Art/Life Lessons

I got a chance to visit the kids school last week.

An open house of sorts where you get to see what they do all day.

Let's start with "ART" class.

How so many artists came out of this country I will never know.

The teacher is about as happy as Deputy Dog.

As I sat next to another mom, I had a flash back to art appreciation in University except my class was better and sad to say much cheaper.

After the dullest explanation of Abstract art and Pierre Soulages I have ever witnessed she hands out black and white construction paper taped together.

At this point the mom next to me says,"OH, this IS art class!"

Yep.

Then the teacher hands out, one at a time, one black and one white chalk.

Then she tells them to draw abstract.

They sit there.

There was no examples shown of his work, apparently that was done last week, repetition I

suppose is overrated for a six year old. She did not turn and use the board to draw some simple lines and objects to "represent" a piece of abstract art.

To much effort maybe?

So with some probing they begin to draw and finished quickly.

At this point the kids in the front row are moving their chairs around. Yes, literally picking up

the chairs and moving them.

Jaylee is engaged in a conversation with a little boy and he is standing with his arms spread wide to further prove his point of whatever he is talking about.

The last row has two kids in it and both of their heads are resting on the table.

The teacher is saying "SHHHHHHH" holding up a picture that one of the students has completed and asking what the children "think it is".

They don't care.

I KNOW our countries are very different and I can appreciate that, but if you are a

teacher, use a tiny bit of effort and do your JOB! Who knows, with a bit of effort she may have found this:

Teachers ART Blog

Jaylee and I turned on J.S. Bach thanks to Grooveshark and she came up with this:

That would be a ballerina with lights shining down on her.

I also showed her this image of Pierre's:

Would it have been too hard to print a few of these and hang them on the board?

Trust me I have ranted to everyone possible and apparently the rule in France is, you can critique the lessons or content, just not the teacher.

Well, I'm used to getting the stink eye from people, what's one more from Deputy Dog the art teacher?

As for Aidan's class no worries, the other day he showed me that he has the basics of abstract down and he narrates as well,

"That uncle Greg, he BIG"

When Jaylee asked where she was he simply said, "GONE".I didn't get off much better. He asked me if I wanted him to draw me a house. I said sure. When he finished he showed it to me and said, "I drew Mommy sad".

I must have been thinking about art class or was it the English class where six year olds were singing Knick Knack Paddy Whack?

If you think this rant on Art Class is bad, wait till I get started on the English class.

Cheers.