Expedition Projects: Fall 2012

As an expeditionary learning school, each semester culminates in extensive and integrated learning units we call expeditions. Because I am a K-12 teacher, that means that I get to have a little hand in all the different expeditions, mostly through helping the guide teachers have some beautiful and relevant artworks to present to the community on our open house night. I actually enjoy this part of my job a lot. While there is plenty to teach about the visual arts as it's own subject matter, I like the challenge of finding ways to integrate the content of their learning expeditions into what we are learning as an art class. Here are a few samples of what the student's accomplished.

The third grade class in front of a mini mural they did of the ocean habitat for the sea animals they studied.

Each third grader studied a particular sea animal and how we help and harm them and their environment. In art class we did oil pastel drawings and watercolor resists of their animals that we later used as awareness "posters".

The first graders studied healthy habits and healthy eating. They made paper collages of a healthy meal option they wrote in the recipes for in Spanish class.

The kindergartners studied helpful and harmful insects. We did a few little projects with insects, these are just a few  mixed media buzzing buddies.

The fifth graders once again did detailed drawings of the endemic birds of the DR that they studied, but this year we took a different spin on them and used watercolors on our final ones and did close-ups of the field markings for each bird.

The sixth graders studied and applied the scientific method in various experiments. In art class we had a blast using the same process to study Jackson Pollock's works and research his unique painting technique.

I don't have an art class with the 11th graders this year, but I guest taught in their social studies class to help them create stencils that synthesized their reflections using written and visual expressions. For their expedition they studied cultural conflict and they used their learning to inspire these messages to their community.

GERMS! The second graders went wild with their  creative germ drawings from their imaginations. They each made up a germ villain and created a wanted poster for it for their programa de noticias de germenes.

December Update: My Winter Woes

The autumns and winters in the DR are very different from what I am used to in Kansas, as to be expected.
When I think of the end of a semester in Kansas I usually think of trekking through the streets littered with the slushy mess of snow, loving wearing sweaters and scarfs for a hot second then hating the hassle of extra garments, drinking warm beverages to make me not so cold but then only successfully doing so in my mouth and palms for again a hot second, and lastly sitting around in darkness at 5pm because it once again the darkening sky crept up on me.

In the DR most of these things do not occur. Though the weather does turn, it only does so to average out at 70 degrees Fahrenheit with rainy mornings and afternoons. Now that we do not own a particular car that leaks/pours in water when it rains, this slight change in weather is actually very comforting. I can wear a scarf or sweater and actually keep it on until about 11am without sweating underneath. I can drink a warm or beverage and feel as though my body temperature is maintained. And while the sun still rises a little later and sets a little earlier, the power is often out at random times anyway so navigating darkness isn't unknown. The change of season is rather very subtle.

Sounds great, doesn't it? There are however a few trade-offs. The cooler weather and rainy air brings in the mosquitos, and for whatever reason they adore my ankles. Sometimes I resort to covering every inch of exposed skin in order to evade their silent attacks. These little buggers are nasty. They haunt me it seems. This annoyance is very similar to the conundrums of wet shoes or cold digits-- I can escape them! So while the seasons are different in this part of the world, my winter woes still seem to exist in one form or another. Except this time I can get Dengue I don't take proper precautions.

The morning haze on my walk to work

Classroom Commotion: High School Outings and Junior High Mustaches

Sometimes I get really excited about some small detail of a lesson or some little moment in class when it all seems to fall into place. These are the quiet affirmations from God that I feel He gives me to encourage me in the work I do. It is very rare that anyone else is in the classroom with my students and I. But through these little gifts, I am reminded that the Lord is with me and loving the learning of my students.
Here are a two examples...

