We know that art can be therapeutic for our students. When I do S.E.L. lessons like this I make sure my guidance department is aware. Sometimes lessons like these will illuminate struggles students are facing. This presents an opportunity for guidance to intervene and get the assistance a child needs to thrive and cope.
 
This lesson begins with some writing. I ask students to list 5 life events that have shaped them into the person they are today. Events can be both positive or negative. I make it clear they only share what they are comfortable with, and they may be vague in their writing so as to keep their personal information private. As an example, I share 5 of my own:
 
1. I was praised early on for my art and that helped build my self esteem.
2. As a teenager I had some struggles but art helped me get through them.
3. I have traveled internationally and it opened my eyes to the world.
4. My father died, and I was there to say goodbye.
5. I continue to grow and have shared my knowledge through books I write.
 
Note that number 2 is intentionally vague. I know the specifics of my struggles, but it is not necessary for anyone else to know the details of that struggle. If a student wrote something similar, you could ask, "is this something that is still going on, or have you moved past it?" If you suspect a student may be going through a difficult situation like suicide, abuse, neglect, etc., legally you are mandated to report that information to your school's guidance person, or the designated school resource person. You are not certified or authorized to dig deeper and investigate, but to report.
 
If a student shares disturbing information, don't stop them from sharing, but listen carefully, and later share that information with the authorized person to get that student the resources they need. Do not promise to keep a secret. You can lose your certification or worse if you do not report it. Thankfully this is rare, but you should be aware of this, and it can happen at any time, not just S.E.L. based lessons.
 
As students write their lists, perhaps on a hand-out you create, it can be helpful to offer some suggestions like these:
 
•First time to riding a bike
•Changing schools
•An adult who was a good mentor
•Meeting or seeing someone famous
•First time hunting, fishing, swimming, boating...
•The time you won an award
•Finding out someone lied to you
•First time you went to a funeral
•Birth of a new family member
•First job, or interview, or first firing
•Your first paycheck or first time to be paid
•A travel experience, vacation, cruise, moving to a new place...
•A time you saved someone’s life or someone saved yours
•First time you were tempted to do something wrong

​This is when I introduce students to the book, "The Emotional Color Wheel." It helps students understand that colors and shapes can be used to express feelings. I have a video presentation on it here: bit.ly/ECWheel and more resources here: artedguru.com/home/abstract-expressionism

​This allows students to code their information and protect their privacy and still express experiences through art. It is also a great way to tie into Abstract Expressionism with students. You can share work by DeKooning, Rothko, Pollock, and more and have students talk or write about what they think the artist may be expressing through their art with this new information.
 
I have students sketch a color and shape combination for each of their 5 events, and I have an example I made with my own events. They usually do it on the same paper hand-out for writing and on the back. As they work I ask questions like, "I see red, is that a painful experience?" or,  "I see yellow circles, is that a happy event?" This helps them share, to stay focused, and for me to check for understanding. I remind them often, we must avoid symbols like hearts, or smiles, and we need to work like artists do on a purely symbolic level. We're making art with secret codes! They seem to like that idea.
 
After sketching shapes, I speak about how life is a journey. Sometimes the path is straight, maybe there are some bumps in the road, and other times the road might shatter. We will make our own path from the left to the right on drawing paper that I have pre-marked with starting and ending points. Personally I like to do 2 versions. We do one on thin drawing paper (12x28 inches) as a sketch, then again on final watercolor paper of the same size with the same starting and ending points. (See the example below on how I mark the papers.)

​I let them know that events do not have to be in order, and they can play with their path. The only requirements are that it has to be horizontal and connect to the dots I created for them. This is so that when the work is displayed, all the individual images line up. We have our own "paths" or journeys, but we are connected through our community.
 
I did offer suggestions to students on how they could exceed expectations (and stay on task):
•Make the path interact with their shapes
•Overlap the path and shapes
•Add textures and patterns to the shapes and background
•Show me more than 3 watercolor techniques
•Create the illusion of shadows within your image
 
Though this was a watercolor project for my students, this can be done in any media you have available. After my students completed their drawings on final paper, I took 30 minutes to do a mini-watercolor boot camp where we did 9 different watercolor techniques on paper marked with a tik-tak-toe grid (9 squares) I told them that they had to show at least 3 different techniques in their final project, but they could do more.
 
At the end, students put their names on the back of their work and completed an index card to explain their artwork for our display. Take the time to read these carefully, and ask clarifying questions if you see something curious. I had one student write that they had "dark thoughts" about something, but it turned out it was about a friend that lied about them, and not suicide. However, when in doubt, refer to your designated school resource person.
 
This was a very powerful lesson, and I know my students really appreciated being able to work this way and express their feelings. The display really had an impact on the school and our community in positive ways.

​If you're looking for a crafty diversion between large units in art class, these might just be the perfect menu item! I have successfully made these with my students ages 7 through 18, and everyone of them loved it! They are sort of the simple version of a stuffed animal, and you have many options on how to build these.

