As an art teacher I strive to encourage students to "engage and persist" one of the Eight Habits of Mind. So, when I see students work on one project over many weeks, I'm thrilled!

 

3-d sculpture made by a third grader.

"It's a tower and a building, for animals. I needed for the popsicle sticks to be smaller, so I broke them."

This photo is not enough to capture the coolness of this origami sculpture! Constructed over six or seven art classes, it's made up of dozens of cootie catchers.

The fourth grader who sewed this creature didn't have too much to say about it, but I can tell you that he worked on it for several weeks, and was diligent about making small, even stitches, so that the stuffing wouldn't fall out.

"It's not very good," the second grade artist told me. So I told her, "Hey. I'm pretty sure it's better than the horses you drew in kindergarten. It's even better than the one you drew last week." She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully, "Hmm," she said, "you're right. I am getting better."

"It's a bag like Indian Jones has. You know on the movie? Yeah, well, he was a pouch like this to put his stuff in. I sewed it. By myself."

The fifth grader who painted this asked me, "Do you have any other green watercolors? [besides the one in the set]" I told him he could mix up his own shade of green. And he did. I think he did a great job, don't you?

Shark created by a fourth grader.

"He's a prince, I made him from clay. But part of him broke in the kiln. So, we're gluing him together, this is his bed 'til he gets dry."

"It's Mrs. Picklehead. She's a teacher."

This softie was created over four art classes by a second grader. "It's for my new baby cousin. She's a girl."

"I made him from cardboard and colored him with pastels. It's my brother, 'cause he likes to play baseball."

Watercolor created by a kindergartner. I love the dabs of color.

"So, it's a pirate ship, and then I put this guy on it. It's me and my friend."