So I have this class… It is the class I dread, it is the class I constantly think about. Every teacher in the school knows about them. It is the new comers class. They are all 6th grade and they are all chinese except for one girl. The majority of them are very disrespectful boys, violent boys, boys that pretend not to understand me, boys that ignore my directions.
I have had a situation similar to this when I taught in South Africa a few years ago. I had an all boys class. They did not speak english and they were extra active, as most young boys are. I gave them needle and thread and we created pillow cases of portraits of their mothers. You could hear a pin drop! (No pun intended)
Well, once I saw the situation I am currently in, I realized how perfect embroidery would be. My school is brilliant and the art curriculum for 6th grade shadows the social studies curriculum. Sure, sometimes it is annoying but usually it can generate fantastic projects.
In my new comers class, we created embroideries about New York City, and the greater U.S., their new home.
The first class was a little rocky because I had to get everyone started. It has been relatively smooth sailing since then. My toughest kids are still disrespectful and sometimes violent but at least they are creating something they are proud of, something beautiful.
The subway cars are dear to my heart for two reasons. The first is that the large one was created by the sweetest kid who always tries so hard! And the smaller car is from a kid who is the most mischievous. Even though he is so difficult, if I place him at my desk, he gets so engrossed in what he is doing and excels at this project. I am so proud of his work, and yet, still very upset about his behavior overall.
Secondly, the subway car has inspired me in almost every teaching gig I’ve had. The project is never the same but subways are always the star.
When I taught 5th graders at Saturday Art School, it was 3D subway cars and we studied graffiti and created small figurines to ride the train. It was part of a larger unit where we created buildings and landscapes for our ideal city. My first struggle in the classroom came of it when this adorable kid who always finishes early (we all have at least one of him) decided to create a terrorist for the car. All the girls in the class were outraged and the boys thought it was so cool. I became the mediator for the first time. We had to debate it and we decided on one car being the ideal subway setting and the other illustrating how dangerous a subway could ultimately be (housing the “terrorist”, I mean, he had feathers for arms, that does not bring up terror to me but whatever…)
When I taught at Rikers, I used subway cars to introduce painting and shading. The cars were very large and decorated my room for months. The guys were very excited about reliving their glory days on the train with hot girls or listening to music. I will always remember two specific kids who will remain nameless. They caused problems wherever they went, they would never focus, never work, but when I put paint brushes in their hands, they became focused, mature, interested, I got such a high for it. I will never forget the look in their eyes, seeing them feel a purpose.
And now, I am using it to introduce kids to NY culture and to embroidery with a small format. The subway binds us all together, brings us together in one way or another. It is an incredible mechanism!
It is December and I have plenty of month to continue struggling and celebrating small victories with this specific group of challenging students. Today, I just want to celebrate how cool these projects are looking. These pictures are a week and half old and soon, they will all finish this project.
Working on the pronunciation of embroidery vocabulary can be hilarious. These poor chinese kids have serious trouble pronouncing embroidery and thread. Who knew those were difficult syllables to put together? They get a kick out of it too. There is nothing like seeing them all trying to pronounce it together, so cute!
What a beautiful city we live in. What an incredible imagination these kids have. The possibilities are endless.
Tags: china, chinese, city, cityscape, embroidery, map of the united states, statue of liberty, student, taxi, teaching
