A lesson in empathy & social emotional learning
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 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
Click image to see the book on Amazon
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 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.
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.
RSS Feed