Empowerment Plan and Non-Judgement (3rd-5th Grades)

With my 4th and 5th grade students, I love talking to them at the beginning of class to find out how they are, what they're up to, and how they are feeling.  During the art portion of class, the students often share more about their lives and interests, both with me and with each other.  We've truly cultivated a positive community together!  At times these dynamic girls can still be challenging as many of them are high energy.  Some of them struggle with remaining silent during mindful breathing, but each is accepted for where she is in the practice.

During each class, all students write down three things they are grateful for in their sketchbooks.  One of these is also written on a small piece of paper, folded, and placed in the singing bowl.  During our last class we will read through many of these gratitude papers as a reminder of being thankful for things everyday.

After that, I read a story from the children's book Zen Shorts.  The story is a Chinese tale about a wise old farmer who seems to have a string of bad luck.  But with every seemingly bad thing that happens to him, something very good comes out of it.  The last "bad" thing that happens is that his son falls off a horse and breaks his arm.  The farmer's neighbors say, "Oh, how awful!".  The wise old farmer responds with a simple, "Maybe".  In the end, the son's broken arm saves him from being drafted into a violent war.

After reading the story, I asked the students to decipher its message.  They shared that you never know if something in life will be good or bad.  I brought in the idea of judgement to the conversation. Individuals in our culture are quick to judge if events in life are good or bad.  Mindfulness teaches the skill of non-judgement, something the wise old farmer had mastered.  We never know if something that seems like bad luck is really something positive in disguise, or if our attitude towards the event to transform it into a positive!

While the students ate their snacks, I showed them a video about Empowerment Plan, an amazing non-profit organization based out of Detroit.  Empowerment Plan is devoted to "educate, employ, and empower homeless individuals to create a better life for themselves and their families while producing humanitarian products for those in need".  They create an extremely warm winter coat that transforms into a sleeping bag.  All the individuals who fabricate the coat were formerly homeless.  Empowerment Plan has taught them sewing skills so that they can do the work required for the job.  Here is a video about Empowerment Plan if you'd like to learn more!

A photo of the coat that transforms into a sleeping bag, designed by Veronica Scott, founder of
Empowerment Plan!

Then it was time for the students to dive into their own creative adventures: designing a ZINE that shares a message of HOPE!  All of this goes with our Central Idea: Art has the potential to be a positive influence in the world.  This week I introduced students to the many different forms of media that they can incorporate into their zines.  My expectation is that they utilize at least three forms of media!  The girls were excited to begin incorporating color into their creations.  Here are the artists at work:

Becoming a Tree (K-2nd Grades)

Kindergarten artist

We begin every Mind Move Make class with two minutes of mindful breathing.  Before the start of each class I have at least two students ask if they can be the mindfulness leader for the day.  The students have embraced this role; they look forward to leading the rest of the class in our initial mindfulness practice.  Hooray!  

Before all of my lovely kindergarten through second grade students arrived for this class I put each child's painting on a yoga mat.  When they entered the classroom I directed them to find their painting and take a seat.  I asked the students to visualize the tree they created in an immense forest.  We pretended to look up and see the branches of all the trees in our imaginary forest against the blue sky.  I asked the students if the trees were separate or if they were all connected.  We agreed that each tree is it's own separate entity, but that the branches of the trees overlap, touch, and connect in many ways.

I explained that tree roots are usually as wide if not wider than the span of their branches.  In that way, the root system kind of echoes the shape of the tree underground.  So in a dense forest, the roots of different trees criss-cross and overlap underground while the branches do the same thing in the sky.  Usually the trunks of the trees remain separate, but the roots and the branches touch the other surrounding trees.

I asked each student to imagine him or herself as a tree in the forest.  How are we separate from one another?  How do we connect with others around us?  The children were very responsive and interested in discussing this!  We talked about how our words, feelings, and actions touch the people around us.  One student described this in a wonderful way.  She said that our feelings "bump up against" one another.  Another student said that this reminded her of the idea of empathy.  We agreed that we can each choose to put out positive actions, words, and feelings into the world, or we can choose to do the opposite.

