This was our last week of Saturday Art, and though it was sad to say goodbye to the students, it was a very rewarding lesson. We spent the day discussing how our bodies perceive textures.
We started by brainstorming some textures we come across every day. Students came up with ideas such as the softness of their bed, or the harness of the ground. After spending some time brainstorming, we got out the sensory bin. First, I let the students play freely in the box, exploring the materials on their own. Once they had a chance to look and feel around, I asked them to start naming some of the textures they felt: “This ball is fuzzy”, “this feather is smooth!”. Once almost everyone had expressed the texture they felt immediately, I asked them to start finding things: “Can everyone find something hard? How about squishy?”
The students seemed to enjoy this game immensely and we worked with it for a while. To transition from exploration to art making, I had the students regroup, and sit around the table. I then introduced the next part of the lesson, which was making crayon rubbings. I gave them a demonstration of how to use the texture blocks under their paper, and rub their crayon smoothly over top for the texture to appear. I asked them if they heard the sound of the crayon moving over the bumps of the texture, and they replied that they could. I told them this is how they know it is working.
The students worked with this for a while, trading texture blocks with each other, and changing colors as they went. We finished class by discussing what we had learned, what projects had been our favorites, and what we enjoyed about seeing all our work hung on the walls for the exhibition. At the end of class, each student took home a very full portfolio of their completed projects.
Ultimately, teaching Saturday Art School has been an incredibly rewarding experience. This being my first real experience with artists so young, I feel like I have gained huge insights into how to best educate young minds, and reach students in this age group. I learned that small, fast-paced lesson segments work best in holding attentions, and that making a mess should be encouraged. I learned that children are incredibly perceptive, and capable of tackling difficult questions in art. One of my favorite things about teaching young students was that exposure to historical and contemporary art was always exciting; and I found myself very much looking forward to hearing their enthusiastic and genuine responses each day. Their artistic skill consistently impressed me, as they sailed through each lesson with energy and focus. Seeing my students engaged in their work, and intent on finishing their pieces until the last minute of class was wonderful to see.
My experience of teaching preschool was not without its challenges. I had to learn on my feet how to implement effective classroom management and find my students' interests. However, the challenge was a welcome one; and I believe working with young minds has given me an opportunity to strengthen my teaching skills and philosophies for all ages.