art *teachers (hate) glitter
*speaking strictly for myself, i'm not a big fan of glitter. this is not to say i don't like the effects of glitter; the sparkle, the shiny, the bling, i do. it just gets everywhere. teaching, in part, is all about anticipating all of the possible things you have never even thought of that children will do with ordinary objects other than their intended use. sometimes this is called genius. other times, i call it mess.
my tune changed, however, when i had the opportunity to substitute in pre-kindergarten. focusing on keeping these sweet little people's schedule as normal as possible, i remembered the teacher's invitation for me to come up with an art project. so we made positive-negative space snowmen with dot paints. we read christmas stories. we did the pledge of allegiance (i resisted the urge to work into it a line about not using glitter). we had snacks and lined up our recess boots and changed the calendar from november to december. and then, it came, the question i had been hoping to avoid, "mrs. art (my name from them because 'i love art so much i must have married it') when we make our ornaments, can we use...glitter?"
the face of a sweet four-year-old was looking up at me through his spectacles and i just couldn't say no. rummaging through the supply closet, i came up with some green glitter as well as quick thoughts on containment theories. they glued onto their christmas tree ornaments, i glittered. we sang a little glittering song. i started to smile, a little at first, and then broadly, as they sang, "shake shake shake the glittering tree..."
while shaking the container, i thought about how earlier in the week while doing a project (not involving glitter) a five-year-old had looked up at me and said matter-of-factly, "i am a cancer survivor." i stopped what i was doing and knelt down to invite him to tell me more. "well, i had cancer once, but i beat it!" he proclaimed. "that is important," i said, "i'm so glad you beat it and thank you for telling me."
because you never know what mess a small person (or big person for that matter) might be dealing with. surely a little extra glitter in their life couldn't hurt?
my tune changed, however, when i had the opportunity to substitute in pre-kindergarten. focusing on keeping these sweet little people's schedule as normal as possible, i remembered the teacher's invitation for me to come up with an art project. so we made positive-negative space snowmen with dot paints. we read christmas stories. we did the pledge of allegiance (i resisted the urge to work into it a line about not using glitter). we had snacks and lined up our recess boots and changed the calendar from november to december. and then, it came, the question i had been hoping to avoid, "mrs. art (my name from them because 'i love art so much i must have married it') when we make our ornaments, can we use...glitter?"
the face of a sweet four-year-old was looking up at me through his spectacles and i just couldn't say no. rummaging through the supply closet, i came up with some green glitter as well as quick thoughts on containment theories. they glued onto their christmas tree ornaments, i glittered. we sang a little glittering song. i started to smile, a little at first, and then broadly, as they sang, "shake shake shake the glittering tree..."
while shaking the container, i thought about how earlier in the week while doing a project (not involving glitter) a five-year-old had looked up at me and said matter-of-factly, "i am a cancer survivor." i stopped what i was doing and knelt down to invite him to tell me more. "well, i had cancer once, but i beat it!" he proclaimed. "that is important," i said, "i'm so glad you beat it and thank you for telling me."
because you never know what mess a small person (or big person for that matter) might be dealing with. surely a little extra glitter in their life couldn't hurt?
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