Written by AFA Intern Danaley Silan
April 11, 2022: Pre-K, Second & Third Grades at Renaissance Charter School: Jackson Heights with Teaching Artist Briget Villanueva
I spent the morning of April 11th happily shadowing teaching artist Briget Villanueva at the Renaissance Charter School. On this day, she taught Pre-K, Second Grade, and Third Grade. All classes were given the same project of creating an animal puppet using paper bags and other materials such as construction paper, buttons, feathers, and markers.
This mixed media craft produced such unique outcomes. While some students recreated their favorite existing animals, others created whole new ones from their own imagination. From dogs and elephants to dragons and unicorns, I had come to see a diverse array of species both factual and fictional by the end of the day.
Photo by Danaley Silan
Allowing the students to take full creative reign, this project stresses the importance of individuality. It is an example of how the arts teaches children not to limit themselves and their creativity. It teaches them to take risks and think outside of the box. They practice self-expression by experimenting with different ideas and transforming these ideas into pieces of art.
Additionally, it was very interesting to see the way that the different ages interpreted the art project. Of course, there was an evident variation in skill levels among the pre-kers, second graders, and third graders, but the same spirit of creativity ultimately remained at heart. Imagination never dies, and this was apparent as all classes produced several whimsical animal puppets.
Seeing the kids light up with enthusiasm when introduced to the art project that they will be working on is such a refreshing and gratifying experience that I hope to keep encountering throughout my future.
