On Thursday my students once again engaged in a visual art journal lesson. This lesson had two major changes: first, it was taught in the afternoon and second, it was 1 ½ hours rather than 45 minutes long. I noticed a big difference in the energy in the room by doing this activity in the afternoon. The room was louder than when they have worked in the morning and the students were talking to one another much more. I had to decide whether this environment was productive or not. After walking around, listening to the conversations and watching the students work, I noted that most students were discussing their work and sharing different techniques they were trying for sketching. I also noted that students who were not talking about their work appeared to be on task.
An added component to this lesson was a brainstorming session about the techniques involved in sketching. I had created a few sketches as well as a video of myself sketching. I had the students watch the video and provide feedback for techniques they noticed me using in my sketching. They did an amazing job of brainstorming and came up with about 10-12 things they noticed. Once we had finished watching the video and brainstorming I decided to have the students choose 3 main things that they would focus on in their sketches that day. They replied that they wanted to choose 4! They chose to focus on smudging, not using an eraser, shading, and focusing on little bits at a time. This framework provided a great opportunity for me to do formative assessment based on a student created criteria. These criteria then allowed me to point students to specific criteria to try as I walked around and discussed their work with them.
After we had brainstormed about sketching, we brainstormed connections to the picture as we had done the previous week. One thing I noticed in both of these brainstorms is that almost every student raised their hand to share and make connections. Several students who I do not often see participating in group discussions were excited to participate and even put up their hand to share multiple times. I am unsure what led to this increased participation. It is possible that by the afternoon the students were more engaged in thinking. The increased energy and collaborative brainstorming might have also created a safe space for students to share. It is also possible that students connected better to this picture.
By creating the video and sketches myself I believe this helped to create the positive energy and sharing space. The students were surprised that I had created my own sketches (they also thought I was a really good artist which I’m not). I was open with the students that I had decided to try sketching without an eraser, something that I had asked them to do and they had struggled with. I think that they felt both challenged and more willing to persevere in not using an eraser when they saw that I was willing to try it and was able to create a good sketch without erasing. By watching the video, they also got some techniques for how to “fix” things they didn’t like without using an eraser. I believe that by being vulnerable by showing my own art and relating to the students by discussing my own challenges they felt safer about sharing their work with each other and me.
As I have done this lesson from week to week, I have noticed various students that I don’t always see engaged in work or who have difficulty getting started, deeply engaged in this activity. One boy who both struggles with getting started and finishing work on time has not only gotten to work immediately but this week he created five sketches compared to the first week when he created just one. Another boy who doesn’t always enjoy art was deeply engaged in the sketching this week. He was excited to show me his work and was covered in pencil lead from smudging. He excitedly said to me, “I created wind using smudging!” He also helped other students with the smudging techniques he had discovered. Several other students also played with smudging trying different techniques such as using a Kleenex.
Once again I have been struck by how this activity has helped me connect to the students. By consistently teaching this lesson each week this has become my activity. The students connect this activity to “Ms. Schoepp”. While I have had some good success with this lesson I don’t want it to become stagnant. Next week I hope to push the students to continue to work on sketching techniques. I also hope to bring in an artifact rather than a picture from a book. I noticed this week that after creating their first connection to the picture many students wanted to sketch what was in their head. I believe a number of the students would be capable of sketching without a stimulus. However, I have two reasons for continuing to have an inspiration. The first reason is that some students would not be able to engage in this activity without something to connect to. The second, is that “I can make connections to a picture (or now artifact) has been one of my lesson objectives because making connections is an important part of the grade 3/4 curriculum.