Kindergarten Ladybugs in the Grass

I need to start out by saying, this is not my original lesson! Like many other art teachers, I get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest. I have seen this ladybug collage floating around on Pinterest lately, and I decided to try it with my kindergartners.

This project ended up being a great lesson on perspective! The students really had to imagine themselves at eye-level with a ladybug to create this composition. We discussed the size of a ladybug, and how creating it real-life size would mean the picture would be very empty (imagine a 1/4" object on a 9"x12" paper; I drew a speck in a rectangle on my blackboard to demonstrate). Zooming in on the ladybug makes a better composition!

These last few days of school (11 left! not that I'm counting....), one kindergarten class in particular has been struggling a lot with behavior. They have been very irresponsible with paint (painting on their hands, on the table, spilling the water on purpose, etc.), so I've been switching to collage work. So far, it's been a success! I've had much fewer behavior problems related to art supply misuse. I just hope no one decides to give themselves a haircut, or alter their clothing....sometimes scissors are the worst thing for a rowdy kindergarten class.

Update on student from first post

In a previous post, I mentioned a student who refused to come to art and instead sat in the hallway with his face in his knees. I had his class again yesterday, and to my delight, he came right into the room! I closed the door to prevent escape attempts, and was pleased to see him participate in class, even completing the assignment with just as much skill as an average kindergartner.

His classmates in his kindergarten class have really impressed me. Last week, instead of making fun of him or saying anything mean, I kept hearing excuses for him: "he's shy" or "he's scared." This week, the other kindergartners were very excited to show him his seat. They really are a great bunch of kids, and I love how warm and welcoming they have been to the "new kid" (even though they have only been in school 3 days longer than he has).

Today, that student's class had music while I was in my room preparing next week's lessons. I stepped into the hallway, and was surprised to find a little boy leaning against the wall by my door! Of course it was our little escape artist. I encouraged him to go into the music room, but after he refused several times, I invited him into my room. I let him doodle on my chalkboard, and I was pleased to see him practice drawing the different kinds of lines we worked on in art yesterday, without any prompts from me.

I have not yet heard if he got tested for autism, but at least his art skills are right where they should be for a kindergartner. I know he is still struggling in many other areas, but I think he and I are friends now, and I will be expecting everyone to be present in my Thursday kindergarten class from now on.

First Week

My first week of teaching went very well. I have a wonderful group of K-6^th graders, with four classes per grade. Most of the students listen very well, and there certainly are some talented artists in each grade.

This week, my biggest challenge was dealing with a student who enrolled in school midway into the first week. He is a kindergartner, and did not make any attempts to interact with other students or teachers. When his teacher brought her class to my room, she asked if she could talk to me briefly. She told me that he probably would not participate, and might run out into the hallway. I thanked her for letting me know, and began showing the students where their assigned seats were.

When I got to his name, no one came forward. I asked the other students where he was, and they all said he was in the hallway. I had not noticed him sneaking out! I imagined him running recklessly up and down the hall, but when I stepped out, he was just sitting by the wall with his face in his knees. I gently invited him into the classroom, and tried to talk to him, but he ignored me.

I finally called the office and asked for our assistant principal (who handles discipline) to come talk to the boy, but he made no progress either, and finally took him away. I later found his classroom teacher in the teacher lounge, and she said that he will be tested for autism. I hope he will be more receptive to art class next week! If he does get diagnosed, it will really help me know how to handle him.

Since he was my only difficult student to handle this week, I think the year is off to a great start! I am really looking forward to getting to know all of my students better, including that little kindergartner. Hopefully by next week he will have warmed up to the idea of being in school, and will be willing to sit and draw with his classmates.