First Days of School

The drawing above is by a 3rd grader.  Sea World!

Over the course of the week I sat down with each of my 567 students and asked them what they did over the summer, which is something that I had never done before.  Many of my students traveled all over the United States, as well as to Mexico and South America. Their stories were exciting and hilarious, at times bizarre, and some were sad.  It was fun to tell all about my summer, too.  In past years with DBAE (Discipline Based Art Education), I sacrificed personal relationships with students for assignments with limited materials and time restrictions.  The group of students that were in 5th Grade last year were my first group to have from the time they were in Kindergarten, and I regret that I did not take the time to form a closer relationships with them.  Being the only art teacher a child has, and maybe will ever have, is a massive responsibility.  Knowing what motivates each of my young artists is essential in the TAB studio.

Next week I am going to introduce the drawing center. Looking back, I should have tried to do that on the first day with most grade levels, and I am going to keep that in mind for next year.  I asked my new Kindergarteners if any of them were artists, and the majority of them said that they were, and gave specific examples.  I am very encouraged.  In one class, a kindergarten student walked in my room, saw my Picturing America print of an Abraham Lincoln photograph, and shouted "It's my favorite president!"

Kindergarten Self-Portraits