This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
Art can go two ways: teacher led or student led. This year we are striving for a 100% student-based choice lesson. By giving my students the ability to choose their art work, from idea to media, they will take greater ownership of their artwork..but they need materials to choose from!
My students are wonderfully talented, creative thinkers.
However, their attention span is quite short. Another bonus to TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behaviors) teaching is that students will remain engaged with their project because it is THEIR project--from start to finish! I teach in a 98% low-SES, urban area. More often than not, my students don't get the chance to choose what they eat, what they can play with or what shoes they can wear. They only have one choice. We often take that simple process of choice for granted. Choice allows us to be methodical thinkers. From one choice they can reflect on why they chose that material, how will it impact their art, is it a good medium for their idea, and how this media will impact their artistic growth.
My Project
Students have diverse interests and skills, so why not give them the opportunity to highlight THEIR talents? These resources will provide a new art center for our classroom--mixed media. Most students either love or loathe drawing. This center will act as an oasis for those who prefer to work with their hands and get a smidge messy while they create...what kid wouldn't love that!? The decorative papers and glue sticks will create a collage center. Once the students are finished with their collage they can use the metallic crayons and markers to add context and graphics to their works. They will learn that there are many ways to express themselves and let their creativity shine. They will experience what it is like to work within a studio and gather materials as they need them--like grown artists! More so, they will learn what it is like to finally become their own artist and not the artist their art teacher made them be.
By donating to this project you are ensuring that my students learn what it is to reflect and make choices.
New mixed media resources will ignite my students enthusiasm for art and their creativity to create original artworks. My students will use the new medias to expand their skills and learn how to choose what media will best fit their idea. Lets create and mold our students to be artists and not replicas of their teacher! :)
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Slider and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
