Help me give my students the right brush (or paint stick) for their painting needs. The short handle, soft-grip paintbrushes are just the right size for little hands. The Tempera Paint Stix are perfect for Special Education Students.
I love that my elementary Art Students overflow with excitement and joy each and every time they see me in the hallway.
"Yay!
Mrs. Jenkins! Guess what? It's our day to come to Art and I am sooooooo excited! I love Art, Mrs Jenkins. And, I love you!" Basically, when you are the Art Teacher in an elementary school, you are a celebrity. And it's pretty awesome.
K-6 students are especially enthralled with painting activities. My students participate in a wonderful curriculum that allows them to explore tempera paints while working on large, personally meaningful paintings.
The K-6 painting curriculum for my school requires that I set-up paint stations. Paint stations require many paint brushes. I have a few, about 27 brushes, but it simply isn't enough. And so, as a brand new Art Teacher that travels to multiple schools, and sometimes teaches from a cart, I am on a quest to build the ideal K-6 beginner paint brush collection.
In addition to paint brushes suited to K-6, I am also building an adapted art "tool box" that will allow my equally as eager special education students to fully experience paint.
Yours in Art Education, Mrs. Jennifer Jenkins
My Project
Having access to a variety of brushes is important. The plastic handle all-purpose brushes that I have selected will be in service for many years to come. Currently, I do not have enough brushes to set-up the paint stations that my school system encourages. However, with the addition of theses new brushes, we should have just the right amount.
Large numbers of students, from K-6th grade, will use these brushes as they engage in meaningful and personal painting projects that explore enduring themes such as self, family and community.
Soon, Kindergarten will paint self-portraits set in a favorite place while participating in a favorite activity. Our 2nd grade students will be painting paper in color schemes that represent favorite seasons. The painted paper will be cut, woven, and embellished by each child. The 6th grade students will use the paintbrushes during an illusion-of-depth and painting techniques assessment where they are asked to design and show community improvements in a landscape painting. And more!
Over time, the paintbrushes will need to be replaced. However, old brushes are not thrown away hastily. Instead, older brushes receive a new assignment; they become ceramic brushes. That's right. Old and tired brushes are wonderful for glazing clay. Kindergarten will glaze simple pinch pots, while 5th graders glaze a more intricate gargoyle.
Sometimes, it is difficult for Adapted Arts students to access painting. I would like to add the option of using tempera sticks to their painting experience. Tempera sticks are tempera paint in glue stick form. They dry quickly and will make a wonderful addition to my Adapted Art program. These paint sticks can also travel with me "on the cart" when I push into general education classrooms where liquid paint gets the side-eye.
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
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. Jenkins and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
