Drawing

My drawing history started when I was really young, as for most people. My parents always had art supplies handy for me to use. In kindergarten I was always drawn to the art stations, however after that I don't remember doing much more drawing in elementary school. Grade six had more art involved in the classroom and I always tried to incorporate drawing into my other projects. Grade seven was really the first time when I realized I could draw fairly well, and also enjoyed it. I had a great art teacher who showed us the basics of drawing well which boosted my confidence. I was always insecure about my drawing ability until I was shown the skills to do it well. Using different drawing mediums also encouraged me to continue drawing on my own time. When I continued in high school I wasn't shown any more formal drawing skills so when I started university I felt I had missed alot. It took a while to get back into it and I felt like I was in grade seven all over again.

Reflecting on my own art journey as a drawer can help me become a better teacher. Seeing where I was feeling insecure will help me prevent these insecurities in my classroom. In Kalin's chapter it talks about preventing the drawing activity from becoming a performance. When it becomes a performance, children will be worried about what others think of their work. At the age of 10-12 this is especially relevant because they will be comparing their work to the more realistic work of their peers or art they have seen. To confront these insecurities children should be exposed to artistic works which are not realistic. They should engage in drawing exercises which are provoked by memory, emotion or music. Sketchbooks or journals which can be a private exercise as opposed to a perforative exercise are also valuable. Collaborative drawing is also important as it allows students to become less attached to their work and focus on teamwork and learning from each other. Expanding the drawing possibilities is essentially the most important step in allowing students to become comfortable with drawing.