Secondary school art lessons

[Helsbells]

As a trainee art teacher I would really love to know what youwould all like to see your kids being taught in secondary school art lessons?

[snapdragon]

Fibre craft dyeing and weaving (or felting) home grown wool that could be made into useful stuff, felted into 'sculpted' shapes or as wall hanging art



ahem - have to admit to a little partiality here

[Annpan]

ooh felting, what a great idea.

We got to do a few crafty things at school and I always liked them best, though the classes were badly led and you felt like you were getting criticised when work was getting marked (it wasn't an exam) I don't think art should be about grades.

We made clay pots and masks??? but now I think of it a mug would have made much more sense, and I might still have it today, instead of the pieces of tat that I made.

What about t-shirt design, using bands as inspiration... lots of saftey pins and black, silver and red paints I think, you could include screen printing.

Photography, you could cover the effects of composition, light and shadow, subject matter, colour v black and white. Doubt that it would make much sense to do developing as its a bit outdated now, huh.

I am sure I'll think of more later

[baldowrie]

annpan

I don't think art should be about grades.

absolutely, and many other subjects ditto. I also disagree with appraisals as they are usually just personal opinions and if the appraiser doesn't like you..........

The high school my children are due to go to next year are doing things like hats and baskets.

[Wombat]

Spinning and weaving! What about real pottery, ie win the clay, refine it, mould it, then low tech fire it.

Just a few thoughts

Nev

[ina]

The only thing I remember with pleasure from my secondary school days was a project designing and building (a model from cardboard!) a house. I designed a ten-sided building for communal living... And a whole landscaped area in which several of these buildings were arranged around a communal green space. Those were the days!

[Helsbells]

Thanks everyone for your ideas,
I think felt making would be really good. I thing that I really believe about art (and this is where it gets quite deep n meaningful) is that children should be taught to make meaning in their work and to have their own ideas. They dont get to do that much in school, its mostly about producing something that has an expected outcome.

[Masco&Bongo]

I remember having to design and make a piece of children's clothing in my design class...

We were given access to various basic clothing patterns. I made a waistcoat and trousers for a little boy, with an appliqued F1 racing car on them... I thought they were rather smart!

Stuff with clay would also be good, and useful.

As a rule I hated Art, as I was rubbish at drawing, which was mainly what we had to do...

[Helsbells]

Thats such a shame that you hated art, drawing is such a small aspect of it.
Your right, clay work is good, but of course with the time limitations (single lessons are only 50 mins) and the fact that there are 30 kids in the class, this is sometimes tricky.

[the.fee.fairy]

I did batik in art - i don't know if 9ball was in my class.
It was supposed to be an african mask, but it came out looking like the turin shroud!!

I think interesting art is good - i can't draw that well, so i was never good at that bit, but i did like stuff like ceramics, and batik and interesting art.

[9ball]

Don't think we were in the same art class fee, I don't recall doing batik at HRS anyway. I did some at Thaxted though, and remember it being rather fun!

[Shirley]

I thing that I really believe about art (and this is where it gets quite deep n meaningful) is that children should be taught to make meaning in their work and to have their own ideas. They dont get to do that much in school, its mostly about producing something that has an expected outcome.

I think you are going to make a blooming good art teacher!!! I HATED art at school because we were expected to produce something that our teacher liked.... our teacher didn't like ANYTHING I made so I thought I was carp at art.... I probably am.... but it culled my creative side for a good long while. I'm now beginning to experiment and finding that other people like stuff that I've created too.

[Helsbells]

Shirlz, thanks so much! I hope I do make a good art teacher, I feel so sad when I hear people saying they hated art at school, I am sure that it is because kids are not given enough freedom to find out what they are good at. We are all creative in some way, its intrinsic to our human nature. School does tend to cull many childrens creative side because they learn to believe that if they are no good at drawing then they are no good at art, but this is so untrue. I really hope I can get all kids excited about art, and have them reslise that they are all good at art in some way.

[cir3ngirl]

I do the art/craft/cooking at youth club. Last week I ran a best decorated loo roll competition. I always keep my eye on www.uniquescrapstore.com for bits and bobs to junk model with.

[Helsbells]

Wow that website is brilliant! There is so much wierd stuff that you would just not think of, concrete slabs!!
As for toilet rolls, probably not allowed to use them in school, health and safety hazard