I hate when they want to draw

[Southern Ivy]

Some coworkers and I were saying how much our class likes to read and how we enjoy "Snuggle In and Read" day (which is this coming Friday) and another teacher stated that her class doesn't like to read. They only like to draw. Then, she says "I hate that. They always want to draw. I can't stand that, so I don't let them." 

I don't know. It just really rubbed me the wrong way. I completely understand that she wants her kids to like reading. It's beneficial to them to read. However, from my perspective, drawing is also beneficial. It allows creativity to flow, allows them to collaborate with each other and they're proud of their work.
So, yes, I give my kids time for free draw if we have a few minutes. Heck, I still doodle and draw or do crafts. 

I feel like we push the arts away at this school and just focus on tests; so if I can incorporate the things that I remember the most from my education, I try. Am I just completely out of touch? 

Hope this makes sense. 

[OneStepAtATime]

I won't go into a rant but I will say that allowing my child to draw was a big part of what unlocked her ability to take her learning to another level, to make sense of it all.  You are not out of touch.  The other woman is.  There is so much to be learned and experienced when children are allowed to express themselves in many different ways.   I won't go any further regarding my reaction to this.  Suffice it to say I commend you for being more open minded.

[Southern Ivy]

Well, now that I'm thinking about it, her classroom and my classroom are complete opposites. Mine looks like it stepped out of Pinterest. Her's is completely sterile. She hates coming into my room because it's too busy (it's not - everyone else loves it) and I can't stand going into hers because it's so uninviting. 
Guess it makes sense that we see things so differently in regards to drawing/art.

I love your experience with this. Thanks for the input, OneStepAtATime. 
It makes me sad that we only allow them 1 hour a week to express themselves through art - and then it's usually an assignment, though she does try to allow them creative expression. We barely have time to do a fun, non-educational holiday craft. (Actually, we always throw some writing prompt with it so we can call it educational and not get in trouble.  :huh: )

[Farrar]

Ugh! What a horrible attitude! I get that teachers will always have different takes on what's important and things they're better at, but that's just rotten. She's just fostering resentment.

[maize]

That is so sad :(

 

Drawing is an amazing free form creativity outlet, I have kids who draw for many hours each week. Our walls are plastered with drawings they call their "art gallery"--dinosaurs, seascapes, monsters, airplanes, birds, flowers, mermaids... I don't have a scientific research based position to cite, but letting my kids draw and draw and draw feels right and good and worth the reams of paper that get used up in this household.

[Southern Ivy]

Ugh! What a horrible attitude! I get that teachers will always have different takes on what's important and things they're better at, but that's just rotten. She's just fostering resentment.

She's got a negative opinion about everyone and everything. It's becoming a joke with us now - what's she going to gripe about today. *eye roll*

[Btervet]

That is horrible. Why would someone choose to teach kids if that is their attitude? 

 

Drawing is just SO SO important. It's fun and creative and helps so many kids (and adults!) process things.

[Southern Ivy]

Hmm. Apparently our principal feels the same negativity about drawing. I mentioned this to another coworker and she said she was reprimanded for allowing the students to draw. She was told they needed to be doing something academic after their tests instead of drawing.  :scared:  :sad:  :cursing: 

Just need to make it 2 more years...just two more years...just two more years....

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, now that I'm thinking about it, her classroom and my classroom are complete opposites. Mine looks like it stepped out of Pinterest. Her's is completely sterile. She hates coming into my room because it's too busy (it's not - everyone else loves it) and I can't stand going into hers because it's so uninviting. 

Guess it makes sense that we see things so differently in regards to drawing/art.

 

I love your experience with this. Thanks for the input, OneStepAtATime. 

It makes me sad that we only allow them 1 hour a week to express themselves through art - and then it's usually an assignment, though she does try to allow them creative expression. We barely have time to do a fun, non-educational holiday craft. (Actually, we always throw some writing prompt with it so we can call it educational and not get in trouble.  :huh: )

I guess I will add something.  

 

First, hugs to you as a teacher for questioning and examining this.  It is nice to know that some have not been completely brainwashed.  Sadly, I was brainwashed.  So are a lot of my family who are teachers.  So was my mother (a teacher) for many years.  

