Fieldnotes 2/7

First Day

One of the classes I'm placed in at this art center is for two year olds and a parent or guardian. 

9:15 Arrive to get oriented/help set up. Ms. A gives me a little intro to how she sets up the class. 3 students (and 2 moms, 1 grandmother, so 6 altogether). Small for this session. Usually around 10 (or 20). 

She works in 15 minute intervals, progression of materials; if kids are focused, can be longer than 15 min. If restless, shorten the time.

Ms. A works through colors: Session 1 - black and white, 2 - white add blue, 3 - yellow and circle, TODAY 4 - Red and heart. TODAY: paint --> story (Shapes), cut and glue, model magic

Kids show up "preschool time": 9:25-9:45 (class is from 9:30-11)

9:30 S and mom B show up, we'll wait until 9:40 to start. Comes in and draws on paper that set out for her.

9:42 come to the floor. Ms. A asks S: what color did we work with last time?

B and Grandma E show up

play game on floor (to practice fine motor skills) pass pom-poms around using coffee spoons

first show shapes book (circle, square, oval, triangle, star, HEART (todays shape))

9:50 back to table to paint, S is SO excited (squealing), painting with Red, free-paint, watercolor brush or stubby brush (S and B both know the names of the brushes)

1st half of ten weeks: more PROCESS than PRODUCT, getting used to materials

B: lots of faces, her and Gma holding hands

S: stubby brush, try pouring cup of paint, when she was running low

9:55 show (demo) stamp, white heart on square of cardboard (sketch), paint heart using brush, press for THREE seconds on to folded square paper (sketch)

Ms. A works with S and mom B to make a stamp. S: eyes wide, mouth open AMAZING

Ms. A then goes to B

B and Gma E: E more helping; "use the Stubby brush, B__"    "that one's much better"   "that one turned out really good"

10:00 lets see what happens if we add another color WHITE, adds to S's cup of red, makes PINK, then to B (stir around, stir around) Where did the white go?

S and mom B: B notices things and encourages, excited by what she's done, makes suggestions

Big hearts, paint pink

S: "Here it cooomes!" pouring paint on heart shaped paper

mom B: "do you want to use your hands?" "you can use your hands"

S: pouring and brushing only on bottom of heart (sketch), Ms. A comes and turns the paper around (sketch) to get closer to other side (she cant reach)

10:07 practice cleaning up, pick up brush, put in new cup, wash up in sink

10:10 - snack time in the other room

10:23 story time, back to floor

Shapes, First Concepts, Lift-the flap. eating snacks while listening

S so excited, kicks feet against floor (heels) (sketch), red sparkly shoes

B keeps standing up to lift flaps, S's turn!

"Great job waiting and taking turns"

Everything we take for granted is so exciting for them. 

practice cutting, S squealing of excitement, Demo cutting strips of paper, scissors: how to hold, open close open close

10:33 Gma E and mom B help a lot with the cutting, red strips of paper

S: uses two hands to cut, mom B holds the paper

B, gma E helps her hold the scissors with one hand, E starts doing it for her, she says to B "hold my hand, help me", cutting foam.

Last piece - rectangle of pink paper, practice cutting, over and over, open and close

B starts ripping! another way to break

small spoons, stir up papers/foam in bowl

B: 2 yrs old, 2 pieces of red felt

S: 2 yrs old, 2 pieces of red felt

Ms. A shows how to sort papers (if they want) from bowl to plate, glue onto heart, w. magnet, remember from last time, dip pieces into glue then push onto heart (with magnet on back)

B sometimes says "help" to her gma, gets a little flustered, starting to get teary, frustrated, sticky hands from glue

10:50 Model Magic: big piece of white and little piece of red

Observing the different ways in which each child/adult pairing worked was incredibly interesting. 

S and mom B: B was extremely encouraging and supportive of S's excitement and creativity. She would occasionally make suggestions for alternative options, but always positively. Only when something not-so-good was going to happen would she step in. When S was painting on the table, B offered her a paper to paint on instead. B let S do her own thing. B often said "good job" to Summer. After learning not to use empty affirmations as an intern at a children's museum last summer, I've become really bothered when other say it.

B and gma E: E was a more active participant in B's art-making. When we started painting, she would draw the shapes (heart or circle) for Blake, who wold then fill in with :) and other additions. *Scissors.