A Small Boast

Sometimes I get a little proud of the projects I come up with at work. We are in a process of changing our whole curriculum to be more child-generated. Part of that process was to get rid of all the "unnatural" products in our rooms. We replaced bright plastic bins with wood, wicker, and bamboo baskets. We also took down all the manufactured art and replaced it with photos of our kids in the different centers, as well as samples of their own artwork. Since we took down our pre-fab alphabet, I had the kids paint all the letters to hang on our newly bare walls. My co-teacher was not optimistic about their ability to reproduce a recognizable alphabet, but I just knew they would do a great job. So in spite of the protests from my partner, I took on this task and the kids came up with this beautiful (in my opinion) display:

Another project I am particularly proud of is our "Masterpiece of the Month" where we learn about one artist, his or her particular style, and some art concept. Then the kids reproduce well-known paintings. So far, we have recreated "Summer" by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, a "mural" by Jackson Pollock, a "Composition in Red, Yellow, and Blue" by Piet Mondrian, "The Starry Night" by Vincent Van Gogh, and "Water Lilies" by Claude Monet. Our Water Lilies are still on display at school, but here is one of my student's portfolios of the other four:
I don't feel like I am being too prideful, since it is really the kids' work that is praiseworthy here.