Tuesday
Oct132009
How {Not} to Micro-Manage Kids' Art (Part 3)
Tue, October 13, 2009 at 08:00AM "You will learn to enjoy the process...
and to surrender your need to control the result.
You will discover the joy of practicing your creativity.
The process, not the product, will become your focus."
~ Julia Cameron
If you are just joining us, pop over to Part One of our Sensible Guide to get started. Today, thoughts on how to figure out your teaching/facilitating style, and how to learn from other people's methods. You can learn from both good and poor teachers!
- Observe yourself as you work with kids and their art, being mindful of what you say and do.
- Keep a notebook handy and jot quick notes as you work with kids on a creative project. What works? What doesn't?
- Record yourself with a video camera!
- Ask a friend to observe a project and seek thoughts on how it went.
- Ask permission to observe an art class at your children's school, a local school, or an art studio.
- Pay attention to the children's reaction to what you say and do, to your style. Do they seem rushed? Unfocused? Struggling? Criticising their own or others' work?
- If you take a workshop or art class, take notes about what you most enjoyed about the teaching. How did the leader interact with the class? What did other attendees say?
- Notice if the children are asking for lots help, for direction, for what color to use, etc. This is a huge tip-off for me, when I watch an art class. Kids asking for constant direction are used to being micro-managed and not used to some artistic freedom.
Do you have any tips for better understanding how you do art projects with children, and how to improve your process? Is there anything that you do that just works? Any Reggio folks out there, please join in!
- Control Issues and Keep the Cart Behind the Horse from Camp Creek blog (the entire blog is certified 100% on the Daisy Yellow wonderfulness scale).
- Check out the entire series on Micro-Managing Kids' Art
Reader Comments (2)
What you are saying is straight from my heart. When I look at the art projects that my kids' fellow students turn in after they have 'created' them at home, one thing is clear: they never came up with any of it on their own. These are very elaborate masterpieces that clearly the parents have created. I always wonder how those children feel about that?! Like their ideas wouldn't be good enough??! How sad is that if we, the parents, are so obsessed that we can't even let their creativity flourish and let them express themselves freely??
thank you so much! that makes my day! :^)