Reflections on the Year

As I think about the past year, and begin to get ready for the new year, I am very pleased with what we were able to accomplish, and am looking forward to new explorations in the coming year. I have learned so much from watching my students create, and sincerely hope that they have learned from each other. Many of them are very pleased to see themselves improve, and are so proud of themselves when they find ways of making what they want to make - using found materials, and with creative solutions to problems. I love to see the light in their eyes when something that they have tried works, and have been particularly pleased with the many collaborations between, two, three, and even four students. We spent more time than I intended to on certain aspects of art, culture, procedures, and history, and therefore didn't get to some things that I had hoped to include, but the extra time spent was at the direct request of the students, and therefore worthwhile. Next year, through our continuing growth together, we will try to get to those things that were skipped this year. Our curriculum will continue to spiral around the stations that we have used for the last two years: drawing; collage; paper puppets and masks; paper sculpture; cardboard construction; papier mache`; weaving; stitchery; painting; printmaking; conceptual building with reusuable sets; and clay. I received a grant for our classroom for an architecture station from the Union Education Foundation in the spring, and have spent a lot of time researching what activities and materials I would like to include in this station for next year. We had several students show an interest in architecture this year, which led me to apply for the grant. I am excited to begin our third full year of allowing students to choose subjects, methods, and materials.