Our Sketchbook Adventure

We're adding something to our daily work in our classroom on Monday: Sketchbooks.

I have used sketchbooks in the past few years, and last year the children worked in them on a regular basis. In fact, during the first half of the year, I couldn't keep up - every time I turned around, someone needed a new sketchbook.

The plan is this: each day, there is a drop off window of about 20 minutes in the morning. The children will begin the day by making a choice in the classroom, as they always have. When that first 20 minutes is over, we all stop and get sketchbooks, and work in them for 10 minutes.

There will be different prompts for them every day: from drawing, to materials used, to location where we use them, to idea prompts like props and photographs and video.

I was really inspired by Sketchbooks in Schools
last year, and tried a few little activities here and there. But this year, we'll be more regular about our work. And the idea of using sketchbooks with threes and fours is so interesting to me -- the idea of learning what they decide and make and think about the activity is so mysterious. What will it look like? Where will it bring us?

sketchbooks in the morning?

How do your students transition into the day?

Right now, children enter the classroom starting at 8:40 am. By 9:00, most of the children have arrived. We jump right into "choice time" upon arrival, where the children choose activities around the room - writing, blocks, painting, dramatic play, looking at books, and the light table are always options.

At about 9:15, we gather to have a meeting. We look at the calendar, talk about the day, read a story, and have a conversation.

After this we go back to choice time until we have somewhere else to go, like music, gym, or library.

There is nothing wrong with this schedule, per se. It has worked just fine. But I came across a lovely idea that I think can be adapted for young children : sketchbooks in the morning. It would be a way for the children to gather their thoughts at the beginning of the day. Children could bring items from home, or found items, to put into their sketchbooks. Photographs and relevant items could be on the tables for inspiration. We could implement some of the ten activities that are suggested to get things going, and develop a bank of inspiration and activities that work for us (and share it with sketchbooks in schools!) and make connections with other groups of young children with sketchbooks.

I wonder about sharing sketchbooks. I keep a book where I write and draw, and i don't share it with others, really. Would it be too imposing to gather together once a week and share our sketchbook entries?

I may dismiss this idea as a late night rambling, or it just might stick. I love it right now...

A Map to Germany

The end of the year is stressful when I'm not with the students -- reports, end of the year party planning with parents, last minute faculty meetings, teaching observations, paperwork, forms for children moving to new schools...but this is the easiest time of the year to be with the kids. Things are more relaxed, and we do more activities where we work and chat with each other.

On that note, the coffee talk kind of atmosphere often involves adults sitting with children at activities. I have mixed feelings about adults drawing and painting in the classroom. It might make a child feel inferior about their own abilities, or it might inspire them. I don't think teachers should draw things for kids -- for example, if a child says, "I can't draw a cat! Draw one for me!" -- thats a no-no in my book. But I've also always been torn about drawing on my own in front of kids.

But on this particular day, one child began drawing a map from his house to Germany...


I told him I liked his idea, and I began to draw a map of my trip that I'll be taking this summer...


As I began drawing, three more children began to make maps of their own....







I was inspired by a child, and, in turn, other people in the room were inspired. I had also been thinking about having the children do the What Shape Are Your Thoughts activity from Sketchbooks for Schools, but was not sure who would be interested, or how to introduce that rather abstract idea to them. And then, it just fell into my lap.

I'm excited about the concept of mapping with the children as the year comes to a close -- mapping places and things and ideas! I'm glad I decided to draw on this particular day.

Sketchbooks in Schools

Sketchbooks in Schools is a really wonderful link that I found via the Camp Creek Blog. It is a project happening in the UK with students using, well, sketchbooks in schools.

I have been meaning to do some of the activities with the children. We are not officially part of the project, but the ideas are great, and with a little adaptation, they could for sure work in preschool.

I really like the what shape are your thoughts work:



and the doodle ball:



These are already on my list for next school year -- we may be able to squeeze them in during the next few weeks.