First Week of Art Class

The first week of school and of course, art class.....here it is at last! During these first days, I introduce myself to the kids and go over my procedures/rules/expectations in an effort to settle nerves and welcome everyone back from the summer break. I also find that it's helpful to have the kids work on some type of activity, so students in grades 3-5 fill out an index card with personal information (birthday, favorite food, favorite color, etc.), while my younger students in grades 1 and 2 draw a quick self portrait on their card. In addition to this, I have been doing a fun activity at the end of class, an Art Scavenger Hunt (grades 1 & 2 have a separate one from grades 3-5). I made a grid of items for the students to locate around the room. Once they find the media, they are able to creatively fill in each rectangle however they choose using that media. This is a lot of fun and I like the way it sparks communication and team-work. Plus, the paper is such a cool collection at the end! The idea was originally found via a pin, but I want to give full credit to the art teacher, Amy Bonner Oliveri, whose blog can be found here: artwitholiveri