 

The very narrow view of what "education" is that is being promoted as the only way to learn in our ps system (and most private schools) is doing a terrible disservice to our children and ourselves.  There are many, many ways to learn.  And a lot of those ways inspire a true desire to learn on the part of the child.  Not dread.  Not frustration.  Not boredom.  Real excitement.  The desire to know more and dig deeper.  Holiday crafting, for instance, can be just as educational and potentially more inspiring than many other activities I have seen assigned as "educational".  It depends on the child and the assignment.  But our educational system frequently does not recognize that.  In fact, for some children the narrow, rigid approach to education that is frequently promoted is honestly, IMHO, killing all love of learning, completely and without mercy.

 

Second, cheers to you for making your classroom inviting and interesting and hopefully inspiring to children.  And good luck with all future endeavors to inspire learning. 

 

Best wishes...

[Dmmetler]

 

Obviously, I don't share that philosophy-here's one of DD's math problems from today!

[Southern Ivy]

for some children the narrow, rigid approach to education that is frequently promoted is honestly, IMHO, killing all love of learning, completely and without mercy.

 

This is one of the main reasons why I am coming to hate teaching in the ps system. This is also the main reason why I don't want my daughter in these schools. 

 

 

**And since I'm talking about teaching and school, I am on my breaks when I comment on here. lol Don't want anyone to think I'm shirking my responsibilities! 

[Harriet Vane]

Hmm. Apparently our principal feels the same negativity about drawing. I mentioned this to another coworker and she said she was reprimanded for allowing the students to draw. She was told they needed to be doing something academic after their tests instead of drawing.  :scared:  :sad:  :cursing: 

 

Just need to make it 2 more years...just two more years...just two more years....

 

There is a way to handle this.

 

First, call it fine motor skill development.

 

Second, assign the kids to draw something related to their social studies or science lessons. Were they studying mammals? Then they can draw anything related to mammals.

 

Yes, it restricts them with an assignment (it's not free drawing). However, it's better than never drawing. It's also better than having to do a tedious worksheet after the pressure of a test.

[Tsuga]

Just when they finish the rocket phase... snakes. LOL!

 

 

(How did she measure the snakes' shadows? Did she like, hold them in front of a lamp? I'm very curious. My kids would like this project.)

 

 

 

Obviously, I don't share that philosophy-here's one of DD's math problems from today!

 

[Southern Ivy]

There is a way to handle this.

 

First, call it fine motor skill development.

 

Second, assign the kids to draw something related to their social studies or science lessons. Were they studying mammals? Then they can draw anything related to mammals.

 

Yes, it restricts them with an assignment (it's not free drawing). However, it's better than never drawing. It's also better than having to do a tedious worksheet after the pressure of a test.

I was thinking about something like this. However, if it's not the principal's idea, it's a no-go. BUT, we get a new principal next year. Let's hope they're more reasonable. 

 

I will probably try to start having them write and draw a story for me after tests. If I have them doing that with writing, that should appease her. 

[Dmmetler]

The height of flagpole and of both people (which she turned into snakes) and the 4 foot person's shadow length at 1:00 PM were given. She had to find the rest. It's an old Mandelbrot competition problem.

 

I do suspect she'll be measuring shadow lengths on her real snakes later, though. Which then leads to some questions, because a snake's official length doesn't count the tail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lara in Colo]

My children draw/paint/make paper things while I read aloud to them-- they listen to the story better.   Plus -- 2 birds--1 stone

 

[RootAnn]

My children draw/paint/make paper things while I read aloud to them-- they listen to the story better.   Plus -- 2 birds--1 stone

 

Ditto this. A couple of my kids can frequently be caught drawing while listening to me read .. whether for fun or for school. Dd#2, Ds#1 & Ds#2 will draw/color during any subject that I let them do so. I also frequently find drawings on spelling & Latin pages... Science output for dd#2 this year involves drawings & narrations from animal books. She takes the drawings to an extreme while adhering very loosely to the 'narration' part.

[merry gardens]

If this teacher wants to encourage reading she could let them children to draw something relating to what they're listening to as she reads a book out loud. She can call it "illustrating" since she doesn't like drawing.

[Ausmumof3]

If my kids want to draw and I have academic stuff to get through I'd grab the days read aloud and read to them while they were drawing... Easy.

[El...]

I will say... the first day you posted this, I had just said something to DD about "not time to make a bunch of art" as she was putting little people all over the edges of her completed math paper.  I don't mind the drawing, but she can make a thing take 48 times as long as usual if she decorates it ALL! 

