Challenges when teaching children
Submitted by Roisin_m on Sun, 07 Mar 10
I've started teaching 'art' to Junior and Senior Infants (ages 4-6) as part of an after school program in a local National School. It’s nice to be working weekly with a group of children again.
They are such bright things; some bizarrely awkward and self conscious other zooming-ly confident in their abilities and unshakeable beliefs about the world. The range of abilities in this age group is quiet mixed both in terms of social ability and fine motor skills. For some this is their first after school activity. Their behaviour is mixed with timidness, smiles, tiredness, hunger, hyper activity, super smarts, chatty, informative, authorities sharing. Some can draw actual objects quiet well and others are at scribbling with some shapes. It is their unassuming awareness that I love. It is to get to know each of these children through art and teaching them to value their own work I enjoy. I am privileged to be entrusted by the school and parents to work with them. I have two groups one on Wednesday and one on Thursday. However it is a challenging age group to teach.
Initially working with any group it is important to establish ground rules. I hate the need for rules but having tried in the past to work with children and not having ground rules established it was… disastrous! So I started the first session with chairs in a circle. I asked all the children what the rules should be “no hitting, biting or punching” said the boys “no scribbling” said one girl. There are issues with the first statement. The language used around children is important. In an art class where I am trying to teach them the idea of ‘do’ negative language has no place. Reframing rules in a positive expression is critical to empowering the group of children to behave.
If you say to a child “no…” they don’t hear the no they hear the action bit “hitting, bitting…”. I find it helpful to focus on the behaviour I want to encourage “respect each other” not 'don't do...'
The second issue around no scribbling was to establish that although we were still in the school we were n't in class. We were in afterschool art... read more.
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HI Rosin
I think a lot of artists will benefit from your approach, have you ever had an experience when chlldren went against the rules? and if so what did you do? btw i really liked your website! I look forward to you sharing more of your approaches and thoughts to the practice.ie community.
Hi Orla. As I said in my talk when you set ground rules or have clearly communicated to/with children in my experience you have les of the 'going against the rules' however it does happen. When it happens I do several things
1. acknowledge the child’s point of view
"I see you don't want to do ..."
2. I do not ask them why I accept they have an opinion
3. I frame a decision for them keeping the responsibility firmly with them
"You can choose to do XYZ or you can choose to sit out of the activity"
This can be very challenging with under sixes and children with mixed abilities physically or intellectually ablities and needs.
Last summer I had a conflict during a team activity using clay where small groups of six children where working together to build an island. Two of the boys reached a point of no return. A younger child 8 years was trying to attach a bridge incorporate an older child’s work including him as he thought in the project. The older child I knew had some special needs but it had not been made clear to me what. He did not want his work attached. I acknowledged that both boys had valid points and questioned them as to how they might solve this. The younger child agreed not to put a bridge but stepping stones close but not touching the others work. The older child with aspergers syndrome got very upset and could not reach a compromise. I stayed with the situation remaining calm. Eventually the older children choose not to finish the activity but sit out of it. I also asked the organising team to make his parents aware of what happened as a point of reference nothing more. Interestingly he still showed up for the next creative activity full of enthusiasm.