What are you doing....

teaching ART, Miss?

Excellent question children.

My mixed group of students arrived this morning for the first stage of their culture week activities. Some of them were none too thrilled at the prospect of 3 hours work. That did not put me in a positive frame of mind.

However, preparation was everything, and once we started to look at Picasso's work and when I showed them that even me, the ICT teacher, could create something pretty good, a degree of enthusiasm appeared.

There was the usual lack of confidence from some - particularly when it came to transferring a sketch onto BIG paper. Cajoling, a bit of competition (particularly when the younger students went for the big paper!) and a bit of ego boosting meant that most students went for it eventually.

Of course, 90 minutes into a 3 hour session, there were cries of "I've finished" to which, of course I told them they were not. This was followed by development, collaging, blocks of colour and filling the space.

A couple of students tried their best to sabotage, three in particular who could, if I had let them, have ruined my day and the work of the group. However, I wasn't letting that happen.

So, battles won, timings figured out for tomorrow, additional things to tell the students and a lot more confidence on my part now that I can get the students producing some quite groovy artwork.

Not bad for "just an ICT teacher".

I confess to being knackered now though and also not looking forward to tomorrow, simply for the fact that there is no respite until the end of the day due to meetings a plenty on top of the art session tomorrow.

Tonight, I sleep.