Fieldnotes 2/22

Modern class with Ms B 9:00-11:45

Matisse cutout shapes

not much of a plan, plan to cut shapes out for/with students

Ms. B assumes that the project prob won't take the whole class time, wonders what we'll do when they finish. I suggest making a second piece?

The project: talk abt Matisse, look at two books with images of his cutouts. Ms B had drawn some examples of shapes on a paper (asks me to do the same before class starts) to give students ideas. Give them one large sheet of paper and two smaller ones. two smaller to be glued into the middle (as a background) wiht leftover border available to decorate later. (sketches)

As the kids glued the background rectangles, some were not perfect (sketches) Ms. B wanted them all to have a border, so we both went around helping them re-glue their pieces of paper. 

Then, cutting out shapes: provided a lot of different colored paper. When they needed help cutting specific shapes, we would help: sometimes fold paper with them, sometimes draw the shapes, sometimes cut it for them.

At some point, we both began cutting out new and different shapes outselves, offering them out to kids. "who wants a leaf?" "who wants a spiral?"

I was a bit uncomfortable doing this much in terms of cutting out shapes from my own head and just giving them to the kids. 

All of the students finished their pieces and made beautiful works. In spite of having many similar shapes (cut by the two of us), each of the pieces were still unique to each students : colors, # of shapes, overlapping, coming off the page, etc. 

While they worked: somehow we started making masks (I think someone made one accidentally by cutting holes out of a paper) and then everyone wanted a mask, so we started helping to make them, too.

Snack and story time

then went to the center's gallery to see the show. kids were hyper, excited, Ms. B told them a few times to remember not to run in gallery

Gallery: a few immediately stood by their favorite pieces. Then we played "I spy". One kid at a time. They were a bit loud and crazy, zooming around the gallery in groups, hinding behind wall, etc.

Eventually, went back to classroom, they didn't really calm down. 

We finished masks and paper cut-out pieces (laid over with laminate sheets) This was more difficult than expected. We had to do it for them while they sat there. only two at a time.

Then they were really wild: masks on, nothing left to do but wait for parents. They buzzed around like bees in the classroom (and the adjoining larger, empty classroom) occasionaly coming back to sting me over and over again (I only managed to get them to stop by stinging them back) stinging = poking

This class is a lot of fun, is less structured and often we have excess time at the end. Today Ms. B even acknowledged that there might be time left over. Even with improvising after the planned activity was completed (the masks) there was still a lot of time left over. After noticing that this seems to be a common occurrence, I wonder why Ms. B hasn't made adjustments or additions to her rough plans.