After that I had each child stand in Tadasana with both feet firmly planted in the ground.  We imagined becoming the trees we created.  Our skin became rough like bark and our legs fused together into a trunk.  Our arms became long, wide branches and we felt our fingers extend longer and longer into the sky.  Hair became leaves.  We imagined what types of animals lived in our branches.  I asked, "What would it feel like to have a squirrel scurry up your trunk?  What would it feel like if a bird built a nest in your hair?".

During the art part of our class, each student drew him or herself becoming a tree.  Here are a few of the results!

Kindergarten artist

Kindergarten artist

I also gave the students fabric and bamboo from my garden to complete their sumi-e tree paintings.  The results are beautiful.  

Second grade artist

Kindergarten artist

Kindergarten artist

Kindergarten artist

Second grade artist

Second grade artist

Kindergarten artist

      

Warrior-Painters (K-2nd Grades)

We started this class practicing mindful listening and focusing on the things we could hear OUTSIDE the art classroom.  I opened the doors to the room to let the sounds from the hallway drift in.  After one minute of using our ears to detect every noise possible, I asked the students to identify what they heard.

Here are some of the responses:

"Doors closing"  

"Voices"  

"A chair scraping across the floor"  

"Laughter"

"The crinkling of a piece of paper"

It is incredible what we notice when really focused on the present moment.

We've been looking at Japanese Sumi-e painting.  I've read that many Samurai swordsmen practiced Sumi-e painting because the strokes used were similar to the strokes used in swordsmanship.  Also, the calm needed in creating a beautiful piece of artwork was also needed on the battlefield.  I talked with the students about the contrast between these two things; painting is a peaceful act while fighting a battle is full of violence.

In honor of the Samurai warrior-painters, during our movement work we focused on the warrior poses in yoga.  We talked about how in yoga, much of the "battle" is about becoming your personal best self.  I shared the word "namaste" which is a respectful greeting in Hindu custom.  I like to explain Namaste to children as "the best parts in me honor the best parts in you".  This is very connected to finding our best selves, and looking for the best things in other people.

After moving through many of the warrior poses we were ready to start making art!  I introduced the art concept of tinting a color.  In order to create our cherry blossoms, we tinted red to make various shades of pink.  The students observed photographs and other Sumi-e artworks to paint the blossoms on their trees, though many students were still busy using the ink to create the branches.  It will be fun to see these when they are finished!

Street Books and Sidewalk Flowers (3rd-5th Grades)

Brainstorming for one student's zine!

Welcome to the first class of Session 3 for Mind Move Make's 4th and 5th graders!  During this session our Central Idea is Art has the potential to be a positive force in the world.  We'll be exploring ways in which art can impact the world in a beneficial way.  This can be done on a small scale by elevating one person's mood or making someone feel a sense of connection.  Or it can be done on a larger scale by trying to alter the viewpoint of an entire group of people.

We began this session with a short lesson in neuroscience.  Our brains are hardwired to remember and accentuate the negative things that happen to us.  This is a result of the way our ancient ancestors lived as hunter/gatherers.  Their lives were filled with danger around every corner, and it was necessary to remember where treacherous situations lurked in order to survive.  For most of us, there are no longer large animals with sharp teeth waiting to pounce around every corner, but that is how our brains process, record, and focus on the negative things that happen in our lives.

We talked about this, and I asked if any of them felt they had a hard time letting go of "bad" things that happen.  Many students raised their hands.  I also shared that there is HOPE!  Through neuroplasticity our brains can be rewired to alter this tendency.  And one of the best ways to accentuate the positive is to drink in all the good things happening around us each day.

