![]() ![]() ![]() I found myself saying, “Yes!” frequently while reading it. I recently read an article on NPR, What Kids Need From Grown-Ups (But Aren’t Getting). For example, the watercolor center was located in two cabinets, near the sinks and organized on trays for easy work space set up. Keeping the centers stocked, well-organized, and within student reach was the other key element to running centers smoothly. However, this way, students were able to work in mixed media or change their minds. I allowed them one change per class – to avoid bouncing around the room and not accomplishing any work. If they chose to change centers during class, they had to indicate that in the center binder with a slash. Students had to sign up for a center at the beginning of class, in a binder with blank rosters of their class. The concept of a WOW artwork was introduced – a Wonderful and Original Work of art.Īfter students were comfortable with materials, introduced to all centers, and had practiced techniques, they were turned loose to choose a center of their choice to work at. Students are reminded that false starts happen and are perfectly OK, and that ideas may completely change. Students were introduced to the idea that rough drafts were practice time – trying techniques and combining techniques with ideas. ![]() Students were given time to practice techniques shown in class, working in sketchbooks. This poster hangs on my board as a daily reminder to students. These technique and clean-up guides were also posted at each physical center space on walls, bulletin boards, on cabinet doors. I have much to share and much to tell, as this has been an exciting school year!Įach center had a binder with planning/prep steps, technique reminders, examples and ideas, and clean-up reminders. Obviously a new school and new grad program has been keeping me very busy and these posts are so far, few and far between. This has been a game-changer, as their peers are more likely to point out areas to refine, and those grows are always better taken from a peer than a teacher. Students are now less likely to ask me, “What do I do next?” or “Am I done?” Now, they conference with each other, before coming to me. ![]() Implementing Finishing Steps has been the single best procedure to date. I realized that much of the confusion was my fault, as I assumed they knew what planning an artwork looks like. So far, it is working, students feel more confident before choosing a studio center and beginning work on an artwork. Next year, I plan on having this guide printed inside their sketchbooks, as we have our sketchbooks soft bound and printed by our district print shop. In an effort to reduce waste before students start a WOW, they now create a plan, such as this example I made for a papier-mache fish. This poster has been in my classroom for quite some time, but I finally realized I needed to flesh out what some of this actually meant. It can be scary for students and teachers alike to embark on a journey where the answers aren’t determined ahead of time.ĭue to some ongoing questions and my repeating myself frequently, I created a few new posters for my already quite full classroom walls. It has been slow going, retraining my students at my new building on what student choice looks like and feels like. We are getting closer to more studio choices in all of my classes now. ![]()
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