Chicago: Art as reflection

Using art and writing to reflect on learning can be a powerful practice for both children and adults. At the end of Irish Arts Week 2021 in Chicago, I asked children ages 4-10 to create art based on the prompt: “What is something you learned or liked in dance class this week?” Through their art, the children gave valuable insights into their own learning and interests.

In the artwork above, children represented dancing by translating their movements to paper. On the right, Sammie said, “These are the steps” as she moved her marker up and down, mimicking the movement of her feet.

Some children wrote sentences or lists, while others made expressive drawings of themselves dancing. Many children expressed their love of traditional music. Some of them worked hard to spell “sean-nós dancing” correctly.

I enjoyed seeing their thoughts about our week together, and I appreciated that they could take their drawing and writing home to share with their families. Seeing their drawings also helped me reflect on my own teaching practice, helping me identify what worked best for this particular group.