This Week In Art K-4

I love doing a fish unit with Kindergarten!!  It is a great way to review shapes and explore all the different media (crayons, markers, paint..etc).  I always read The Pout Pout Fish Books!! 

Landscapes with 1st!  Upping the expectation that students have a Foreground/Middle Ground/Background in the work.  In Kindergarten it was enough for their to be a Foreground/Background.  I use 3 lines to start the drawing & then let them build on it from there. 

Landscapes for 2nd Grade, but they did theirs in collage.  If you do attempt this...don't be surprised if it is a bit of a struggle.  I try to get my students to lay down the base (sky, hills, middle ground, foreground) before they add the details into their landscape.  With all the virtual and such that happened over the past 2 yrs....we will revisit this lesson later on to give them another chance at success!

3rd & 4th get some practice with watercolor.  A majority of my students did not have watercolor at home.  We are really starting a square one, and that is totally fine!!  I want to build my students up so they can have success in their future paintings.  They really did enjoy getting to paint...even if it was just an exercise! 

Lessons K-4 This Past Week

 I'm going to try to post my teacher examples for lessons I'm doing in my class with a quick discription...in case you need some inspiration!  I hope that is helpful.  Please feel free to message me with questions, but do not ask for the lesson plan.  We all do them differently, have different state standards, and focus on different aspects. 

Draw Your Fav. Animal

Using markers to color, but review the proper way to use markers at the same time!! 

(A lot of my students only had crayons virtually, so this is a great review/get back in the swing of things lesson!!!)

Animal Me!

If you were an animal, what animal would you be?  Give the animal human characteristics that will make it more like you (hair, bow, glasses, fav. sport, fav. place to be..etc)

I, Robot.

If you could have a robot do a job for you, what would it be?  Would you have it do the things you don't enjoy doing? (dishes, make your bed..etc)  Would you have it do things you like to do so you could do them together? Make sure the environment matches the activity!

Symbol Self Portrait

Pick a shape you like to make.  Now make it 10 times in a variety of sizes, and have them overlapping in places (a great review for composition and principles of design).  Inside each of the shapes you will make a symbol that represents something about you.  It could be a talent, something you like, or something that is important to you.  Group like things in one shape (if you like sweets...don't make 8 of the 10 something to do with sweet stuff?!?!).  Use markers to color! 

Cost of Art Lessons

This is one of my most visited old posts.  At the time I just asked for help because I had no clue...but now I'm old  & experienced! So I thought I'd come back and update it!

Anyone else struggle with pricing art and art lessons?  I really wish this would have been discussed more in college.  However, over the years I've gotten better with pricing lessons/classes (still struggle with pricing my art work...just being real with you!)

There are a lot of factors that go into pricing art lessons for individuals and classes.  One of the first things you should do is investigate the going rate for art lessons in your area.  It truly is different based on geographic locations.  I would look at individuals giving one on one lessons, individuals giving classes, and classes that can be taken at art stores (Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and Jo-Ann's).  Consider what they are offering and what they are charging.  

Another factor is how many students you will be working with at a given time. I'd also say that they should be at a similar age/developmental level so that a lesson is not comprised of multiple sets of instructions/supplies.  When you are teaching a lesson to a group of students you can charge a bit less than when you are teaching one on one because you will be receiving compensation for each of the students. You are in control in these situations(to a point)...and can set the number of students, their ages, and the projects that you will be doing with them. 

Supplies!  Are they providing the supplies they will be using or will you?  What are is the quality of the supplies you will be using (because that impacts price).  

You have to make this experience worth it for you.  Your time, experience & expertise deserves financial compensation.  Do not underestimate your worth. You need to be flexible (to a point) as people approach you for lessons.  Provide people with the amount that you are looking for based on the information you've gathered, but have a bottom line dollar amount that you are not willing to go below if people want to "negotiate".  They may offer to buy the supplies to help lower the price...but you still need to make sure you stick to your bottom line.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS/PERSONAL EXPERIENCES

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