A simple start is to keep a gratitude journal.  Writing down the positive things that happen in our lives helps us to focus on and remember the good things.  At the beginning of every class in Session 3, each student will write down three things for which she is grateful in a small journal that I created for everyone.  One of the three things will be written on a piece of paper and put into our "Gratitude Jar".  During our last class we will take the time to read several of these.  This will help stretch our minds (neuroplasticity!) in new ways and create neural pathways that lead us to the positive in life more often.

Movement-wise, we went through many different poses.  Several of the students in this class have been practicing with me for almost two years now and it is wonderful to see their familiarity with the poses.  I usually have them move through at least one Sun Salutation on their own, at their own pace.  It's great that they know this sequence well enough to go through it themselves.

After that, I introduce the students to artist and writer Laura Moulton and her organization, Street Books.   Street Books started as an art project and has transformed into a healthy non-profit organization.  It is a bicycle-powered mobile library serving "people who live outside" in Portland, Oregon.  Laura has chosen to replace the derogatory word "homeless" with "people who live outside" which is a more sensitive way of stating the unfortunate situation of many individuals in our city.  Laura's work with Street Books connects well with our central idea, art has the potential to be a positive force in the world.

Here is a picture of Laura Moulton riding her bicycle-powered library for "people who live outside"!

This is a picture of the library open for business.

After being inspired by Laura, we took a look at the absolutely stunning book Sidewalk Flowers by poet JonArno Lawson and illustrator Sydney Smith.  The book is described by Brainpickings as "a gentle wordless celebration of the true material of aliveness."  It is the story of a little girl who picks flowers that would be considered weeds throughout the urban city in which she lives.  The flowers grow in cement cracks, wall crevasses, and other unlikely places one wouldn't expect to find beauty.  Towards the middle of the book she begins to give away her prized flowers to unsuspecting animals and individuals.  As she gives her gifts, the world transforms from black-and-white into something more color-filled.  My young students were very attentive to the book and noticed many specific details.  Through our discussion I realize that they internalized the message of the book, and came away with many insightful ideas.

The front cover of Sidewalk Flowers.

Then I introduced them to our visual art project this session!  Each girl will create her own zine that communicates a message of hope.  A zine is a self-published work; the subject matter of zines varies tremendously.  It is usually made inexpensively by photocopying the contents.  Each girl began by brainstorming ideas for her zine.  I am excited by their ideas and can't wait to see them come to life!

Sumi-e Painting (K-2nd Grades)

Sumi-e artwork

Today was our first class of Mind Move Make for Session 3!  We have a few new students, so I decided to go back to the basics of mindfulness.  No matter if you've been practicing mindfulness for 20 years or 20 minutes, it is helpful to return to the roots.

I had several returning students to help me explain mindful bodies, mindful breathing, and the anchor spot.  It was amazing to hear the students talk about these ideas in their own words to their peers.  Our new students caught on fast and participated in a full, beautiful way.  We simply focused on mindful breathing for two minutes, concentrating on how our bodies were feeling, and using the anchor spot.

After that, I introduced the students to Sumi-e, a Japanese painting technique using black ink.  Sumi-e artists are not as interested in replicating the way an object looks as they are in capturing the spirit or the essence of the object.  Nature is the dominant theme of Sumi-e artwork.  Interestingly, Samurai swordsmen practiced this form of painting because the brush strokes used were similar to the strokes of the sword.  And the calm needed in creating a work of art was also needed on the battle field.

I asked if anyone noticed the blooming trees and flowers that were beginning to emerge throughout the Portland area.  Our paintings are meant to be a celebration of the annual coming of Spring.  I showed many pictures of the cherry blossoms around Portland, as well as Sumi-e artwork depicting cherry blossoms.