A few weeks ago my high school students were exploring drawing people en vivo, specifically practicing gesture drawings. I wanted to challenge them a little more so I gave them all oil pastels to work with rather than their comfortable tools of pens or pencils. As promised in our class constitution, we were due for an inspiration-seeking outing. So we headed for the central park for a few days. This year the high school elective class meets four days a week, compared to the one day a week allotted the previous years. I love that I can now really dig into concepts and techniques with these students AND give them class time to practice and develop them. Once we got to the park the first day, they took some time to warm-up and it was difficult for them to open their eyes to see and draw what was around them in such a busy place. But by the last day we were there I had to ask them to stop working so we would not be late in returning to school. It was evident that they just needed the time and space to find a groove and from there on they were hooked. We continued to work outside the classroom the following weeks in drawing landscapes around the Doulos campus.

The past couple weeks the sixth grade class has been working on a project on the Abstract Expressionists, with a focus on Jackson Pollock. We are integrating their science expedition on the scientific method by doing an "art experiment" about the differences between using a brush and throwing paint with other objects (like Pollock did).  We created a collaborative painting using brushes that will serve as a comparison to their other thrown-paint artworks they will do this week. As we were planning our procedures and materials, in accordance with the scientific method, one student mentioned off-hand that we needed berets or mustaches as we painted.  Of course I couldn't let that go unheard. When they entered the classroom the next day on their desks they found personal paper mustaches! Haha, so fun! We all (yes I wore one also) sported the mustaches all class and some even into their next few periods. That little detail lifted the whole mood of the class. They were very successful in mixing their two personas of artist and scientist, especially as we recorded our observations like scientists do but with an artist's eye and art vocabulary.

Classroom Commotion: a zealous 1st grader

The first day of his kindergarten year, Nelo approached me in the amphitheater and began telling me all about his past weekend. Nelo and I were complete strangers at that point last year. I was shocked at the tenacious joy this young kid had to have to walk up to me, a totally new face in a new place, and share a little bit of his life with me. Now, he is one quarter into his first grade year and one of my most enthusiastic art students. Every project example or little piece of art that I bring to class he always comments, “Mrs. Kerrie, that is beauuutiful.” He sure knows how to make my art teacher heart sing.

In the mornings before staff prayer I am usually in my office behind the amphitheater organizing paperwork or supplies for the day’s classes. The other day, Nelo once again snuck up on me and appeared next to my desk. We exchanged “Good mornings” (this time in English) and he proceeded to tell me about how he drew some pictures over the weekend, then pulled out a toy train from his backpack and continued telling me about his train. (If you haven’t picked up on it by now, you’ll notice that Nelo likes to talk). I mentioned to him that sometimes it is good practice to draw objects that we have in front of us, and maybe he could draw his train or other toys sometime. Well, wouldn't you know it, the very next morning before our flag assembly Nelo comes to find me again and hands me a drawing of his train that he did the night before. “For you!” he said. Now my heart is not only singing, but melting.

Classroom Commotion: Fuimos a la frontera

 

As mentioned a few weeks ago, our senior class went to Dajabon, DR to participate in the Border of Lights commemoration of the 1937 massacre at the river that divides the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Our afternoon was spent in the parque central setting up a display of postcards with an artwork on one side and a space for writing on the other. On the black side people in the community were asked to write down any thing they knew about the massacre or any opinions they had on the history of the relationship between the two countries.

The Doulos Seniors jumped right in and began dialogues with the Dajabon passerby's. Some students even found their way into a local school and ended up talking with a couple classes about the massacre, others visited with the many merchants that sell goods around the park or shine shoes, and still others talked with people that had lived there all their lives and knew very personally about what happened in 1937. The afternoon ended with a conversation between all the participants about the complexities of retelling of history.

In the evening, we gathered again, with velas and walked to the river. Many more people attended this part of the day-- most from the Dajabon community. A few commemorators had candles on the other side of the river in Haiti and we could see their lights faintly across the waters.

Classroom Commotion: Vamos a la frontera

Preparense for a lot of links...

Tomorrow I am accompanying the senior class to la frontera con Haiti. Our destination is the town of Dajabon. We are going to participate in a peace walk and remembrance vigil as part of the Border of Lights commemoration of the 1937 massacre of Haitians on this border.

For more information, you can visit the link for the Border of Light collective and events. And for those that are interested in more political and cultural history about the atrocity we are commemorating, you can read this concise article written by Michele Wucker, and/or read here at the Border of Lights website.

