Reluctant Artists, and How to Make Them Create...mmmwahhahaha!

The big puppet show reveal is Friday....my high school students have been working on the stage and some ridiculously cute sock puppets. We have full hour to hang with the little class, play, laugh and enjoy their creative project. 

My Nemisis - Reluctant Artists

To say this particular class was difficult this year is a HUGE understatement. Somehow I ended up with a room full of kids who hate art, consider themselves completely unartistic and who inexplicitely do not like getting dirty. Sculpture making of nearly all varieties involve getting at least a little messy. Papier mache, wire, metal, wood...origami was the only approved form of "sculpture"  (did I mention I do not like origami...) 

I will MAKE them Create

So, rather than watch art projects get tossed in the trash before the next bell even rings, I came up with this GREAT IDEA. Instead of having the class suffer through another project, we were going to build a puppet stage and puppets as a gift for the preschoolers.  Oh and by "we", I meant "them", I stayed happily out of the creative process. Let them figure out the construction, all I had to do was provide the supplies, and a wee bit of direction.  

I created a Monster

But once they started, they didn't leave....my next class would be starting and a handful of high schoolers would be putting the finishing touches on a puppet, or painting one more flower.  Ah, success.   

This is not the finished product....pictures will follow soon....it turned out AMAZING.  Whew....okay, now what?   I think artsy service projects are definitely the way to go with reluctant students. Back to the drawing board.