5 NEW Ways to Tackle Montessori Art Projects This School Year
By Spramani Elaun
The funny thing about art is that it should be creative—spontaneous even—but as Montessori teachers we can sometimes get stuck in a rut and begin to teach the same art lessons over and over again. I don’t want that to happen to you! Not this school year at least!
It’s back-to-school season, and I know you are gearing up for another awesome year, so I wanted to give you a little push and a little inspiration on tackling art this year. There are so many ways to teach art to your students, and I’d love to help find your creativity in any way I can (so feel free to reach out if every you feel like you’re in a slump!).
I know how busy you are with planning your school year and putting the finishing touches on your classroom, so for now, here are five ideas for new ways to bring art into your classroom.
1. New medium
Is there a medium that you didn’t get the chance to use last year, but you’ve really been wanting to give it a go? Now’s your chance! Cross off a bucket-list lesson and spring for a new medium. Or pop into your local art store and browse the aisles until something strikes your fancy. The possibilities are endless! Think about the brilliant colors of oil pastels, modeling clay, seeds, beans, paint swatches (from the local hardware store), and even “found” items like recycled cardboard, magazines, or plastics.
2. New Art Projects
More than likely, you’re going to start the year by teaching the Great Lessons. And, chances are, you’re going to have a stack of story books that you’ll use and share with your students. So why not look to those books for inspiration? You can highlight the artist’s illustrations or just pull ideas or scenes from the book and make that into an art project. Try extending this idea and move past the story books and into different subjects. For example, if you’re studying the cosmos, create an art project based on that topic.
Over the summer I shared the the book “Hole in the Bottom of the Sea” with kids in my art camp. It shows sealife like jellyfish, crabs, sharks, and seaweed, in a really fun, colorful way. Once we were done reading the book, we made fun painted crafts and created sharks out of up-cycled paper rolls. We also did fish sponge stamps, paper plate jellyfish, crab stamps, and fish-shaped water paintings complete with googly eyes. This one book provided so much inspiration, and it was easy for the kids to make connections to what they had learned about the ocean.
If you’re ever stuck for ideas, Pinterest can be a huge life saver. Just log on, type in the theme or topic you have in mind, add “art project” or “craft” to your search, and you’ll instantly have hundreds of options to choose from! Likewise, your peers and fellow teachers can be a great resource in helping you come up with new art projects this school year. (Follow my Pinterest Boards here)
3. Ask Parents to Help Out
There are two ways parents can really help with art in your classroom, the first is by providing a few of the supplies. At the beginning of the school year, send out a supply list request and ask parents to contribute or donate what they can. You can create a specific wish list or let parents give the supplies they find the most interesting. Most parents understand that art supplies can be expensive and will be willing to help out.
The other way parents can inspire your art lessons is by through volunteering and teaching an art project themselves. So many teachers have shared with me that they’ve invited parents to teach an art project based on their heritage or culture, and it’s always a big hit with students. For instance, I saw one parent come into a classroom and show the kids how to create tinfoil art; the parent presented the entire lesson and the teacher and aides helped the students put it into action.
4. Start Off with an Inspiration Gallery
I’d encourage you to find a spot in your classroom to specifically highlight visual art. You can post students’ artwork or pull together items and pieces that inspire you. A focal point like this not only supports art literacy, but having a place where students can see other artwork will actually inspire them to come up with some really amazing ideas of their own. It might even lead to some inspiration for a few projects for you!
5. Let the Art Shelf Do Its Job
If you haven’t already set up an art shelf in your classroom, this year is the year to do it! I just posted a blog on art shelf essentials. When your art shelf is stocked and all the art supplies are visible and within reach, students can have at it whenever inspiration strikes.
There you have it! I just wanted to give you a few quick tips to help you approach art with a fresh perspective this year. If you’re still stumped for ideas, check out my book “Introducing Visual Arts to the Montessori Classroom;” in it, I list out tons of ideas (organized by theme and subject), so that can serve as inspiration when you need it as well. And if you haven’t already, sign up for my newsletter—every month I’ll be sharing an awesome, really-detailed art lesson specific to the Montessori classroom.
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