Dozens of Dots

Teaching art to kids over the last five months has meant that I don’t blog as much as I once did. Hey—I only have twenty four hours in a day, just like everyone else. But I do like writing, and it’s fun to share stories of what my students are making. So here is my first blog post of 2018.

I teach students in Kindergarten all the way up through eighth grade, and in January they all created Aboriginal art. As you may know, the Aboriginal people used to record their history by drawing symbols on rock walls. They had no written language, so symbols were developed as a tool for communication. Eventually they used canvas and paper to create their art, and it is often characterized by the use of dots and shapes.

Some people believe that messages were hidden within dot filled Aboriginal art. Either way, this style of art is fascinating to look at, with all its texture and pattern. I’m obsessed with polka dots, so art involving lots of dots is up my alley.

My youngest students did a simplified version of the lesson, incorporating circles, pattern and dots. Lots of dots. I encouraged them to use earth tones, as the Aboriginal artists made “paint” from dirt, bark and charcoal—not sparkly pink paint from the local craft store. Of course, it’s challenging to convince girls in Kindergarten not to use pink and lavender. In some cases, I allowed a little bit of those accent colors but I emphasized that we were trying to do art in the style and color palette of Aboriginal artists.

The older students had a choice of making art with shapes or choosing an animal for the focal point of their art. They surrounded the animals with dots, circles, lines, symbols and shapes, just as the Aborigines did. With no further ado, here are some of the art pieces the students created over the last few weeks. 

One day I wore a polka dot dress to teach, and I was certain that my observant little students would notice my intentional wardrobe choice as a connection to the dots in their art work. They often comment on my clothes. I had almost two hundred students that day, and not one commented on the connection! Oh well…Just when you think you have figured out kids, they rewrite their code…

Teaching has become a little less tiring for me. Maybe I’ve built up some stamina. I really do see teaching as an endurance sport. Hey, if curling is an Olympic sport, I say that teaching should be, too. It takes strength, grit, dedication and lung power. Is it too late to get Teaching onto the docket for the Winter Olympics in a few weeks?

Until next time, this is Sarah the Art Teacher, sharing my final tip for the day. It applies to Aboriginal art, and to life itself: If in doubt, add more polka dots!