art in my classroom

There are lots of adventures for an art instructor who teaches everyone from the unsocialized levels of kindergarteners to the attitude-know-it-all sixth graders. Until this last month, I would say that I more often mourned my role as art entertainer to 600 students than celebrated it; I have quickly learned that the role of "entertainer" is an inherent characteristic in the work of any public school teacher. But I made it through the first of four terms and I tell you what - I believe that my art class is fun (even for me).

We have done all kinds of projects so far. The kindergarteners were awed by the wonder of leaf rubbings as well as the fact that when you turn over a sheet of paper you can use the other side as if it were a new sheet; I am learning time and again that less is really much more for them.

The first and second graders learned how shadows don't have details like smiley faces (that took quite of bit of prompting on some of their first drawing exercises). First they outlined each other's shadow outside with chalk. The next week they took turns posing in front of an overhead light for the other students to draw the shadow in their sketchbook. Of course, I "only picked shadow posers who were sitting quietly criss-cross applesauce". Then this last week we made a shadow dance mural with butcher paper from the projection of a poseable figure we put on the overhead and outlined on paper where it was projected.

Really though, I think my favorite results were from the 3rd-6th grade sketchbook/masterpiece activity. We took a month talking about how artists practice for a masterpiece in a sketchbook first like making a draft for a paper. They had to plan what materials they would use for their masterpiece and why. Watercolors aren't good for details and colored pencils aren't good for soft looking textures, etc. And then, I stopped the teaching and let them decide what to do. And that's when the transforming robots, dragons, birds in fast flight, delicate arches, gigantic drills appeared on their papers. The stuff they made was so incredibly creative. I swear they were taking from the kind of inspiration that anyone from Kinkade to even the Dadaists cry themselves to sleep for not having. It was marvelous. I am so proud.

But to those 5th and 6th graders that wish to continue dishing out the "-tude" and their pre-teen triumphs as top of the elementary totem pole... just wait till middle school and acne hit you next year ... Then you'll long for the validating comforts I offered in this art classroom.