 

I do set papers aside for her to decorate later, if she wants to do it when the work is done.  She hates in when school takes up too much of her day, so how to balance the need to decorate and the need to get it done, I don't know. 

 

I love the snakes as math.  Hmmmm.  I'm rethinking.  DD is a lot more creative by nature than I am.  She does something with the craft stuff almost every afternoon.

[ErinE]

Hmm. Apparently our principal feels the same negativity about drawing. I mentioned this to another coworker and she said she was reprimanded for allowing the students to draw. She was told they needed to be doing something academic after their tests instead of drawing.  :scared:  :sad:  :cursing: 

 

Just need to make it 2 more years...just two more years...just two more years....

 

All work and no play, make Jack and Jill dull children.

 

This is so sad. I can't understand this attitude. Do they not have children?

[Beaniemom]

There is even a book called "Talking, Drawing, Writing" that looks at Drawing as part of the writing process and a way to connect students with aspects of writing such as story order.

[lots of little ducklings]

There is even a book called "Talking, Drawing, Writing" that looks at Drawing as part of the writing process and a way to connect students with aspects of writing such as story order.

 

 

:iagree: I'll have to track this down and read it.  

 

My own experience strongly confirms the same.  Drawing (incessantly!) for the last two years has been extremely instrumental in helping my ds7 overcome his fine motor challenges.  (He despised writing until very recently.) And it has fostered his imagination, creativity, and story-telling skills in tremendous ways.  The last 2 months have been fun, as his writing is suddenly (finally) taking off and all the cool stuff in his brain is now finding its way into the written word.

[Beaniemom]

Now that I am home I can add a link to the book I mentioned above:

http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Drawing-Writing-Lessons-Youngest/dp/1571104569

 

I attended a few presentations based on this book and the use of drawing to develop writing skills especially in struggling or reluctant writers made a lot of sense to me. One thing I remember was using comic panels as a way to illustrate the story sequence.

[Southern Ivy]

All work and no play, make Jack and Jill dull children.

 

This is so sad. I can't understand this attitude. Do they not have children?

Oh, they have children (principal and teacher). The teacher's son just plays video games all the time, so yeah. Not going to say anymore. lol 

 

 

 

elroisees

I will say... the first day you posted this, I had just said something to DD about "not time to make a bunch of art" as she was putting little people all over the edges of her completed math paper.  I don't mind the drawing, but she can make a thing take 48 times as long as usual if she decorates it ALL! 

 

I do set papers aside for her to decorate later, if she wants to do it when the work is done.  She hates in when school takes up too much of her day, so how to balance the need to decorate and the need to get it done, I don't know. 

 

I love the snakes as math.  Hmmmm.  I'm rethinking.  DD is a lot more creative by nature than I am.  She does something with the craft stuff almost every afternoon.

Yeah, if they were drawing instead of doing their work, I could see that. I don't know about her kids. My kids doodle and draw, but know when it's time to work, they work. Most of their drawing is during a transition, 5-6 minutes of down time, or when they're waiting on everyone else to finish a test. 

 

That's a big part of my disconnect with this other teacher. As I mentioned in reference to my classroom - mine is colorful and super cute. Hers is sterile, sterile, sterile. 

I used to create elaborate books and illustrate them as early as 2nd grade. I totally get their need to draw and express. She has never been interested in the arts. 

 

Beaniemom, I'm going to check out that book. Thanks so much! If anything, I'll use it for my own daughter!

[lots of little ducklings]

Now that I am home I can add a link to the book I mentioned above:

http://www.amazon.com/Talking-Drawing-Writing-Lessons-Youngest/dp/1571104569

 

I attended a few presentations based on this book and the use of drawing to develop writing skills especially in struggling or reluctant writers made a lot of sense to me. One thing I remember was using comic panels as a way to illustrate the story sequence.

 

 

Thanks!

[Tsuga]

The height of flagpole and of both people (which she turned into snakes) and the 4 foot person's shadow length at 1:00 PM were given. She had to find the rest. It's an old Mandelbrot competition problem.

 

I do suspect she'll be measuring shadow lengths on her real snakes later, though. Which then leads to some questions, because a snake's official length doesn't count the tail.

 

Ahhhh, yes okay. I am familiar with that problem but the snakes threw me for a loop.