Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Art class blues

My DYS, DD10 has not liked Art class in school this year and last year. I would like to figure out what would be a better situation as I may be able to make suggestions to his current Art teacher. I would not say he is gifted in Art but he is good at it.

Last year, the teacher was looking for lots of details with Art by laying pencil to marker to watercolor and lots of elements. Imagine a underwater picture, loaded with sea life found in reference books. This actually sounds pretty good to me, but he did not like Art class. When the teacher assigned a hot air balloon project he wished it was 3D instead of on paper.

Overall the school year was bad academically and we switched schools this year. I thought that was influencing his feeling towards Art but he seems to be negative about Art again this year.

He did like Art Class 2 yrs ago, when he was given mostly complicated paper construction projects, that most of the rest of the class was confused about. He is probally above average with cutting, folding and construction.

He also liked Kindergarten Art class when he was in a montessori type school and they just left an example on the table with a bunch of supplies. This was very open ended.

At home he draws, illustrates stories, draws comic strips, creates playlands/homes for his toys from recyclables and makes popup cards. This seems like a kid who would love Art class.

He says he just doesn't like having to do the teacher's plan. I tried to tell him school is about following the teacher plan and then bringing out his own abilities within that. Even though, I don't love housework I allow myself the pleasure of enjoying a job well done. I suggest he try to find the same pleasures to enjoy.

So I think he would like more 3D and open ended projects.

Would you tell your kid to just deal with it? OR find a way to be satisfied? What would you say to an Art teacher if they were open to listening?

It just bugs me that he doesn't like Art. He does something Artistic at home almost every day.

I think, unfortunately, that art class is all about the teacher. Some teachers are great, and some are awful. IMO, the best thing a teacher can do is to introduce a concept/technique/medium and let the kids go at it. The worst thing a teacher can do is to come up with such rigid projects that all creativity is lost. It sounds like your son's teacher(s) may be doing the latter.

I would suggest that he talk to the teacher. For example, he could say, "This project has really inspired me! Is it okay if I work extra hard and [insert whatever semi-related project your son can think of that he actually wants to do]?" Most art teachers aren't going to say no to that kind of request. If his teacher does say no, I'm afraid you'll just have to suck it up and hope for better teachers in the future. I had an art class like this in college, including the cheesy paint-a-picture-of-an-undersea-scene project, which my prof would not let me get out of doing despite my absolute abhorrence for it, and it was miserable. Yuck.

ETA: The rest of my many art classes were wonderful, with open-ended assignments, which I could switch around however I liked by simply discussing it with the teacher/prof.

Have you ever heard the song by Harry Chapin called "Flowers are Red"? Pretty much sums up a lot of art classes for the younger set.

cricket3-
We have that link to popup cards in my favorites already. WE LOVE IT. Thanks.

I'm not saying our Art teacher is inflexible. We have only been at this school since Sept. and I don't even know the teacher. I just know once again my DS is getting the opinion he does not like Art Class, but it is early to be judging this.

I really want to know what would make a good Art class for Gifted kids, where some may be gifted in Art and some not.

I 'm also looking for ideas about helping my child deal with this situation, like taking pride in a job well done even if it's not the ideal job.

I haven't read the rest of the responses to you so I might be redundant. As an artist I came to realize quickly that I did not like to be told what to do. Art for me was a freedom: freedom to explore and try new things, but art classes can really restrict. At one point I thought about Commercial Art and even took a class in it. I hated it! Then when I took studio art classes I started with a teacher who was all about freedom... no restrictions and loved it but the next semester I had a teacher who limited our supplies and insisted on black and white. I was furious and out and out refused to conform. I drew and painted during his class and always with color. I could have cared less if I got the biggest F. No one was going to tell me what I could and couldn't do when it came to my passion.

Perhaps because your son has talent and clearly a passion for some form of art he is rebelling with these preplanned activities. A sign, for me anyway, that he has a lot to offer.

BTW, I never got an F in the class. What I got was respect. I was the professor's favorite student by the end and when I took an advanced drawing class from him later on he would devote classes to critiquing my work.

I don't know if his art teacher is open to suggestions but you might be able to convince her to take an interest in what he is interested in. This might sway him. You also might want to look around your community for local artists. He might enjoy getting to know some of them and one might be willing to take him under their wing.

This song has such special meaning for us. It was my DH song when he was a boy. His dad use to sing it to him. And now he plays and sings it to our DD now.

I looked up the words. They really fit the situation. I wonder about the other Arts, like dance, music, ect.

I think I'm going to look into Montessori Art. Maybe I'll find some anwsers there. I would like to know what else can be done in a Art Class. Any one have suggestions for books or online?

Just for a different take, our elementary school doesn't have a single art teacher or class at all. My DD8 finally had some exposure to the concept of perspective at a theater camp this summer.

I think they believe that all that cutting and pasting in K and 1st grade counts for art throughout grade 6. The age old question of no exposure or bad exposure.

In no way am I saying that his artistic abilities or passions be held back, but I may be totally on the opposite side here. I mean if this was a math class, and DS didn't want to do fractions because his passion was decimals, it would be a no brainer, right? We wouldn't ask the math teacher to let DS only do that which involves decimals. We would ask possibly for more decimal work, whether be for extra credit or in a math club or at home...

To me it seems as if Art class is less about expression and more about instruction now for your DS as he is older, which is generally not the case in the lower grades. And with that instruction comes learning portions of art that are not fun for him... if he's a sculptor, he doesn't want to do a lesson on shading or whatever it may be. Now granted, the art teacher should not correct his actual work if it's within her boundaries for the lesson, but he also needs to learn that this is a class...

Does that make sense?

JJsMom - I get what you are saying. I have tried to explain to him about making the project his own within the boundaries of each assignment. I think he needs to focus more on what he can do instead of being disappointed about being told what to do.

All that being said, I'm still curious about what would it be like if he could be happy in art class. Hopefully, it will get better as the classes are more established.