September arrived and the children embraced art class with eagerness and joy, even though it came to them on a cart! Our early lessons involved building up student identity, confidence, and vision as each child produced an initial, (pre-instruction) self portrait and created a portfolio for collecting artwork and reflecting upon their progress over the course of the year. We shared a read aloud by Peter Reynolds; The Dot. This story helped students realize that even if one approaches art with uncertainty, a first try is all that it takes to realize how enjoyable art can be. Small steps lead to building art skills and expertise. Each student then created a personal 'dot' design for our collaborative wall gallery. We agreed that every dot is unique and when collectively displayed, they are even more breathtaking!
