Reflections on a Year of Growth

As of the end of this school year, I have completed ten years as a public art educator.  One thing that continues to amaze me is that the process of developing as a professional is ever challenging, continuous, and amorphous.  Alhough I have the privilege to get to know students for years at a time, their needs change as they grow as people, and as the world changes around us.  I have to respond to their unique interests and challenges as artists, and have a flexible space to meet their specific needs for year to year.  Thinking ahead to August, I already have plans for some modifications I will make to the art studio.

It may seem obvious, but over the past several years of implementing choice-based art and creating surveys and reflections for the kids, I have learned that what we spend most of the year focusing on is what the students will learn.  The problem is, there is not enough time to focus on everything we need to.  This year we focused on creating quality work through our "Plus it" mantra, and writing artist statements to reflect on the work.  It truly showed at the end of year school art show, and I know that each piece of artwork at that show represented my young artists best work.

Unfortunately, as a result of our focus, some basic vocabulary words were forgotten, concepts that we had been working with since Kindergarten went neglected, and honestly I was embarrassed at the results of parts of the reflection quiz I gave to my students third through fifth grade students at the end of the year.  Of course, I now see what I need to work on next year, and my challenge will be to weave those concepts in without giving up the time my students need to develop and plus their authentic artwork. Ultimately, the goal for my students has always been to leave my class being comfortable with art, seeing that it contains all possibilities for learning, creating, and facilitating meaningful discussions that connect them with each other and the world.  

The following was one of my favorite pieces at the the school art show this year,  admittedly partly for my own personal feelings of middle school nostalgia, but I also loved the process that went into this piece and seeing the growth in this student this year.  

TLC, Printmaking and Sharpie, 3rd Grade

The artist spent most of the year drawing faces, which was a new development for her, and when she had the chance to use clay, she made a beautiful figure that I included in the district art show.  For this piece, TLC, she used one printing plate for each of the three prints, and then personalized each member of the group with a Sharpie marker.  This student is an example of what I hope for all of my students; to find something they are interested in, or something they are passionate about, and develop their work based on their ideas.  This year I encouraged those behaviors and we discussed those concepts in terms of the Studio Behaviors of Mind "Engage and Persist", and "Stretch and Explore".  Although this student could probably not recall by name what she was doing, I hope that the experience will give her courage to continue her work in the future.  

Another one of my favorites was this painting of Freddy Faz Bear.  The post popular subject matter at the art show by far was Minecraft, but Five Nights at Freddy's, Pokemon, and Frozen were also represented by several artists.

Freddie Faz Bear, watercolor and Sharpie marker, 4th grade

Here are a few more pictures from the art show:

Thanks for reading!