New Ways with Trash- HS Lesson Plans for the 21st Century

Posted by Kira on January 28, 2010

So, I had a conversation today with the District level art person. It went something like this:
Me: Why am I shopping at the dollar store for glue sticks, and picking trash or “recyclables” every weekend. Why have I only printed out one photo this year for my students in a Photography class? Can I charge say, $5 to take art, since I had a budget of $0 this year?
Her: The constitution of our state says that we cannot charge any fee for students- no matter that all art materials are consumable. Students, who may not be able to afford a fee, must have totally free public education.
Me: But (lol) I watch my students go to the vending machines 5x a day for snacks. Clearly, $5 a year for art supplies is a better value!
Her: No can do. Too much paperwork and legal mumbo-jumbo.

So, that’s how it stands for the art program at my well-to-do school, which services over 900 students in 23 classes with 40 students per class.

Now, don’t get me wrong. She (above) really has her hands tied. She’s right, there’s red tape 5 inches thick around everything in public education. Our Principal has other things on his mind, rather than the budget for glue sticks and photo paper. But from my point of view, I take pride in my work. I enjoy teaching Graphic Design and Photography. Graphic Design, btw, being a real, solid, career skill rather than just an “art class.”

I hate the fact that art always gets a back seat, there are always “more important” things to worry about, and no one seems to care that we have no budget, 250 students each, and spend our weekend thinking up New Ways with Trash- Lesson Plans for the 21st century. I am still waiting for some plaid-dropped-waist-dress wearing teacher to get me in trouble for the fact that the last time I went to Trash2Treasure, a bar must have given up its bottles- which are now in my closet, and on their way to becoming beautiful decoupaged photo trees. No sir, that is most certainly not a JD bottle (although it’s paper-covered, patterned body surely resembles the tell-tale square shape.) I threatened my students that if I see one shred of original labeling or branding on any recycled liquor bottle, they will fail the assignment no matter how hard they worked on it. And, I am making them bring in magazines- that would be the source of colored paper for the decoupaging. It’s a homework assignment, worth some points for bringing them in rather than throwing them out.

So, teachers, rest assured that you are not alone in your trash-picking freakishness. At least here in South Florida we have an organization that collects the pickable trash in a central location. And parents, thanks for loving your kids’ artwork even when it resembles what it is- dressed up bottles wearing outfits looking suspiciously like the Shape Magazine you could swear was on your bedside table last night.

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