Residency - Whittier International School - Jane Swatosh - 6 hrs
Residency - EXPO Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - 1 hr
Shadowing - Art Buddies - 1.5 hrs
My lesson at EXPO went off without a hitch! I couldn't have asked for a better group of 2nd graders. They were all very respectful, attentive, and eager to participate, making it very easy for me to give my lesson. Each child's painting was unique, beautiful, and showcased their own incredible personalities. The paintings will be hung up in the hallway above their lockers. I can't thank Ulla enough for letting me into her classroom and giving me such a wonderful opportunity. I'm going to miss these kids so much!
This week also marked my first day at Whittier International School with Jane Swatosh's 4th grade class and my shadowing at their after-school program, Art Buddies. I've actually volunteered at an after-school program with Whittier before called "Art in the City," where we helped kids create big painted banners that they hung up in their hallways. However, this is my first time with Art Buddies. This is also my first time in a classroom with kids as old as Jane's. Some of them are as tall as me. Jane's class is smaller, with sixteen homeroom kids. Meeting a new group of kids is very exciting but also very nerve-wracking. Thankfully, I got to know a lot of them very well my first day.
A funny coincidence is that, like Ulla's class, Jane's kids are also reading The Birchbark House! They're also reading a book called Trapped Between the Lash and the Gun by Aravella Whitmore, which teaches the kids a bit about the history of slavery. The kids spend about an hour doing Literacy and an hour doing Math. The kids taught me the "new way" to do addition and subtraction. The experience made me feel a bit like Bob Parr from The Incredibles 2 teaser. However, I caught on pretty quickly, thanks to the kids' teaching skills. Hopefully I'll eventually be able to teach them as much as they taught me.
The Art Buddies meeting was good. First, they went over standard rules and protocols for the program and interacting with the kids, and then we went around the room and introduced ourselves. There is really quite a range of ages and professions of mentors, which I found very interesting and impressive. Next week will be our first session, where we get to meet the kids we'll work with. Overall, this was a very busy week for my Teaching Artist Practicum. It was also spring break, which meant I didn't have to think (too) much about my other classes, and I got to go home for a bit and see my family! It was a really great week. :)
Image courtesy of the @mcadfinearts Instagram. :)
A beautiful deer painted by a proud student! The deer represents gracefulness, alertness, and gentleness.
An eagle painted by another student! The eagle inspires visions and brings blessings.