As I work with my students each day, it is easy to tell that almost everything in their lives has some sort of restriction. In art, the more guidelines I give them the less I see originality and creativity. When I give them rules for their art they tend to bring me exactly what I am asking for. When given only a few parameters for their art, at first there is a sense of confusion. Once they figure out that I will not tell them what to do, they explore. It is amazing how hard it is to let the kids explore. The control freak inside wants to say NO! Everyday is a struggle, but when a student comes up to me with an idea I must say yes, in order to watch their creativity glow.
This idea goes along with my "a kid is a kid" policy. We make kids grow up so fast. This is a chance for them to make a mess and play. The learning takes place during trial and error. What works? What doesn't work? As a first year teacher, I am experiencing some of the same challenges as the kids. If someone were to restrict my environment, would I be using my full potential as an educator?
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