First Impressions

Today was so scattered I don’t even know where to begin with my impressions of Niekerksrus Agricultural School (a h.s.). I was given an empty set of classrooms that have not been in use for a long time (obvious by the mice droppings and the birds flying inside!). A great space for making a mess in, potentially.

I had the chance to work with 2 groups. I’m going forward with a puppet production for this particular group and have developed 5 groups out of that (actors, musicians/writers, puppet makers, painters & set designers). The two I saw today were the painters and set groups, though we were not able to launch into the puppet project. Wanting to get a feel for my students, we did ice breakers and then I taught them gesture drawing by throwing different objects. I had to be resourceful and used objects such as a tire, old shoe, feathers & paint bucket! The students got the hand of drawing the movement, although the language situation did prove to be a barrier. Most everything I said was repeated through a translator and so I lost a lot of the direct feedback from the students.

Supplies here are sparse and poorly proportioned. TONS of pencils but no sharpeners. TONS of oil pastels that are actually crappy wax crayons. Lots of colored chalk but no colored paper. Already I’m realizing how blessed the underfunded art programs were in Gaston Co., where I subbed last year.

It was a coolish day and with the concrete floor, it was cold inside. I am so glad it’s spring and warmer weather is on the way….I cannot imagine how miserable it would be to teach in one of these unheated buildings in the winter. Yikes!

As I slow down to settle into bed, I can still taste the dust from the chalkboard of earlier today.