For the movement part of our class, I asked the students to come to seed posture and imagine they were each the tiny seed of a cherry tree.  They imagined being under the soil of the earth, and feeling the damp rain soaking through the layers of dirt.  Then they began to move their arms forward in child's pose, imagining their arms and fingers were tiny roots beginning to grow.  Eventually these little seeds poked through the earth and began to grow taller and taller.  Though our feet remained planted in the earth-floor, our leaves and limbs moved and swayed in the imaginary wind and the rain that I concocted for them.  Eventually, we made our way to tree pose.

In beginning of the art portion of class, I encouraged everyone to experiment with the black ink that was new to most of them.  In order to get a variety of tones, from deep black to light grey, water must be mixed with the ink.  The students used palettes to combine different values of grey and had fun creating freeform lines and shapes on their paper.

If they had time, some students had the opportunity to select a photograph of a cherry blossom artwork to emulate.  It was fun watching them translate their painting experimentation into the painting of a tree.  I explained that next week they would receive special paper to create a final ink painting!

In My Heart (K-2nd Grades)

During our previous Mind Move Make class, the students started a self-portrait drawing after being inspired by the book In My Heart by author Molly Bang.  In the drawing they created themselves, but filled the area where their hearts would be with portraits of all the people in the world who are most important to them.  At the beginning of this class, I placed each drawing on a yoga mat.  I asked the children to sit where they saw their drawing.  After practicing two minutes of mindful breathing, I asked the students to think why they are thankful for each person in their drawing.  Then we shared one thing we are grateful for for each person.  One boy mentioned that he is thankful that his mom snuggles with him every morning.  Another student said she is grateful to her pet bunny because it makes her feel calm and loved when she is petting it.  It was great to hear the students reflect on why they appreciate the people they love the most in the world.

After moving through many different yoga poses, we worked hard to finish our self-portrait drawings!  Many students still had a lot of drawing to do, and some children were ready to add color.  The students got to choose between several different art media for the color portion of this work.  We taped the two pieces of paper together, one for the head and one for the body.  This was (unbelievably!) our last class for Session 2, so everyone took the drawings home at the end of the class.  Sometimes one hour doesn't seem long enough to get everything completed, but these determined artists worked hard and most of them finished by the end of class.

Here are pictures a few more In My Heart-inspired drawings!

A Kindergarten artist hard at work!

The work of another Kindergarten artist.

And here are pictures of the completed assemblage artworks, inspired by Alexander Calder:

Second grade artist

Kindergarten artist

Kindergarten artist

Kindergarten artist

Second grade artist

Second grade artist

Gratitude (K-2nd Grades)

During this week's Mind Move Make class we talked about gratitude!  I asked the students if anyone knew what the word gratitude meant, and we had many thoughtful answers.  Then I had everyone close their eyes and think about at least three things that they are grateful for.  I asked them to imagine all the things and people that they are grateful for surrounding them.  After that, we shared the things for which we are most grateful.  Several students were happy that they had a house to live in.  One student was thankful that he could hear and see.  Many students were thankful for their pets.

Then I asked them to think of smaller things, perhaps things they experience everyday, that they are thankful for.  As an example, I mentioned that I'm thankful for hearing my two-year-old's laughter and seeing things growing in my garden.  One student mentioned being thankful for the ability to run through the playground.  Another student talked about sliding down the slide at recess.

During the movement part of our class we played Musical Mats again!  The game is like musical chairs, but we use the yoga mats and no one has to sit out.  During the time the students were moving from mat to mat I instructed them to move in a specific way.  They leapt like frogs, lumbered like bears, and walked with a cane as if they were 100 years old.  When the music stopped each student scurried to a mat and I gave them a yoga pose to try.

Before beginning the art portion of the class I read the book In My Heart by Molly Bang.  It is the story of a parent's love for her child.  The book talks about how no matter what she is doing,  the mother keeps her little boy in her heart.  She is never alone because her child is always with her.

The students used the self-portraits they started during another Mind Move Make class and added a larger paper to create their bodies.  They drew the people they love the most in their own hearts.  Here are some examples of the drawings so far.  Next week we will complete them and incorporate color!: