I began volunteering to teach art in the classroom 15 years ago, when my oldest boy was 5. Since then, I have assumed the role of Art Docent each year for all of my 3 kids.
This year, with my youngest in 5th grade and quickly approaching the bridge to middle school, my tenure is coming to a close.
It has been a great gig for sure. I love working with the kids in a creative capacity, especially when they are little. They have no inhibitions and they approach art with the openness that we all should possess when taking on something creative.
When they get older, you see a shift. They worry if their art is “good enough” or if it is “right.” I tell them anything in art is right if it comes from the heart; that there are no strict rules.
I enjoy seeing them work on their craft, some quietly and with focus, others with giggles and animation.
At the end of each session, I’m wiped out and have a deep appreciation for the teachers who do this day in and day out, many of whom go home to their own children to do more of the same- teach, coach, mentor, mother, father and be present, both physically and mentally. This, I am sure, is not easy!
I am grateful for the opportunity to serve these kids. I am grateful for the chance to get to know them and get to know who my kids surround themselves with. I am grateful that art brings children and adults together and we can share in the emotion that the creative process reveals.
Abundance 