Art classes held for teachers

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 41, 31 March 1987, Page 4

Art classes held for teachers

A group of Waimarino teachers have been going back to school over the past six weeks to learn about art and crafts. Primary school teachers from Raetihi, Ohakune, Waiouru, Rangataua, Ngamatea and Orautoha schools, along with kindergarten teachers and Michelle Coley, the Raetihi pr6school education advisor have been attending a course run by Rei Hendry, art and craft advisor for the Wanganui Education Board. The purpose of the course is to instruct teachers on how to make art an enjoyable time in the classroom for children and teachers. Between 1 5 and 20 people have been attending the classes held on Tuesday nights from 4pm till 9pm. The classes were divided into the topics of claywork, stitchery, printmaking, construction and painting. Claywork involved various methods of handling clay including tile making,

slab work, coils and freeform work, using just hands to squeeze shapes out of the clay. 'Creative stitchery', as Rei calls it, is drawing with the needle, concentrating on creating rather than learning stitches. The aim is to build up enthusiasm in children first and then let them work on technique. Printmaking in the course involved making screens using inexpensive materials, making stencilsand printing onto fabric as well as making linocuts.

The last class was on construction, in which the teachers made puppets, kites, newspaper dolls and models of the mountain. During the evening the teachers amused each other with puppet shows using their creations. The course taught various techniques of art that the teachers can take back to their classrooms to make art more exciting and valuable to the children, as well as organisation skills to make the art lesson less messy so that children can get on with

enjoyingart without teachers nagging about tidiness. Rei Hendry usually holds this type of course during working hours. • Rei Hendry said she was really pleased with the response to the course, "A lot of people think teachers knock off at four o'clock and thats it, when really they put a lot of preparation work in to teaching children" she said. The teachers who attended the course did so voluntarily and most if not all found it an enjoyable experience.