I had a surprising and, to me, rather shocking conversation with one of my 6th/7th classes today. We are finishing up pop art food paintings and are scheduled to then make those food out of clay and hopefully turn them into a lidded container. So I was explaining to the kids how many classes we had left in the year and how long it would take to make the clay and have it dry and fire and glaze and such.... basically that we need to be done painting by the end of the week so that we can start clay.
A few kids called out "I don't want to do the clay project." Oh you know middle school students in the spring, complain complain. I responded that I'm sure they were not speaking for all 36 of their classmates. But then to my shock ton of kids started saying they didn't want to do clay. I told them we could vote at the end of class thinking that the kids were trying to impress each other and once they were voting on paper independently that they would vote for clay. Well for the first time in my teaching career when the kids had a silent independent vote half voted no clay, a quarter voted yes clay and a quarter voted "either way is fine". I've never had a that many student's turn down clay! I'm shocked, my other classes love clay and are chomping at the bit to start the project. We have already done two clay lessons this semester so I am considering not doing the clay project as it will eat up a chunk of my clay supply and take a lot of time.
While I try to let my student's have some choice within each lesson, I have never let a class veto a project as a whole...but I hate to fight kids when it comes to clay. Would you skip the lesson or push on forward?
The hot dogs would make a nice Thiebaud style painting or pastel still life - could you give them a choice of media, and everyone use the same subject matter?
ReplyDeleteWow. I am amazed that they don't want to do clay. Since they've already done a couple of lessons in clay, I might pass on it. It is WAY too much work for students who aren't excited about it.
ReplyDeleteWe just got done doing Lichtenstein and Thiebaud inspired junk food/deserts where they got to choose their media so we are on the same page Hope;) I think we will do some Warhol prints
ReplyDeleteAs shocking as it may seem to you and me, it is just indicative of how lazy and unmotivated children have become. They have no idea how much effort we as art teachers go to when preparing these lssons. Clay has always elicited squeals of excitement and applause from my students. We went to a Middle School format two years ago and I lost the 6th grade classes. What happened then? The 5th graders took on 6th grade attitudes and are so above it all. I think with the introduction of portable technology devices, kids are growing up too fast. The cow has definitely left the barn, so to speak.
ReplyDeleteI have spent too much of this response venting, whaen all I realy should have said was, skip the clay and save it for a more appreciative group/grade level. These 6th/7th graders clearly don't want to put forth the effort so why should you?
wow-- i'm shocked. any chance you'd do clay with the quarter who want to?
ReplyDeleteIf they've already done clay this year, skip it.
ReplyDeletePerhaps you've already decided, but my thought: since it's end of the year, I agree with Hope and let the kids choose the media but same subject. As they begin, I'll bet those that don't choose clay will be inspired and vise versa. Also gives these maturing students some sense of control? I imagine some interesting results.
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