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Teaching Self-control with Mixed-media
Welcome back to art classes, everyone! As I prepare the classroom to exhibit new student work this year, the children are adjusting to my new name, Mrs. Johnson! The children who have had me as a teacher for four years now are having the hardest time remembering, and prefer to call me "good ol' Ms. Brooks." Either way is just fine.
I am so proud of our Reggio Emelia Preschool and Kindergarten programs. Each returning first grader, many of whom have had Ms. Jordan as their art atelierista for three years, comes to class with unique and articulate specialties. I continue to be "wowed" by their understanding of line, shape, and color, their ability to create without self-judgment or fear, and their comfort and confidence to readily try new challenges. I feel honored to work with such centered children. I hope that I can keep up with their diverse abilities and ideas!
Children in grades 1 through 5 have been working to either develop good self-control or to perfect the impressive self-control they already demonstrate through the use of various materials.
To teach brush control, the younger children have adopted the
paintbrushes as "pets." The children are finding creative ways to care
for the pet, such as "feeding" the brush with paint, giving it a
gentle bath, and petting the "fur" in the smooth direction. The
children were quick to recognize that if a real dog or cat had its fur
damaged, it could regrow it, but brushes cannot regrow their bristles, so excellent care is necessary to prolong its life. The young
children are even quietly purring for their pets as they paint! Which
brush in this photograph looks like its "owner" demonstrated good
self-control? The children are about to give each brush its own name.I am so proud of our Reggio Emelia Preschool and Kindergarten programs. Each returning first grader, many of whom have had Ms. Jordan as their art atelierista for three years, comes to class with unique and articulate specialties. I continue to be "wowed" by their understanding of line, shape, and color, their ability to create without self-judgment or fear, and their comfort and confidence to readily try new challenges. I feel honored to work with such centered children. I hope that I can keep up with their diverse abilities and ideas!
Children in grades 1 through 5 have been working to either develop good self-control or to perfect the impressive self-control they already demonstrate through the use of various materials.
The older children are swiftly demonstrating good self-control and care with chalk, oil pastels, glue, charcoal, pencils, and ink as well as paint. Today the children had a "materials research" day in which they moved from stations around the room to experiment with the compatibility of materials. For example, just like the flavors of ketchup and mustard go well together on a hot dog, chalk pastel and a Sharpie work well together on a piece of paper that's been covered with wet glue. How interesting! The children are excited about their new-found discoveries and are planning to use the combinations of materials in the upcoming self-portraits project.
More discoveries coming soon. Aloha.
Posted on August 19, 2008 2:47 PM | Permalink