At the beginning of the school year, teachers want to send a message to their students: “We are a community of learners, together we will challenge each other and share with one another.”
We have a variety of ways to go about doing this and for some, they try to do it through the arts. In infusing my beginning of the year activities with the arts, I am hoping to also say to my students, “I value your creativity and individuality. I want you to grow as an individual and as a part of our community.”
In previous posts, I have blogged about ways to build community throughout the year with music making and listening and through a communal piece of art. But at the beginning of the year, I do some quick activities that are based in the arts that help to establish our class as a community that values the arts. Here are a couple of activities I do:
Names and Movement: This activity is great for learning names and giving insights to your students. Have the class stand in a circle and one by one students say their name while doing a movement. The movement can be a simple arm wave or an elaborate, dramatic gesture. The key is not to think too hard about it when coming up with it. The rest of the class then repeats the name and accompanying movement three times back before moving on to the next person.
This simple activity is a must for my first day of school but also is fun to do throughout the year. You can really get a handle on personalities, interpersonal relationships and how students are feeling at that particular time.
First Time Doodles: In my fourth grade classroom, I have students make “My First Fourth Grade Doodle”. It is a blank piece of paper with that simple title at the top. On it, the students free draw for a period of time such as at the beginning of the day or during any free time they may have. You can also carve out some time in your schedule if you so desire. I will assign the doodling on one day and tell students it is due two or three days from now giving them ample time to return to their work and fill up the paper.
Understandably, this can be seen as an elementary activity, but it is really good for the middle and high school years too. It builds oral skills as students are encouraged to share what they have done with you, a small group, or the class. You may discover a hidden talent. It can also become the inspiration for a story or poem. You can search inside the doodles for patterns and symbols, lines and colors. They can become the topic of a descriptive essay or the springboard for vocab work with your ESL students.
This year I intend on having students keep their doodle for some time, going back to it for various other integration opportunities. We’ll see what comes about from that. It may become it’s own post!
Enter to Music: This is so simple to do and can be so effective. Set the mood for your classroom by playing a piece of music. Classical works, big band is great and even contemporary music can invite the kids into your room and get them focused. It’s amazing what a room filled with music can do to draw people in. My choice for the first day with kids: Glenn Miller’s String of Pearls played on a loop. It is chill yet invigorating; not too slow, not too energetic; just right for getting kids in and getting them ready for the day.
Creating a classroom culture that accepts a variety of art forms is important to do from the start of the school year. Do you have an activity to share?
EMP
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Elizabeth Peterson has devoted her life to education and to reaching out to other teachers who want to remain inspired. Mrs. Peterson teaches fourth grade in Amesbury, Massachusetts and is the host of www.theinspiredclassroom.com. She holds an M.Ed. in Education, “Arts and Learning” and is currently enrolled in a C.A.G.S. program through Plymouth State University with a focus in “Arts Leadership and Learning.” Elizabeth is author of Inspired by Listening, a teacher resource book that includes a method of music integration she has developed and implemented into her own teaching. She teaches workshops and courses on the integration of the arts into the curriculum, leads an arts integration PLC (PLaiC) and is adjunct faculty for PSU. Mrs. Peterson believes there is a love of active, integrated learning in all children and from their enthusiasm, teachers can shape great opportunities to learn. 
Hi Elizabeth,
I had several reactions to this post about starting the school year in an artful way. As a preschool teacher, I feel that arts are regularly infused in our daily activities. Because so much of the preschool “curriculum” is focused on the social arena, as well as language and motor development, the arts are a natural fit, and can be connected almost continuously. Personally, as I reflect on my own practice, I see a need to be more purposeful, in defining clear arts-related objectives.
I almost feel that much of the work in arts integration needs to be done with the upper grades, maybe even first grade and up, because as the students get older the arts are less a “part of the plan”…or if they are planned they are used as an outcome rather than having learning and “process” objectives of their own. The demands of the “content” areas are sometimes seen to preclude incorporation of the arts. The arts are not necessarily viewed as a “content area” needing to be incorporated by the classroom teacher. I have a daughter going into fifth grade and would be so excited if her classroom set the tone for valuing creativity and exploration of various art forms from day one.
I also have used the Names and Movement game. Often we encourage incorporation of the number of syllables in each child’s name. In this way, each syllable has a separate – but simple- motion. Before rest time, I often use stretching, relaxation and breathing activities with the group. Each child is given the opportunity to share a pose/gentle movement of their own making. They each get a chance to be the leader while we all try out their ideas together.
A communal art project I tried this year was attaching a large banner size paper to the underside of a table and inviting my preschool friends to lie down and draw – a la Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. It gives them a chance to feel grounded – literally and figuratively – and create artwork in a very different way than they are accustomed.
These seem like wonderful activities to do at the beginning of the school year. In some ways they have the feel for some of the activities one might use as part of the morning meeting of Responsive Classroom which focuses on community building. I like the way these activities focus on the arts. Sending an early message to students that all forms of art, at all levels, is to be appreciated, valued and respected is wonderful. I like that you save some of their work and revisit it during other points in the school year.