STUDENT WORK
a look inside my classroom.
Teaching for Artistic Behavior
This year, I began teaching with a new philosophy, switching my students in grades 2-6 to the TAB (teaching for artistic behavior) method of students creating art based on their own ideas, with materials of their choice. Over the course of our journey so far, I have seen students enthusiastically work toward their goals, some even collaborating with others to bring their ideas to life.
“I was inspired by a cool silhouette of a tree. I used paint and chalk pastels. My favorite part was painting. I'm proud of it because it looks just like the picture of the tree I found.” – 5th grade student
Cityscape Collaboration
I love introducing students to working collaboratively on an artwork. It is a great way for students to get to know one another, to practice working as a team, and to solve creative challenges together. This piece was created by students at a drop-in art program on Buffalo’s West Side, who each designed several buildings to create a city, in the style of artist James Rizzi, that showed their personality.
Art Activism
Students in sixth grade were challenged to help raise awareness of a problem in the world through their artwork. Students learned about contemporary artists like Shepard Fairey, and how to create a print using Styrofoam plates that they could repeat over and over again to make posters about an endangered animal of their choice.
Pet Papier-Mache
In my experience, almost every student I have taught has loved making sculptures. Add in some adorable animals, and you the have pure magic of engaged, enthusiastic fifth graders. In this case, the students used recycled materials to create a pet they had, or a pet they would like to have someday. The papier-mache process was a hit, and students finished their pieces by painting with their choice of realistic colors, or like the Fauves, expressive colors (there may have been a few rainbow pets by the end).
Notan Designs
I like to introduce my students to art from places around the world, to help us not only imagine what life is like in other places, but also to introduce new techniques the students can use as tools to express their ideas. Notan is Japanese for “light-dark balance”, and the paper-cutting style of art that sixth grade students used to learn about how the positive and negative space can be used to create balance in art.
Sunflowers
As a painter, it warms my heart to see first grade artists embracing the joy of mixing colors, and the magic of how their water cup changes as they go. Introducing students to artists like Vincent Van Gogh, who also loved mixing colors (showing the students a close-up of this paintings, and the thick layers of paint he used, has rocked a few worlds), is instrumental to the students’ connection of what artists do, and what inspired them to create. I love passing this enthusiasm and sense of wonder on to young artists in training.
UPK Cupcakes
As the art teacher, I get to see all the students in the building, at every grade level. These cupcakes were made my some of my favorite artists – preschool students who love experimenting with processes, the messier the better. These cupcakes feature wrappers designed by the artists, and frosting made with a mix of shaving cream and glue that perfectly hold the sprinkles and cherries on top.
Together, We Are Beautiful
As a human being, one of the most important things to me is spreading kindness like confetti. I like to believe that it can genuinely make the world a better place, one small moment at a time. I created this mural with my entire school’s help at the beginning of a school year. The students each made a self-portrait, and used their grade level’s assigned color to become part of the rainbow. Underneath their portrait, the teachers and staff at my building worked together to write kind words to the student. Everyone loved the finished piece, the messages they received, and the sense of community it created in our halls. This is one of my proudest accomplishments as a teacher.