My Second Day Teaching the Color Wheel at my Daughter's School
My Second Day Teaching the Color Wheel to Fifth Graders at My Daughter's School
This is a follow-up to my post yesterday about teaching the color wheel to my daughter's Fifth Grade class yesterday. Today, I had a new group of kids - another 27 of them. I decided to change things up a bit. These groups (classes) of students are pretty large, and with only an hour and 10 minutes to complete the entire color wheel and paint a wet-blend still life at the end - well, it's a bit tight and a little rushed.
Today I decided to try a different approach. Instead of leading & showing them how to mix each color one-at-a-time using the smart-board projector, I decided to have the students gather around me and show them in-person how to mix a few colors at a time. And, this time I really emphasized how to add the water to the paint and how to "squish" the paint with the brush - to help it be smoother/thinner and without lumps. I was noticing yesterday that the students weren't really getting enough water mixed in with their colors, so I thought that having them gather around me and watch closer, rather than having to watch using the smart board projector- that perhaps they'd get the idea better.
Did it work? Not really. And, today (afterwards) I decided that it really IS more important to lead them in mixing each color. When I "taught" them/showed them how to mix a few colors at a time, and then allowed them to go and do those colors on their own - it didn't really work. They forgot what to do, or got confused as to where to put each color, or they somehow (for whatever reason) mixed their colors in the wrong cups/places on their palettes. Not ALL of them, but quite a few. I didn't use to encounter some of these issues in the past when I used to teach much smaller groups of kids at a time - like just 8, or maybe 12. Teaching 27 at one time - is a bit more challenging. They are definitely keeping me on my toes!
So, with that in mind, and with the intent to try to make things go smoother and not have the students feel so rushed, I think for tomorrow's group of students I will only have them mix the secondary colors and just tell them about the tertiary colors, but not have them do them. That will give us (them) more time to finish the wet-blend still lives.
And perhaps that will leave some time for the students to help with cleanup, so I don't have to clean ALL of the palettes & brushes!
You really love what you do, don't you?
Amazing work, keep teaching those kids with that dedication.
Thanks! I absolutely LOVE teaching art to kids, yes! I used to have my own small business teaching art to kids in the Seattle area, but closed that business when we moved to Oregon several years ago. I am starting to get back into it. so far, just volunteering at my daughter's school. But, hopefully I can morph it into a paying job with the school district, maybe specifically with the after-school programs at the elementary schools. I'd like to get art to more kids because I'm really seeing a need for it. There's a great music (strings) program in the school district here, but there seems to be a lack of art. The amount & quality of art being taught seems to be completely dependent on whether or not the teacher of each class wants to include it. There doesn't seem to be an district-wide art curriculum. There IS a "Common Core" curriculum for the entire state of Oregon, but, frankly - it's a joke and doesn't really make sense. I am going to try to change that. :) It may take me a little while. Haven't approached the school principal or the PTA or the school district board - yet. So far - just trying to focus on the 5th graders, and will hopefully expand to the 4th & 5th graders there next year.
Good luck with it, children can be a handfull and some parents and schools aren't always open for a change. So when you make it, alot of things may start changing at school in the art and creative deparment.
I totally get that! Too many directions at one time! Funny how a few of them can follow the whole way through and many make for confusion.
:)
Awesome post!