Friday, February 4, 2011

Artists... ugh

I helped out in Lennon's classroom this morning, which is always a fantastic reminder that I'm so glad I don't teach, and those who do deserve more than an apple-scented candle at the end of the year, but that that's a good place to start.

I helped with the Art Masterpiece program, which is a once a week deal, that lets the kids have Art. If it wasn't for the parent volunteers, our kids wouldn't have a chance to do art projects, and I'm sorry, but I believe elementary school should be 85% glue and paint, 10% reading, writing, 'rithmetic, 3% sand, and 2% "holding it", and no kid of mine is going to grow up without the glue and paint.

We did a lesson on watercolors and landscapes. Some highlights:

When the parent volunteer held up a picture of Claude Monet and half the class gasped, and the other half winced. Poor Claude.

The first grader who made a pun about being "impressed" with the impressionist. *groan* BOOOOOO!!!!

Lennon's landscape consisting of blue, and only blue, and her calling it "Wind In Antartica" (aka "I'm going through my blue period" aka "I don't know how to follow directions, so I'll b.s. my way out of this one").

The kid who drew some colorful houses on a hill and called it Lima. Ugh. Over-excel much??

Lennon's favorite kid asking me if I could see his painting okay, because if not, he'd be happy to describe it. (He became my favorite kid too).


Can't wait to help out next week, when we're making my least favorite thing in the whole world: Dreamcatchers. I hope the punny kid comes up with something better by then.


4 comments:

witticism here said...

That's not a bad pun for a 1st grader! Sounds like a lot of fun.

(I'd include a crappy pun, but nothing is coming to me.)

Katy said...

I have so many negative things to say about dream catchers too. They're just so...lame.

monika said...

oh what a sweet kid, he's my fav now too.

amber and alma said...

I don't want you to think that my first thought after reading your post was about how I dislike dream catchers- but I needed to say it.
I love your perspective and I love Sarah for introducing me to you.