6M- I had students write some reflection today. This group lost collage a couple of weeks ago, and since earning it back, they have been exceedingly careful to clean up well afterwards.... Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by the written responses to the two questions I asked. It was pretty easy and straightforward, I think. I just asked them to choose a piece of art and tell me about it, and then to tell me if they think there's anything that could make choosing better, and how they feel about choosing. Some kids wrote great explanations about their work, and the overwhelming consensus on choices was that they want more choices. I told them we will open up Painting first thing after break. This group of students has a history of being banned from painting last year. I told them, and I think I have demonstrated that I will not hesitate to take the materials away, so hopefully, everything will go smoothly. Studio time was great, and clean up went smoothly. I am pleasantly surprised by the response to Choice in this class. I guess we're starting to get over the initial "panic" phase of choosing...

4D- First day of opening Collage for this group, and also discussed tracking Choices. Things went pretty smoothly. This is a very creative group, and they want to build stuff- they immediately started building scenes with paper. I told them that if it can fit safely in their folder it's okay... that rule was bent in a serious way! I really have a hard time telling them not to make a certain thing! It doesn't seem fair...

2W- Played Art Detective with this group for the first time. They did fairly well. I still almost think that the first graders I did this with did the best so far... but they did well enough. Past couple of weeks, I don't know where this class went with clean up, but we need to have a discussion before the start of next class. I told them that Painting would be closed next time because people didn't take care of materials....

5Ru- This class has a group of 5 or so negative nellies. Drives me CRAZY. I held the group back after class and told them that they're on their way to a 1 for art this term and I need to see some drastic changes.

3Sp- We made folders and handed back work. Things are starting to look a little different with more classes making folders and having Choice.