Safe Havens II

As I have mentioned before in this blog, SchoolArts Magazine doesn't always have space to run every image for an article that is published. Since our space online is unlimited, I am sharing more images from middle school teacher Stacy Lord's December article, "Safe Havens."

Safe Havens

I teach in an inner city middle school where our mobility rate hovers just below a quarter and our free and reduced lunch percentage has peaked as high as 98%. What we consider as basic needs, food, and housing becomes a daily struggle for many of our students.  In fact, my classroom, like many others, is set up to create a safe place in which our students can explore, create, and collaborate.

Inspiration from a Student

This project came about after watching one of my students construct a “house’” out of craft sticks during some free time in my room.  My room has several different centers set up. On a particular day last year, one of my quieter students walked over to the building center and proceeded to create something out of craft sticks. Hunched over and very focused, day after day, he worked on his creation for a week.

When he was done, he had made what looked to me like a shack with a room attached to it.  The details were exquisite.  I opened the door to the room to peer inside and soon realized that it was a bathroom.  There was a little figure sitting in there.  “Is that you?” I asked.  “Yes,” was all he replied.  “It looks like it’s a concession stand of some sort?  Maybe from a beach?” I tried again. “It is. It’s the concession stand at Jack Berry ball field.”  “Did you play ball there?” “No, I would hide in there to get away from my house.”

Talk about personal expression and the power of art! The one thing I try exceptionally hard to do is to find relevance in the projects I have my students do.  I want my students to create meaningful work that builds upon their divergent and convergent thinking abilities, makes connections to the real world, and fosters the use of personal expression.  Many of my projects are like this one, focusing on the process of creating rather than the end result.  All these factors came into play when I constructed this project, aptly entitled “Safe Havens.”

Setting up the Process

Essential questions are at the heart of all my projects as I believe that good questions really stimulate thought, provoke inquiry, and encourage students to ask more questions that will guide them in their artwork. For this project I proposed “What does being safe mean to you?  What is a sense of safety?  Are you safe at school?  Safe in your thoughts?  Safe when you’re online? Safe in your lives?  Safe in your house?”

I next have students use graphic organizers to write down their thoughts. This initiates a more significant response from my students that translates into works with much deeper meanings.  As my students write down their thoughts I encourage them to create thumbnail sketches alongside them.

Then I ask students to look back at their graphic organizers and ask: “What if you had to create a place, a structure which would show that safety zone?  What would it look like? Smell like? What colors would you use?  Would it have windows or doors?  Would it look like a house? Or maybe it might look more like a cave or a box?”  Once the students have their ideas and thoughts taking form, they are ready to start building.

Construction Details

I provide each student with a tray of craft sticks that includes one glue stick.  I replenish the craft sticks when I see a tray getting low and students know to ask me for another glue stick when needed. I recommend investing in a few pairs of Fiskars utility cutters or their equivalent as they cut the craft sticks rather nicely without splintering the wood. I have accumulated enough for one pair for every three students to share.  

Once I explain the proper use of the materials I demonstrate how to use the glue gun. Then we discuss some of the different ways students can build their structures.  We look at and analyze some previous pieces my students have made and I ask:” How was the base started? Which way are the crafts sticks lying down?  Can you tell how they joined them?  Where they put the glue?  Would you want walls that look like this, log cabin style or more like a fence?”

Assessment

When the structures are completed, each student writes an artist statement of a reflective paragraph that explains the meaning of their works.  These are usually written on index cards and placed with the structures. Next comes the critique.

I do this project with two classes simultaneously so that I can swap up the projects when it comes time to critiquing.  I find it is better to not have students critique their own work.  I spread the project out on the tables and have the students walk around looking at them, letting the discourse flow, gently guiding them as needed to keep them on track.   After several minutes I call them back and give five pieces of paper to each student.

With their five pieces of paper students now go to five structures that they found particularly interesting and leave a positive comment next to each one. When they have placed their five pieces of paper, they come back to me and take one more.  With this paper they have to find a piece that did not receive any or little feedback and leave a positive comment for it.  This way all pieces have feedback and no students feel left out. 

When all the students have finished we discuss each piece together.  Remember that these are not their own so the discourse is more open, thoughtful, and cathartic. This is a project my students love to do.  The level and depth of meaning the students come up with never ceases to amaze me. Enjoy!

Stacy Lord is an art teacher at Worcester East Middle School in Worcester, Massachusetts, and is on the advisory board of SchoolArts. lords@worc.k12.ma.us

Web Link

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