Chapters 25 and 26

Some of the reminders in these chapters are suggestions I wouldn't think to employ at first. I guess it is nice to avoid major materials issues based on the experiences of others. The part about only filling the paint containers to the length of the bristles on the brush is so simple but I would probably give students a deeper pool on the first round, and that would result in disaster.

I'm not sure about one paint brush for each color and keeping the colors separate, especially as students get older. I think they should approach painting in the same way they will as middle and high school students and as adults.

Just today I was discussing the art projects I taught with classroom teachers after school. The conversation led to one comment by a teacher. Essentially he said that he could see himself repeating this lesson in class because it wasn't so 'messy'. Then the other instructors chimed in about the messiness of paints and inks. They described the chaos that occurs each time they attempt such art lessons. I guess the most important element of painting with elementary students is materials management and established rules and routines for materials use and clean up. Once the management is set, a positive experience of painting happens spontaneously in the classroom.
I enjoy thinking about how to connect community consciousness with art making, whether a mural or not, students can develop ideas they want to communicate that inspire social change and display their work with that intent.
The collage ideas are helpful, especially the used magazine tip for avoiding sticky problems. All I have to say is wow when it comes to the mosaics. How can you sustain everyone's attention for that long to work on such a detailed project? I assume the work would be completed over several work periods, but even then I can imagine a handful of students in many of the classrooms I've worked with this week that would not be able to work for that long on one project. I would like to talk more about lengthier extensions for students who finish early. Clean-up and writing a title sometimes still doesn't cut it for some students. And, having them come back and ask me "Now what should I do" ten times kind of makes me feel crazy.