art room stories...
The last day of class a 4th grade boy raised his hand + said he wanted to say something. He then, very eloquently stated " I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed being in your class. You were so patient + nice to me. You helped me + were so kind + sweet. You gave the class second chances + no other teacher would have done that. You are the nicest teacher + the kindest." With that other students raised their hands + said they also enjoyed the class + liked me. One student said " All the students say you are nice, even my sister!" Moments like that make it all worth while!
Here is another last day at another school, another student's words to me. This was a boy who was in a 4/5 class at a gifted school, Henry. I had been working with him for only a year or 2 + noticed from his 1st piece of art we did, that he was truly interested in creating amazing artworks! He said, something like this to me," I really like your art class + hope to see you next year. When I came to this school, my 1st day of art, I looked at you + said, to myself ... now SHE'S going to be a great art teacher!"
"Listen and Learn" 4/5 grader's comment to talking students
One of my first jobs teaching art was in a private art school. The students would come after school to class. A little girl told me her parents just got a safe in their house. It was installed in her mother's closet, in the floor. She said her mom keeps all of her jewelry in it! I told the girl she shouldn't tell anyone that, not even me!
I worked in a public elementary school in an affluent area. One girl, she was about 7 yrs old said to me " I don't know why everyone thinks I'm rich, just because I have a tennis court + pool in my backyard!"
A third grade boy said to me " My mom was going to leave, but then my dad bought her a new house so now she's staying!"
A 2/3 Gifted student, Lexi, said "Positive + Negative space, is space that's filled + space that's not filled." What a fantastic explanation!
We were working with clay creating the Native American "Story Teller"+ writing about it. This is a clay sculpture of an elder with young children on the Elder's legs, head, etc. The Elders told stories of brave deeds, historical events, family history. I had a 3rd grader make Don King with Hollyfield + Tyson! This was around the time they were fighting!
"Art is for great!" by Lexi
"I let my arm fly, not thinking about it+ let my body control the brush" said Sunvi
"I like to do art using my brain" from Gia
"This colo'rs epic!"
2/3 Grader Gifted students' comments while working on an abstract art piece.
1st graders were working on Pablo Picasso's "3 Musicians" with colored paper cut into square, rectangular shapes to follow his cubism style. The artwork is of 3 musicians standing next to each other. (This is 2020-2021 during the COVID Pandemic.) My distant learner student sent mhos work with only one musician. He included a not "I drew only one musician since people are supposed to be "socially distant' during this Covid Pandemic!
Here is another last day at another school, another student's words to me. This was a boy who was in a 4/5 class at a gifted school, Henry. I had been working with him for only a year or 2 + noticed from his 1st piece of art we did, that he was truly interested in creating amazing artworks! He said, something like this to me," I really like your art class + hope to see you next year. When I came to this school, my 1st day of art, I looked at you + said, to myself ... now SHE'S going to be a great art teacher!"
"Listen and Learn" 4/5 grader's comment to talking students
One of my first jobs teaching art was in a private art school. The students would come after school to class. A little girl told me her parents just got a safe in their house. It was installed in her mother's closet, in the floor. She said her mom keeps all of her jewelry in it! I told the girl she shouldn't tell anyone that, not even me!
I worked in a public elementary school in an affluent area. One girl, she was about 7 yrs old said to me " I don't know why everyone thinks I'm rich, just because I have a tennis court + pool in my backyard!"
A third grade boy said to me " My mom was going to leave, but then my dad bought her a new house so now she's staying!"
A 2/3 Gifted student, Lexi, said "Positive + Negative space, is space that's filled + space that's not filled." What a fantastic explanation!
We were working with clay creating the Native American "Story Teller"+ writing about it. This is a clay sculpture of an elder with young children on the Elder's legs, head, etc. The Elders told stories of brave deeds, historical events, family history. I had a 3rd grader make Don King with Hollyfield + Tyson! This was around the time they were fighting!
"Art is for great!" by Lexi
"I let my arm fly, not thinking about it+ let my body control the brush" said Sunvi
"I like to do art using my brain" from Gia
"This colo'rs epic!"
2/3 Grader Gifted students' comments while working on an abstract art piece.
1st graders were working on Pablo Picasso's "3 Musicians" with colored paper cut into square, rectangular shapes to follow his cubism style. The artwork is of 3 musicians standing next to each other. (This is 2020-2021 during the COVID Pandemic.) My distant learner student sent mhos work with only one musician. He included a not "I drew only one musician since people are supposed to be "socially distant' during this Covid Pandemic!
The same boy moved into his new house + said "I'm glad there's an intercom system in our new house 'cause I lost my mom the other day!"
I was conducting a lesson on Picasso's blue period in a 2nd grade classroom. The students and I were discussing the meaning + characteristics of the period. One girl raised her hand and asked "Is that like when my mother gets her period?" I looked at the room teacher, we both tried to keep a straight face + I quickly told her no, it's different + redirected.
During a clay lesson the students were instructed to roll small clay balls. It was suggested that the size should be approximately the size of their eyeballs. A 1st grade boy was making his clay balls alittle small. When my assistant asked him to make the balls a little larger he held one up to his eye + said "but they are as big as my eyes", the little boy was Asian.
I was conducting a lesson on Picasso's blue period in a 2nd grade classroom. The students and I were discussing the meaning + characteristics of the period. One girl raised her hand and asked "Is that like when my mother gets her period?" I looked at the room teacher, we both tried to keep a straight face + I quickly told her no, it's different + redirected.
During a clay lesson the students were instructed to roll small clay balls. It was suggested that the size should be approximately the size of their eyeballs. A 1st grade boy was making his clay balls alittle small. When my assistant asked him to make the balls a little larger he held one up to his eye + said "but they are as big as my eyes", the little boy was Asian.
"The world is how the world is." By Abby
While working on an art lesson based on the artist Matisse, a student said "You can make shapes from cutting shapes!" This made me quite pleased because the student understood positive + negative shapes.
So I am talking with a Kindergarten teacher at her doorway. The students are noisy, she is trying to calm them down before going out to lunch. I say to them, in a soft whisper, "SShhhh, the baby is sleeping." One by one they start asking, "What Baby", "Where is the baby?", until one little girl asks me, "The baby in your stomach?" I laughed, + agreed with her. But the story continues... The same kindergarten students pass me and that little girl asks me, "Did you get rid of that baby in your stomach?"