Art with my Students

My long term subbing position ended today and I can honestly say that I am going to miss that place! The kids were wonderful little critters. They were a challenge at times, but I always left with them on my mind and in my heart and I always returned the next morning ready and happy to see every single one of them. The teachers and faculty at this particular school are an incredible exception to the rule that when you get a bunch of women together, all you'll have is back-stabbing, nagging, and constant bitching about everything. Those ladies (and men) are fantastic educators- professional, caring, intelligent, and ready for anything!

I thought I'd share some of the art-type things I did for a few of the kids that were interested during the last 3-5 minutes of the day. I have mentioned before that I'm not exactly an artist. I can cartoon in a passable manner and if I try really hard, I can make something look decent. Check out the pictures. The drawings are ones I did for my kids and the painting was made for my little nephew PL.

 for a kindergartner

  for a kindergartner

  for a kindergartner

 for a 5th grader

 for a 5th grader and a 4th grader

 for a 5th grader

 the first bunny I did for the 5th grader

 the picture that started it all (and that I forgot to post originally)

 for the baby!

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS

Listening

My parents didn't read to me. They didn't read my homework with me. They didn't read the recipe directions to me as they made dinner. They didn't read the newspaper aloud after dinner. They certainly didn't read me bedtime stories.

Because of that, my earliest experience of someone reading to me was in school. I know my early teachers must have read to me, but I don't remember them. I do vividly recall a story read aloud by a substitute teacher though.

This woman told us she was going to read a poem to us and that we could draw a picture based on what we heard afterwards. She read "Hungry Mungry" by Shel Silverstein. I closed my eyes as she read about the poor hungry kid. As the story went on, that kid turned into a big fuzzy monster in my mind. It was, in fact, a monster I had seen before. The sense of de ja vu was so strong, it twisted my stomach.

When the teacher finished reading, she passed out the long manila paper popular back then and crayons. She offered one of those little chunky notebooks with the kaleidoscope covers that were hugely popular in the early 90s as a prize for the best picture. I drew my version of Mungry until the sick feeling in my stomach went away. My Mungry ate the world in one big gulp. Though he wasn't describe in the poem, my little 9 year old self knew what Mungry looked like as he ate the Earth because I had dreamed about drawing him before.

I won the substitute teacher's contest that day. I honestly wasn't trying but it was one of those times that I just knew I was right (about Mungry's looks).

 This is a very poor recreation of my picture of Hungry Mungry as he ate the world. I drew it as close to memory as possible. I know, from some of my surviving artwork from that age, that my "action" always happened on the left side of the paper, my right side always ended up smaller than the other, and I splayed the feet in every single drawing. I tried to remember that as I drew this.

Love is love, no matter the back story. <3 DS