Tips: To start, introduce the Elements of Art and Principles of Design with clear examples, showing how to find them in everyday surroundings—like the texture of a wall or contrasting patterns. I would also make sure to go through clearly the boundary expectations for the students to follow.

Tips:

For this lesson, you may want to adjust how students present based on their age group. Younger children, for example, may not feel comfortable sharing in front of the whole class, so consider having them share in pairs or small groups instead. Additionally, it’s important to remind students that they only need to share what they feel comfortable with from what they write on the paper.

Tips: You can do it without creating a mess. Make sure any of the paint stays on the newspaper. Set up a painting area rather than having students paint at their desk. Making it out of styrofoam was a lot easier and better quality in my opinion. Cardboard is just so hard to cut and I feel like younger children may struggle.

Tips: Start with the emotions hook, where students can begin to explore how emotions are portrayed. This could involve discussing different facial expressions, body language, or even using art or drama to show various feelings. For any accessories students want to add, remind them to use the water glue method to ensure they stay securely attached. Also, ensure their clay monsters are not thinner than a pinky width or larger than a thumb width.

Tips:

Cover the desks with newspaper to prevent any mess and create a cleaner workspace. Before starting, review cool and warm colors as a hook to engage the students and get them thinking about how colors can evoke different emotions. Show examples of background washes to inspire their own work, explaining how the technique can create depth and atmosphere in their artwork. Encourage students to experiment with blending colors and think about how they can use their washes to set the tone for their painting.

When I was first given this candle, I thought it was just a simple dumb object my sister made. But as my sister was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, that candle began to hold so much more meaning. Before her illness, I took for granted the bond we shared as twins. When my family moved to Calgary and she became sick, I found myself alone in a new city, away from the comfort of familiar faces. School, which was once just an everyday experience, became a space where the absence of my sister felt overwhelmingly. She had always been the one who loved learning, and when her illness kept her from attending school, it was crushing. But instead of succumbing to despair, she chose to fight—to keep learning. She asked me to learn everything she couldn’t and be her teacher, so we could still graduate together. During that time she most definitely taught me more than anything I could ever teach her. I may not use the candle anymore but I always keep it with me to remember the sacrifice my sister went through to graduate.

Adding sticky notes from the daycare where I worked was another pivotal part of my journey. Working at Juniper Early Learning Center during a dark time in my life saved me. It was the place where I learned that happiness doesn’t need to be forced or pretended. It is genuine and can be found in the connections we make, the lives we touch, and the moments of pure joy that come from giving back. The sticky notes are small tokens of those moments, each one representing a piece of my healing and a reminder of the impact that teaching and learning have on both children and educators alike.

Tips:

The most important tip I took away from this experience was to ensure the students have fun with it. Additionally, it’s helpful to provide them with a way to stabilize their recording device—this doesn’t have to be a tripod, but something to rest it on is essential.