The end of the semester at Woodcrest Elementary was fantastic! New art was finished and prepped and ready to deck the halls after the new year. We've seen some of these, such as the New Year Penguins and Winter Cardinals, however one has yet to be shared, and I am extremely proud of the 3rd graders ability to rise to the challenge with their Metal Dragons (inspired by the lovable Mushu from Disney's Mulan). Take a look!
The period right before a big holiday can pose some challenges. What should the students work on? What is there time to introduce? What type of materials do I want to keep out? Do I want projects floating? How will I shut down the room for the next few days?
So many questions and so many potential answers. One thing I have learned, especially right before a holiday, is to keep it simple. Students (and teachers) are ready for what comes next after school is official closed. There is no real necessity to coming up with some grandiose project and most of the time it is nice to be able to start all fresh when school gets back in session. This means a clean room, projects either ready to go up or ready to come down, materials prepped and ready to go, etc.
For our end of the year solution, we kept it simple. Students wrapped up projects that were ready to be hung up after the new year. Some classes started a simple one day project that student could take home (and they all used the same materials!). The end of the year solution that I was most exited about was "Studio Day". "Studio Day" is perfect for those classes that need to catch up to others, for days right before holidays/half day/etc, as a means to reward kids for good behavior, as well as a chance to use up lingering supplies.
Our "Studio Day" was set up for all three 4th grade classes. Students were met with 8 tables, each set up with different supplies geared toward free creative expression, exploration, and fun. The stations we set up included:
So many questions and so many potential answers. One thing I have learned, especially right before a holiday, is to keep it simple. Students (and teachers) are ready for what comes next after school is official closed. There is no real necessity to coming up with some grandiose project and most of the time it is nice to be able to start all fresh when school gets back in session. This means a clean room, projects either ready to go up or ready to come down, materials prepped and ready to go, etc.
For our end of the year solution, we kept it simple. Students wrapped up projects that were ready to be hung up after the new year. Some classes started a simple one day project that student could take home (and they all used the same materials!). The end of the year solution that I was most exited about was "Studio Day". "Studio Day" is perfect for those classes that need to catch up to others, for days right before holidays/half day/etc, as a means to reward kids for good behavior, as well as a chance to use up lingering supplies.
Our "Studio Day" was set up for all three 4th grade classes. Students were met with 8 tables, each set up with different supplies geared toward free creative expression, exploration, and fun. The stations we set up included:
- Watercolor Your World
- Simon Says "Art"
- Gingerbread Station
- Snowflake Station
- Ornament Station
- Art Bingo
- Creation Station
- Art Puzzles