Last week I took the children and their families to see the Art Show. It has been two years since we took a field trip. As you can imagine, the event was eagerly anticipated by families as well as the children. Families were packed in the foyer at school, waiting as teachers walked the children to greet them.
I tried to do a little speech ahead of our walk to Post Office:
Families, thank you for joining us to see the Art Show. When you get there and see the art…it’s okay to cry.
That broke the ice. Everyone laughed out loud, but I could tell they relaxed…and their hearts swelled.
Of course once we got there, it was a mad commotion. Parents found their child’s art, and I was up and down the line telling parents stories of how their child decided on what to make, and how they made it. This was a celebration and a discovery, combined. I understood. It was a moment.
Once everyone was ‘ready’, I brought each child up to their masterpiece. I told them how magnificent it was (yes, they were on stage in front of everyone), and then I told them how I remember how they made the painting, or why they chose the art. We talked about it, in front of everyone. You could have heard a pin drop.
When all was said and done, we posed for a group photo:
Art is the voice of the heart.
Jennie
A Teacher's Reflections 