Please pray for our small group of students and staff as we engage with the people gathering in this community-- pray that we would carry as our banner the Light of Christ as Redeemer and Peace-giver; pray for safety in travel as the infrastructure here is never easily traversed; pray that we can, with others and amongst ourselves, engage in meaningful dialogue about what reconciliation looks like with such long-running racism and how we as Christians can participate in bringing the Kingdom here and now through living in the Grace and Love of Christ.

Student Work: 1st Grade Lines, 2nd Grade Shapes, and 3rd Grade Junk Prints

We are now over a month into the fall semester and everything with schedules and management has leveled out. In fact we just had our first progress reports this past Friday. So far I have been still enjoying the benefits of a couple years of prior work and experience. There is almost nothing more satisfying than picking up resources or lessons I spent hours creating a year ago and using them instantly with minor to no changes. I am continuing to create a lot of what I teach from scratch, but I have also gotten a lot better at searching the internet to find the basis of what I need or even ideas to modify for the Doulos context.

Here are a few small projects some of my students have finished up so far. We haven't really gotten into any long terms projects (I usually wait until expeditions to launch those) so these are simple one to two class period activities.

First Grade created the different types of lines we studied with paper strips

Second Grade used geometric and organic shapes for paper collages a la Henri Matisse

Third Grade explored printmaking with junk prints-- they had a blast!

Opening

This year I am once again working up a whole new curriculum for the HS visual art elective. Based on some things I have been learning personally as a growing "artist", I am trying to make this semester's elective class an opportunity for more experimentation and exploration-- I have even come to call the class "Liberating Our Creativity", because that's how I've been experiencing this personal search and process.

Our first couple days consisted in making a class constitution. Rather than coming up with rules myself, I wanted the students to decide what would make the class the most productive and safe for them to be open and motivated. I love what they came up with.

I am super excited to walk alongside these students in their search for their own creative habits and artistic process. Already they have impressed me with their openness and willingness to take on the assignments and challenges I've posed so far. 

Part of what this class is going to require is vulnerability among the students and myself. It is intimidating and scary to put your art work out there for others to see and critique. Especially when we are only en camino to having a developed identity as an artist. I have made a promise to myself that if I'm going to ask my students to open up their sketchbooks and introspective reflections to the rest of our class, then I need to step up to that challenge myself. So I present to you, my sketchbook...

Actually, hold on. Before I do that let me show you my inspiration for the following pages. If you will remember, this summer I was in search of my muse. During that time I discovered that another one of my "go-to" places for inspiration is antique shops. I love the histories and artifacts collected from all around. While making the rounds through the old stomping grounds, I stumbled upon a little display of antique goodies. 

And now here's what I've got ...

Classroom Commotion: First Week of School...sort of

On Wednesday, the 22nd, classes began again at Doulos Discovery School. It was a rainy morning, so we could not have our usual all school flag ceremony (which is perhaps my favorite part of the day). Instead each grade went off to their classrooms with their new teachers. The excitement was all the same though.

I was genuinely filled with joy and love to see and embrace each student. Walking around I loved calling students out by name-- smiles and hugs were very abundant. Forget the weeks of planning I put in for these first few classes...I just wanted to play all day!

Our first week was supposed to be three days, and with the threat of tropical storm Isaac, that has turned into one and a half days. Yesterday we were sent home at noon, and today school has been cancelled throughout the island. Because we are inland, the most we are enduring is unceasing rainfall sometimes in bucket-like downpour, and consequently muddy roads and rivers.
To be honest, it very nice to wake up and not have to go out in this gloomy morning.

After this long, rainy weekend, I think I'll be ready to go back and actually get to start school next week.

Horatio wanted to come with us to school :)

We're ready for the first day with excited smiles!

The front of our  new elementary building! In only
two and a half months some amazing workers labored long
 hours to make these classrooms ready for the first day.

The back side of our new building. The bottom floor will be
finished during the school year with the help of work teams.