Teaching

I’m really enjoying teaching and feel like I am finally into a routine and a rhythm.  The first week of teaching I basically just went over rules and materials they needed to bring in so I didn’t enjoy it that much.  The second week we organized the materials they brought in (which was a bit of a nightmare) and then got started on our first project.  Now (since I only see most of them once a week) they are into their first projects and starting to finish the first projects up.  It’s exciting to see them make things and get excited about the results.  My younger kids are especially cute.  They love art and all they want to do is paint… they think it is so cool.  Last week I showed my first graders how to use watercolors and they literally jumped up and down and squealed when they saw the color go from the paintbrush onto the paper.  It was adorable. 

I also had my first high school critique which went pretty well.  Although some kids didn’t participate as much as I would have liked I thought some of them enjoyed it, we made some great observations, and I think it gave them a better idea about how to look at artwork (and what to look for).  I really like all the age groups I teach and enjoy different things about each grade.  The younger kids are so cute and have an excitement and joy about all things in life.  The middle school and high schoolers don’t always have the best attitude or work ethic but some of them are already really talented, we can have real conversations, I can teach them more advanced art techniques, and they clean up their own mess (something I need to work on with the younger kids!).  Anyway, school is going really well and I enjoy teaching and interacting with the students.

This past week a few younger girls stopped by after school while I was sweeping.  They asked if they could come in and I said “Sure!”  They wanted to help me clean so I gave them the broom and they swept for me.  They really wanted to mop too but I didn’t have time to stay and do that.  They came the next day again and mopped for me (basically dragging the mop around behind them as they walked around the room but it worked!) and I gave them peanut butter crackers as a reward, which they thought was the greatest thing ever.  They also drew pictures on my white board for me, which was so cute.  I had some older girls come in to work on their art projects or just free draw/paint.  It is exciting to have kids wanting to hang out after school in my classroom and I pray that I can build relationships with them and show them Christ through our interactions.

So overall teaching is going really well.  I enjoy creating lessons that I think they will enjoy as well as teach them a new material, element of art, technique, or artist.  I’m also enjoying it a lot more since I can finally call a few students by their name and am getting to know them more personally each week.  It takes time since I have 250 students and I only see most of them once a week but it’s coming, and it’s fun to get to know them and have them excited about art.