The Sky and Trees students are just finishing up their self-portrait collages . . .
and they are awesome.
Here is one conversation that occurred during the final days of the project.
Milania: (looking at her self portrait) I'm done!
Teacher: Oh! Hmm. Do you have eyebrows?
Milania: No.
Teacher: Look in the mirror.
Milania: Oh! I have eyebrows! (studies herself and adds eyebrows).
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| The three-year-olds in the Rocks and Rivers painted self portraits |
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| Look at this student's work from the first week of the year, the pink drawing, to the third week, the collage. What progress! |
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| A new first grade student works on a self portrait in the style of Van Gogh in oil pastel. |
Throughout their time at Mustard Seed, moving from the Lower School and then into the Middle School, children revisit the self portrait again and again.
To begin with, any observational drawing (and we do a lot of those as well) is a valuable tool for gaining awareness of the world around us - how things are shaped, put together, textured, etc. Observational drawing creates observant, critical, flexible minds.
The other materials we use in different types of self portraits --- scissors, glue, paper, yarn — all develop excellent fine motor skills and nurture creativity. And all of this aids in becoming a successful student.
We want children to be invested in their work, and what is a preschooler more invested in than themselves? When a child is drawing a plant or a chair, it might not bother her if her drawing does not end up looking very much like a a plant or a chair; she might have very little motivation to strive for accuracy, clarity, elegance, to persevere. With a self portrait, almost every child very much wants it to come out right. When it does not look the way she wants it to, it is frustrating — when it comes out the way she wants it to, it is most satisfying. There is more investment.
Another way that self portraits are valuable is that they call us into a deeper way of seeing. Usually, when a child looks into a mirror, it is to see if his hair looks the way he wants it, or if his shirt is on inside-out, or if he has a milk mustache — we take our faces for granted. When we ask a child to look into his own eyes, at the placement of his nose, at the shape of his upper lip, you can see his whole body become still as he gets lost in his own reflection.
From here, endless questions and connections begin to sprout . . .
Over the years, these are the questions I have heard from students:
Questions of biology, anatomy, genetics, physical maturation, comparison, contrast, symmetry, self identity, even spirituality.
There are social experiments that have revealed how powerful it is to stare into the face of someone else, even that of a stranger. It is just as powerful, perhaps more, to stare into your own face.
God's story tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" in our Creator's image. It is a beautiful thing to watch a child truly see themselves.
And afterwards, when they look up and see each other, I wonder (as I write this blog) how much more do they see in each other?
Throughout their time at Mustard Seed, through Lower and Middle School, children revisit the self portrait again and again.
Why is this?
Is it really important to know that we have eyebrows?
Why is the self portrait so important?
To begin with, any observational drawing (and we do a lot of those as well) is a valuable tool for gaining awareness of the world around us - how things are shaped, put together, textured, etc. Observational drawing creates observant, critical, flexible minds.
The other materials we use in different types of self portraits --- scissors, glue, paper, yarn — all develop excellent fine motor skills and nurture creativity. And all of this aids in becoming a successful student.
We want children to be invested in their work, and what is a preschooler more invested in than themselves? When a child is drawing a plant or a chair, it might not bother her if her drawing does not end up looking very much like a a plant or a chair; she might have very little motivation to strive for accuracy, clarity, elegance, to persevere. With a self portrait, almost every child very much wants it to come out right. When it does not look the way she wants it to, it is frustrating — when it comes out the way she wants it to, it is most satisfying. There is more investment.
Another way that self portraits are valuable is that they call us into a deeper way of seeing. Usually, when a child looks into a mirror, it is to see if his hair looks the way he wants it, or if his shirt is on inside-out, or if he has a milk mustache — we take our faces for granted. When we ask a child to look into his own eyes, at the placement of his nose, at the shape of his upper lip, you can see his whole body become still as he gets lost in his own reflection.
From here, endless questions and connections begin to sprout . . .
Over the years, these are the questions I have heard from students:
Why do I have two nostrils?
Why are people's skin and hair and eyes different colors?
Does everyone have two eyes like me?
What parts of my faces can I move?
Did I look like this yesterday?
Do I look more like my mommy or my daddy?
Can I look like both?
Is there a way I can see what I look like with my eyes closed? Do I really look like this?
Is this how other people see me?
Is this how God sees me?
How did God decide to create me this way?
There are social experiments that have revealed how powerful it is to stare into the face of someone else, even that of a stranger. It is just as powerful, perhaps more, to stare into your own face.
God's story tells us that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" in our Creator's image. It is a beautiful thing to watch a child truly see themselves.
And afterwards, when they look up and see each other, I wonder (as I write this blog) how much more do they see in each other?
What a wonderful way to watch each other grow!
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| Guess who? All of the children's collage self portraits will be on display soon! You are my brother, You are my sister, We are the children of God, Alleluia! You are my neighbor, You are my friend, We are the children of God, Alleluia! |
