Art was on Thursday, so I took my class dutifully down to Mr. R's room where the students were seated at drawing desks. Mr. R told the class they would start by looking at things carefully, to see them as they really are, so he had us all take off our right shoe and place it upon each one's desk. He taught the class to first draw the shoe by looking at it and moving your pen at the same time as your eye traces the shape. No one could look down at their paper.
He had us do this a few times; Wiggler was not doing so well. He was on the verge of tears because he could not draw the shoe. I walked him through it, and he eventually calmed down. Mr. R had us all move on to drawing our shoes, letting us look down after each stroke; then finally at the end drawing the shoe while freely looking back and forth from shoe to paper.
Wiggler did a fantastic job by the end, and was really getting into his drawing, adding all sorts of details. He seems to give up so easily, though. Sigh. At least one fourth-grade disaster averted. Now this weekend I can get prepared for the next few weeks. Science starts Monday. Hooray!
2 comments:
I remember doing a similar exercise in college.
I feel bad for Wiggler - C gives up easily - it is frustrating for me because I don't know where it comes from - I don't think it was learned - which means it is part of where she starts from which in a way makes it even more frustrating.
Science is your fave? What about say Eng? What do you do in fourth grade Eng? What books do you read, what sort of writing do you do?
English is good, but English is divided up into Grammar, Writing, and Reading. Writing we mostly integrate into other subjects, grammar is not my cup of tea, so Reading would be the place where I get my literature & vocab fix.
We read Trouble River, by Betsy Byars; Treasure in an Oatmeal Box; Little Pilgrim's Progress (adapted); and Stout-Hearted Seven, by Neta Frazier.
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