Middleton Musings: Fingerprint Art

My first meeting with my Art class... I arrived a little early to figure out where I would be setting up, who was in the class, and get myself ready. My boss had left me message saying I had about 12 kids in the class, and based on that, I bought 4 inkpad sets (ones that have about 10 colors included) for the children to use. I figured a few more might come in late, but since the class was limited to 20, we could make it stretch if we needed to. Aaahhh, the best laid plans...fast forward to 25 students, with more parents showing up at school trying to enroll their kiddos into the class.

I panicked. I did. I'm not proud of it, either. The grade K-2 kids aren't exactly known for their ability to share easily. I had three tables set up, 8 kids per table... and 4 ink pads. You'll notice the math doesn't really divide out nicely here. A few of the students did not show up, but the ones who came in last moment more than made up for the empty spaces... I was frantically trying to get extra chairs, write out names for their projects, and direct students. I kept thinking, "I am not prepared for this many kids, I am not prepared..." Aaaack! My boss and the principal both came in and wrote names and handed out papers as I worked to get the students focused on the task.

And we made it work. This is a fun project to start the year off, and it is easy for kids to get moving with their own ideas. I had copied off a few pages in black and white for the kids to look at, to spur their imaginations, and they were able to look at my sample as well. We ended up making some fun images, sharing supplies, and being reminded to say please and thank you. They completed the project, and most of them even made some smaller versions to take home. They cleaned up, grabbed their backpacks, and waited for parents to pick them up. The hour flew by, especially once they were settled into their project.

Phew! I have a better feel for what I'll be dealing with next week. Think I will need to get a few more supplies. In checking in with my boss and the principal, they were suggesting that I have a volunteer from the PSO to come in and help with handing out supplies and whatever else I might need. Which would be great. Although once we got started, the kids were pretty good about handing and passing supplies. But another pair of adult hands - and eyes - sure wouldn't hurt.

What I learned: You definitely need to have enough inkpad sets for about every 4 children. Reminding them to use their sponges to clean their finger before switching colors is helpful, but don't expect that they will all remember that every time. Reviewing the "only 1 finger" rule was VITAL! I maintain this is a good first project, but accurate info on who is in the class is crucial for the prep. Adding 1 or 2 names is one thing... 7 is quite another. If I plan on taking pictures while they are working, I had best get my camera OUT. Have all one color Sharpie... or they will argue for the brown one instead of the black one.

I am excited for the rest of the year, and looking forward to what they will produce.