Developing Responsibility

I’m trying something new this year. In an effort to provide my students with a sense of ownership and responsibility, (while also hoping to reduce the constant and never-ending output of pencils and erasers that I experienced last year) I gave all 57 of my high school students 3 of their very own drawing pencils (2H, HB, 6B), 2 markers, 2 blending stumps and 2 erasers. To hold their new supplies, the students created a personalized envelope from one of their decorative papers and received a penny folder from Staples to hold their work. These supplies are theirs forever!

The whole experience reminds me of when I was in 6th grade and received my very first art supply kit from my grandparents for Christmas. I liked how they looked, felt and smelled…even though I didn’t have the foggiest idea what to do with them! As I slowly learned how to use those materials, I felt more and more like an artist.

30+ years later, I'm extending the same ownership to my students with hopes that each one of them will feel more and more like an artist.

New Media

Last year, I taught high school drawing and painting for the first time in my 21 year long career. This year (number 22), I'm tackling new media, by taking my first group of students to the computer lab yesterday to get them started on our year long blog assignment! It was so exciting. I have 60+ students in my Creative Arts classes and they are all required to keep a blog. We're still in the process of building them, but so far so good! I was very proud of how they handled this and how serious about it some of them are already becoming. They may be "digital natives" being taught by a "digital immigrant" but we're speaking the same language...and I like it!