Making Messes and Taking Your Time: Art Making in Infancy (Essay)
Childhood Education 2012, Jan-Feb, 88, 1
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- €2.99
Publisher Description
It's late Monday morning as I step into the quiet of the infant classroom. True, there is a baby crying in the nap room and a very chatty nine-month-old verbalizing about her Cheerios; compared to the clamor of the preschool classroom, however, the infant room always seems tranquil. I slip off my shoes and leave them at the door, careful not to track Manhattan detritus on the floor. At this age, everything goes in the mouth, including pieces of the carpet. Twenty-two-month-old Sophia looks up at me from her perch at the play kitchen and begins to wave her arms. "Paint! Paint!" she cries with a toothy grin. I hurriedly unpack the supplies for today's art experience. Once the wave of enthusiasm begins, it is important to hop on and let it guide us into the artwork. When my director first asked me to teach an art class in the infant room, I must admit that I thought she was crazy. I nodded and smiled, pretending confidence, all the while thinking, "Teach art to infants? What does that even mean?" But when you are trying to get a job at one of the best early childhood centers in Manhattan, you nod and agree to even the most seemingly insane requests. Thus began one of the most meaningful and informative journeys of my teaching career.