Magnetic poetry + middle school students = daily amusement
for the art teacher
I get endless entertainment from the magnetic poetry set I got at the Portland (Maine) Museum of Art last summer - I stuck these little magnetic words all over the door frame at the entrance of the art studio. They annoy the custodians, but provide a sometimes hilarious dialog between "them" and "us" (adults and kids). I finally had to remove certain words from the "artist set" I purchased - it's AMAZING how suggestive these little gems can be in the hands and minds of 7th and 8th grade students!
The art studio is one place in school where kids construct and alter their physical environment. It's not uncommon for students to create signage for the walls in response to their strong feelings about art or their desire to instruct others.
Dr, George Szekely, art education professor at the University of Kentucky, urges teachers to turn over the privilege of door decoration and bulletin board display to the children -they are the natural-born decorators and designers in school - why do the teachers, he asks, keep this very important job all to themselves?
