Everything is Right with the World

There are some days when everything just feels right. It's almost as if a switch has been turned on somewhere and every detail seems to be more clear. You can see individual blades of grass that yesterday seemed to be a sea of green, there is clarity of sound, and you can hear the solos of nature's orchestra. This happened today in the art room. It was as if time had stopped and yet every student was buzzing with creative energy. Here are some pictures of this beautiful day.

Students are using one of my favorite, water color crayons to add the finishing touches to small family portraits for Polk County Family Week.

Some students chose to work in a larger format and create a single image of them and their families doing what they would do if they had an extra 10 minutes everyday with them.

I am curious to see what the students will do on their own. For too long I have tried to be in control of their artwork, and get them to create in a certain way. Now I want to see what they can do, how they will compose the space, and how they interpret the world around them.

These are the journals that we've started where we can take notes and answer the lesson essential questions. I also hope to encourage some reflective thought in these little journals. You can also see the rubric that I'm using with the students based on the five art room 'power-ups' from my beginning of the year Prezi. 

 I look forward to having more days like this. I think that the key was the letting go, and allowing the students to have more creative freedom. It's a difficult thing to do, but I think the learning and creative rewards are worth the effort.

How have you 'let go' with your class?