Entry #11:
Family Day Experience!
April 24th, 2022
#OutdoorClassroom
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Disclaimer, this journal entry is a bit too long… I might have gotten carried away writing it. ;)
The Art Museum Family Day was exciting, and despite some crazy weather-related challenges, (I’m seeing a pattern of uncooperative weather) everything went extremely well! I definitely wish that I could do more museum service learning days, and I would also do more family days! Okay… maybe not right away, since it was a very mentally taxing day, but it solidified my confidence in being able to do more successful projects with younger kids.
So the wind kept sending insane gusts through Fort Collins. I don’t think I had experienced anything like it in a loooong time. Seriously, the day before the event—- it was 80 degrees, sunny, and barely breezy. What a 180 turnaround, where families were wearing puffy coats, hats and gloves. I had no idea how big the science area would be, and the kids looked like they were having a blast. Even when the wind was blowing, and we were shivering, our art students were determined to make some cool artworks! I was amazed at their great attitudes despite the weather— they barely seemed to notice that their cheeks were red and their hands were cold.
Everything at our table absolutely had to have a large rock on top of it, otherwise it would immediately blow away. It was certainly a challenge that none of us were prepared for, but we adapted and took on the difficulty in stride. Honestly all of the teachers had such great attitudes, it made the whole experience fly by.
I think the printmaking lesson was a hit! I will certainly add it to my possible art lesson plan list, and there are so many opportunities to make it more challenging for older/more experienced students, and more accessible for younger students, or those that need a simpler project. The foam sheets were a great low-mess option, and students seemed to take it even further than my expectations. It looked like the other booth teachers had a fulfilling experience as well.
In terms of theory, I can see many of the connections to our “teaching early ages” lessons. I think that as much as we want to impart big ideas and deep meaning for our students to approach, they really have to explore the tools themselves, and use our guidance to figure out what these big ideas even mean. My art lesson was centered around identity and inspired by the Glorioserias exhibit, but some students weren’t interested and just wanted to make some art that they could show to their parents. I think that in an ultra-short lesson like Family Day, we don’t have as many opportunities to form deep connections with our students. Instead, I tried to use some guiding language and ask them about their process. A few times, I was tempted to say “that’s beautiful,” or “I love that!” But through our readings, I’ve learned those comments barely help students, and sometimes even hurt the art process. Instead, I tried to say “I’m really interested in that design you’re making… can you tell me about that?” Or “What might happen if you add more color to that design?” I think the responses I got (especially from the older students) were WAY more productive, and the students seemed to enjoy more stimulating conversation. It was something new for me, and I valued the recommendations of the art ed text from last semester.
I also don’t interact with very young students (like kindergarten-2nd grade) so I was actually really surprised to see some of the drawing styles of those young students. Looking through the art-development-stages (I believe it was Lowenthal notes?) it’s easy to see the development of radials and sun-shaped people, which was gratifying to recognize.
When comparing the BRAINY lessons and our Family Day lessons, they both utilize student-led activities. I am there to help demo any new techniques, but the goal is to let them explore a topic and idea themselves. When all the students are in the museum activity room, it’s loud and hectic, which is kind of similar to the energy and excitement of the family day setup. I do prefer the indoor lesson, (not just because of the lack of wind,) but also because I know exactly how much time I have with my group of students, and I can plan accordingly. For family day, some students just wanted to make something quickly and be on their way. Some students took more time making more intricate designs. It was harder to balance the students that were at different levels of “done-ness.” Also the kids all had their families with them, and I think the parents wanted the students to make something “complete” to show off… versus the classroom ideas or even the BRAINY lesson, where some students just enjoy the making process more than finishing their work.
I’ve said it many times before, but before starting my actual teaching lessons, I never would have been able to plan or know what to expect. It was all a bit overwhelming before diving in, but i think that having all of the readings, lectures and practice peer teaching, helped prepare me for the museum tours and especially Family Day. Every new lesson is a new experience, some failures and errors, but also new successes and building blocks for the lessons ahead. I can’t wait for next semester —to improve and grow my skills even more. I love the controlled chaos of the different kind of lessons. I value the outside-the-standard-classroom formats like museums, outdoors, etc. I personally love plein air painting and drawing out at a zoo or botanical garden, but always had anxiety over whether or not I could successfully hold the attention of a group of kids in an outdoor setting. I think I would love to try and volunteer with a local library, and do a lesson in an outdoor garden on sketching plants from life. Doing these unconventional classes has shown that I should definitely try!
This artwork below is a more finalized version of my earlier sketch. It’s part of the landscapes-as-metaphor series, and I think it works well to show the idea of nurturing growth and helping students reach their potential. Painting is always stressful when I fall in love with a drawing… it makes it hard, since I always worry “What if I ruin it?” But I have to trust the process and it’s better to try and fail, than to avoid failure and never learn. I’m excited for the group show coming up soon!
