got a very serious adult type voice and said "I think I get it. You don't have to be good to be an artist." That wasn't where I was headed with that...ha ha... so I said "There are different types of artists and they don't all draw and paint real stuff." He assured me that he "got it now" and sent me on my way. At the end of class he came to me and told me that he was an artist afterall! He made a paper sculpture that also had a portrait of him about to take off in the rocket ship. Pretty cool stuff.
A couple of days ago she posted that her administration is making her stop using centers in the art room because they think it's "too much like daycare" and "she isn't really teaching." They have flat out told her that she needs to have every student doing the same thing at the same time. They've also put her on probation due to her "lack of teaching." She's been in the process of telling all her classes that they will no longer have centers in the art room.
Here's today's part of the story:
I gotta tell you about one of my first grader's (completely uncoached) rants on choice today!! He is the same one that was the "little baby scribble scrabbler" earlier this year.
After I told the class that today was their last day to use the centers and blah, blah, blah. This kid just went on a tyrade. He told me that "You could learn more by listening to kids than by having kids listen" and he demanded to know why this type of decision was made. Then he started making a puppet with "fight the power" written across its chest. He kept calling me back to him with more words of wisdom. He told me that "No artist who was ever worth anything followed instructions. They had to learn to make their own rules!" He also said that he was "Quite surprised that the real principal would agree to this type of decision because he seems like a freedom loving type of guy!!!" He wanted me to push the office call button so that he could make an appointment to speak with admin. I told him to go home and talk to his mom and see what she said and sure enough they called as soon as he got home!
I was really trying to calm him down because I am sort of afraid of the backlash with my principal thinking I am somehow inciting these kids to riot. I promise I am not, they are just in love with art and their own choices I even have kids asking me the best way to protest this and they are quite outraged that no one asked them what they thought when it is THEIR class. poor guys.
A FIRST GRADER, PEOPLE!!! This kid is 6, and he's making "fight the power" puppets. He's my new hero. Seriously.