Artifact 3-Reflection
Artifact 3 involves the lessons that I taught when I returned to school. I will specifically be referring to the six-point Clay Monster Lesson created for my second grade students. However, I will be linking the drawing lesson that led into the clay lesson as well. These lessons were taught immediately upon my return from the workshop at NCCAT, May 19-30.
As I mentioned earlier in my introduction, I have always avoided 3-D. Even though I approached this school year with a more open mind than in the past, I still put clay off. Our kiln broke early in the year, and in the back of my mind I thought maybe I had escaped the whole clay experience all together. However, when I returned back to my school I was ready to incorporate clay into my curriculum-despite the challenges. No kiln, not much time- I just had to make sure that my students were exposed to some type of clay project.
I created a lesson based on the book, ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak. After reading the book we discussed illustration as a profession. We looked at the pictures in the book and brainstormed a list of characteristics that monsters have. The students began by planning the monsters that they would create as drawings, and in the next class we created the monsters using a pinch pot and manipulative technique. I also completed a similar lesson with my kindergartners, using another text related to monsters.
I came back from NCCAT with a new passion for 3-D art and specifically clay, which I directly applied in my classroom by revamping my plans to include my new clay lessons. The students loved their clay monsters- and I enjoyed seeing them engaged in a new medium. Creating this lesson taught me that I did have enthusiasm for teaching ceramics in my curriculum and that the students love to work with clay.
One thing that I will take from the experience is to work clay into my planning earlier in the year- and not to feel that it should be limited to one lesson. I plan on using this lesson this coming school year in October. In addition to the pre-drawing, I will have the students draw the monsters after they are complete to work on spatial skills.
