Arts Infusion in the Classroom

BY Eileen Catalano

Staff was eager to get started with some arts infusion fun when we returned to the classrooms for our ESY program! Students practiced writing using “Access Lenses” then used those same “Access Lenses” to create and artistic interpretation for a postcard.  Access Lenses are a creation of Trevor Bryan to help “viewers and readers look for different information to help them interpret and comprehend artwork and text.” Then it was onto current events and tableaux!!! Tableaux is a tool that allows learning to “come alive” in the classroom! Tableaux is a group of motionless figures representing a scene from a story or history or in this case a currents events article. Students worked in groups to create their scenes to present to their classmates. Current events became an action packed adventure as students became part of the reporting!  Students loved the experience and it was the first time in my teaching career that students asked to do more current events!!!! Arts Infusion = SUCCESS!  Then the real challenge, arts infusion in a math classroom!!! DADADADUM!! Mrs. Cooper was up for the challenge and had students illustrate the distributive property.  Students created mathematical works of art and had a wonderful time using the Crayola Paint Pens!!! So……. I believe it is safe to say that we are off to a great start in developing an arts infused curriculum! We look forward to the coming year and more arts infusion fun!