lynette king on fri 3 jan 97
Hello everyone! This is my first letter to the group, and I need help. I
am going to be an artist in residence for 16 days at a fairly large
elementary school, grades K-6. We will be making a clay tile project that
will be installed in the lobby of the school. I have been making pottery
now for about 25 years and have a good handle on what materials to use. I
am not looking for technical information. Rather, I am looking for
information and ideas that concern the process of working with kids. For
example, I would like to know some brainstorming techniques we can use to
gather ideas to use as our theme? Their art classes last an hour and there
are about 26 kids in each class, how do I organize them. How do I deal with
differences in skill levels? How to discipline in the classroom, how to
interact with the art teachers? etc. I welcome help from anyone who has
personal experience working on this sort of project, as well as articles,
books etc. Thanks in advance, Lynette King.
Don Sanami on sat 4 jan 97
Lynette,you worry too much. The children are already
over-bureaucratized.You do not need to protect yourself behind a shield
of prior opinions. Teaching,by its very nature is the teaching of
history. Give the children a 4ft X8ft. cloth-coverd flat surface. Make
the clay readily available and let them get at it. Whatever they
accomplish will be a commentary. The less interferance the better. don
morrillOn Fri, 3 Jan 1997, lynette king wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Hello everyone! This is my first letter to the group, and I need help. I
> am going to be an artist in residence for 16 days at a fairly large
> elementary school, grades K-6. We will be making a clay tile project that
> will be installed in the lobby of the school. I have been making pottery
> now for about 25 years and have a good handle on what materials to use. I
> am not looking for technical information. Rather, I am looking for
> information and ideas that concern the process of working with kids. For
> example, I would like to know some brainstorming techniques we can use to
> gather ideas to use as our theme? Their art classes last an hour and there
> are about 26 kids in each class, how do I organize them. How do I deal with
> differences in skill levels? How to discipline in the classroom, how to
> interact with the art teachers? etc. I welcome help from anyone who has
> personal experience working on this sort of project, as well as articles,
> books etc. Thanks in advance, Lynette King.
>
Eleanora Eden on sat 4 jan 97
Hi Lynette and all,
I know there are others with alot more experience but I did do tile
projects with kids several times in a group with ages about 6-12.
We experimented with different scrounged objects to see the impressions
they made in the clay and we went on nature walk to find leaves etc and
the kids brought interesting stuff from home to make impressions and all
in all the tiles were interesting and the kids satisfied.
Eleanora
Eleanora Eden 802 869-2003
Paradise Hill
Bellows Falls, VT 05101 eden@maple.sover.net
[the address fga@world.std.com is temporary. My mailbox at
eden@maple.sover.net still works -- do not change address books]
Margaret Arial on sat 4 jan 97
'' I ALWAYS TOOK A SLIDE PROJECTOR WITH ONE TRAY OF IMAGES AND RAN THRU THEM
FAST TO NOT CONSUME MUCH TIME AND TO JUST JUICE THE IMAGINATIONS WITHOUT
LEAVING SPECIFIC IMAGES TO COPY PERSAY. THEN THRU OUT SOME ORAL ENCOURAGEMENT
AND WITH A LITTLE FEED BACK AS THE CLAY WAS PASSED OUT THEY WERE HOT TO GO.
Betsy Parker on tue 7 jan 97
Hi Lynette - Thought I'd add a couple of things to the info passed on so far.
I have worked over the years with kids of all ages doing all kinds of arts
and crafts activities. One small item - if you want to explain process or
procedures before the project starts, it's a good idea not to hand anything
out until the explaining is finished. It's hard to compete for attention
when there are things to fiddle with in the hands of the participants!!!
This goes for adults, too!!
Also, I have found that age-wise, (I am generalizing here, there will always
be exceptions) kindergarten through 2nd graders tend to finish the project
more quickly. They seem to be somewhat less inhibited for one thing. When
they hit 3rd grade they start to worry about perfection and the perception of
others. That's when they start to agonize over what they think they can and
can't do. The up side is that I have found no medium more magical with kids
than clay. I have had really "rammy" groups of boy scouts who normally were
incapable of sitting still or leaving each other alone for even short periods
of time be incredibly focused with clay and create some great stuff. I
always remind them that in art, there's not really a right and wrong - it
either works or it doesn't. And clay is the most forgiving. Mess up? Squash
it and try again.
As for the teachers and discipline, you might want to explain your project to
interested teachers and let them know you will be glad to have their presence
in the room. If you are working with a large group, as another Clayarter
mentioned, extra hands and extra attention will make your job easier. Some
teachers will be concerned they are infringing on your territory, being there
without knowing you want them there.
Bottom line- you know your field and kids and clay go well together. Good
luck with the project and have a good time with it. Let us know how it works
out.
~Betsy in NJ where Mother Nature keeps changing her mind!!
| |
|
