Art Lessons

Last week I taught art in my granddaughter's 3rd grade class. She goes to the same school her mother and aunt and uncles went to. I was even a teacher's aide there when my kids were little. So I know the principal, but not too many of the teachers anymore. I love 3rd grade. It's the best grade for art lessons. The kids know a little but not so much that everything is boring. They're not too cool yet to be interested in new activities.

Then I thought- it's not fair to just get art lessons in one 3rd grade-the one lucky enough to have Sabrina in it-I should really teach a lesson in all 4 3rd grade classes. And of course the teachers were thrilled because art is something that has really been forgotten in schools these days. It's such a shame because there is so much more to it than coloring and why is music so much more important---Oh don't get me started!

So....like I was saying, I taught art last week in 3rd grade. I taught a monoprinting lesson that I developed back when I was teaching for the county. It is a great lesson. Kids get to draw on sheets of styrofoam then print them in colors that blend the primary colors into secondary colors. The prints always turn out great-the teachers are always impressed.

After the first day I remembered why I don't teach art anymore. It's messy and it's like being on stage for an hour doing a monologue. You have to be constantly alert to problems-kids who don't like the way it's turning out, kids who make big mistakes because they weren't listening to directions, teachers who want things done their way (and it may not gel with my way). Then when it's all over I have to bring home the mess (the trays with paint, the brayers) and clean it all up.

Don't get me wrong, I love it while I'm in the middle of it and if I had a classroom where everyone came to me it would be a lot easier.

I did get a lot of drawing ideas from kids--singing frogs with a cow jumping over the moon, space aliens--I did lots of new drawings.

Kids in 3rd grade have a lot of imagination. It's too bad they don't get more art that isn't just drawing and coloring.

--Janette

My first BLOG: How I Love Fake Spring!

I think blogging is so cool, I thought I would try it myself. And I thought for my first blog I would say how much I LOVE FAKE SPRING! Every February, just when I think it will never stop raining, the sun comes out and we all hurry outside and dangle our feet in the icey cold pool. We rush out and buy cute summer clothes. We ride our bikes. I start to worry about how I will look in my swimsuit this year. And then, almost before I can wear my new short sleeved blouses it starts to rain again, and I remember it's still February. But you know this FAKE SPRING really helps me get through the rest of winter until the real one comes along.