I begin with a short video about Claes Oldenburg, and we talk a bit about pop art. I like how he says he was making high art with low materials. What's lower than recycled materials? This explorations offers the potential for exploring many areas like this.

SUPPLIES: The main items you'll need are shirts, sweaters, socks, and/or sweatpants made from stretchy fabric. Think of tubes of fabric. The thicker the better! I got some from our local thrift store, but many students brought in items earning a few extra bonus points.

Other than that, you can use what you have on hand. This is when I pull out old and left over craft supplies and encourage students to bring in some if they'd like to.

• Yarn
• String or ribbon
• Beads
• Buttons
• Seashells
• Any embellishments at all
• Stuffing: Fabric scraps, old pillow stuffing, plastic shopping bags
• Craft (popsicle) sticks for hot gluing safety (optional)
• Sewing supplies of you wish.

As for adhesives, most of the samples I show here were held together with hot glue. If you have a class where you'd like to include sewing, that's a great option too! There are certainly fabric glues and modeling cements that will work as well.

The first step is to cut off a sleeve or toe of a sock, turn it inside-out, and roll it up so the "nice side" shows. As you roll you stuff it with fabric scraps, plastic shopping bags, or old pillow stuffing. Pull it tight so that the doughnut is a full as possible. The end is secured with hot glue (we use popsicle sticks to press down and avoid burns). I find having a place mat of parchment baking paper is helpful for catching stray hot glue.

Other fabric or felt can be used to make "icing" for the top of the doughnut. I have students use chalk to trace around the doughnut and to mark the center of the doughnut. I have them draw a drippy outline on the outer circumference of their circle/icing. Optimally this should overlap the ring a bit so the drips conform to the shape of the doughnut better. (See sample below)  If you cut outside the ring only, it didn't look as good and was harder to press to the form. With scissors we cut the center out, and drippy icing edges. It should be placed on top of the doughnut to check for size and if the edges wrap nicely. (Once glued, it's too late to change.)

Turn the icing over and attach to the doughnut so it hides the chalk lines. If you use hot glue, glue the center first and wait. Then glue a bit of the outside drips at a time. If you do too many at once, the glue cools too fast. I tell students to use a craft stick to press down on the fabric to avoid burns. 

After this, the tops can be decorated in any way the students like. I have my students braid a drizzle from our yarn collection, or to use some of my macrame cord. Ribbon will work too. They add on beads, shells, and other embellishments for "sprinkles." We add our names to the bottoms with masking tape, and display them in doughnut boxes I get donated from the local bakery. Some doughnut shops may even offer you some coupons to give to students as "prizes." This can be a fun motivator.

This has always a big hit for all my age groups, and does not "eat" up a lot of time. 

There are two main reasons I think student artwork may end up in the trash and both have solutions!
 
Reason #1. There may be a culture among students that art isn't "cool." Perhaps they don't really understand how important art is, and THIS blog post can help with that. If staff belittles art, they might need to be educated as well, and THIS blog post will help you with that.
 
Solutions:
A: Take some time to review the importance of art education. Explain the benefits, and how art teaches us to solve problems in a way no other class does.
B: Create a parent email list, and when a project is complete, send a bulk notification of how proud you are of your student's work and hope that the parents can post their artwork in a space of honor, be that the refrigerator or elsewhere. Share your excitement with students about their artwork  and let them know an email went home to every parent and mom/dad are excited to see it too.
C: Offer an extra point for the first 5 students who's parents email you a photo of their mom/dad holding their artwork at home. You can make this even easier if you have a place for students to upload images, like a Google doc.
D: Artwork found in the trash gets 10 points deducted from the grade. I have used this on a couple occasions in my 30 years. Or I joke that the art room is the birthplace of art, not the morgue. (Personally I prefer positive reinforcement, but this may be a consequence in difficult situations)
 
Reason #2. The lessons or explorations are not tied to student interests so they don't have a reason to "care" about their work. A symptom of such lessons are those were every student needs a name on the project to identify their own work because the images are so very similar. We have all seen hallways lined with Monet Bridges... THIS video will explain why this approach, at all levels, is pedagogically unsound and offers some alternatives too.
 
Solutions:
A: Open the class with a survey of student interests, and base some of your lessons on these ideas.
B: Create lessons that offer the opportunity for individual interpretation. My blog features ONLY these kinds of lessons. Some are more "controlled," while others are more free-form.
C: If most of your lessons are convergent (All end up with the same or similar thing) try adding in just one lesson that allows for more individual choice like those on my blog. TAB (Teaching artistic behavior) is another approach but takes many years to do well. HERE is how I design choice-based lessons. Start with one and add more lessons as you become comfortable with that style of teaching.
D: Join an art teacher's Facebook group, and ask for ideas for engaging lessons for your particular age group. My private group is HERE, but you'll have to answer 3 questions to be approved in. (It is only for Certified Art Teachers)

If you need teaching resources, see all my books HERE.
THIS book offers simple choice-based lessons for grades K-12.
(The economy black and white version is HERE.)