You know that wonderful feeling of squishing mud or wet clay through your fingers? I used to really enjoy that. I stopped in to my favourite pottery place during Thanksgiving and found my latest treasures. I thought back to my Visual Arts 3D 11 class where I tried my hand at the pottery wheel. The slippery, smooth clay, slid through my fingers and every movement of my hands, slowly and ever so delicately shaped and formed something that was uniquely my own. I remember how peaceful and fully present I was in those precious moments where my focus was solely to create.
This made me think of my students and what an honour it would be for myself to provide those kinds of experiences to them even if the process was potentially "messy". I thought about the year I banned play dough from my house because it kept getting stuck in my carpet and wondered how I had gotten to a place where the "messiness" of an activity determined whether it would happen or not. I thought "Am I really going to choose art projects based on their messiness?"
The answer is 'NO'. I want my students to have the chance to experience different textures and forms and maybe even feel what I felt those many years ago. I made a promise on that Thanksgiving weekend that I would not turn my back on art projects that may take more work on my part because of their potential "messiness". Instead, I will explore and choose projects that will benefit my students and offer them varied experiences with art.
I can enjoy getting messy again.
I love this post! I was also guilty of avoiding "messy" projects but over the years I learned strategies to reduce if not eliminate the mess, i.e. get each primary student to bring an old man's shirt - cut off the sleeves and have them put it on backward for a painting smock. Also, tape plastic to the floor under the easels, so there can be a permanent place for kids to paint. I didn't do as much with clay, except when I taught secondary art (grades 9 - 11) in a room that was nicely set up for it. But I hope your classmates are inspired by your commitment and your vivid description of how you experienced the clay.
ReplyDeleteI really like this post because I know I think about how messy something is going to be and if it is going to be really messy, I would probably stray away. However, if we are always thinking about how messy something will be, students will missing out on great learning opportunities. Thank you for sharing this!
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