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Each week, children from 5-12 years old sit in class among Kent State juniors and seniors in the Art Building.

The children are taught by art education majors every Monday as field experience for a teaching practicum course.

Art education majors learn with a hands-on approach to teaching young students as part of an experiential learning program, said Robin Vande Zande, coordinator for art education.

“I think it’s perfect (for students) to be learning about it in the classrooms and then getting to try it right away,” Vande Zande said.

Parents enroll their children in the enrichment courses because they express an interest in art, Vande Zande said. The classes run 10 weeks, from Oct. 3 through Nov. 28 and the cost is $50.

“We have an open house for the kids at the end where the parents, grandparents — anyone can come. It’s a big deal,” Vande Zande said. “There will also be a book available for purchase that contains the children’s work.”

Koon Hwee Kan, associate professor of art education, said the final exhibition will be Monday, Dec. 12 in the Art Building. She said there will be around three to five of each child’s projects on display.

“The parents will get a nicely framed, matted artwork that comes with a line or story about it,” Kan said. “It really encourages parents to listen to the kids. Some of the drawings may look like scribbling, but there’s lots of meaning and stories behind it. It’s another way of expression, another language for the child to talk about his or her experience.”

Catherine Brunner, senior art education major, said the classes offer a teaching approach to children that they might not get in a typical classroom.

“With the younger kids, it’s easier to get them to want to play and make art,” Brunner said. “We’re doing lessons that are based on big ideas and big themes, so they have the ability to branch out from that.”

Kan said the classes allow her art education students to gain communication skills and motivate different types of children in creative, playful ways.

“It’s an experimental class, so because the classes are small, the student teachers get to try out many teaching ideas with unusual, challenging materials (children) don’t get to do in the schools,” Kan said. “They get a lot of one-on-one attention.”

Brunner said she worked in teams with other art education majors and developed detailed lesson plans for her students. She said other students taking the practicum course should not be intimidated and make sure they focus on researching lessons beforehand.

“The youngest kids, the hardest thing is getting them to focus. The older kids, the hardest thing is getting them to feel confident with that they’re working on,” Brunner said. “Look up the artwork and make sure it’s appropriate, fun and make it as engaging and exciting as you possibly can.”

Erin Anderson, junior art education major, said she taught children ages 6 and 7 in the practicum course, and it has helped her learn the skills to become an authority figure for other students.

“The kids that we get to teach in the program can be very excited and have a lot of energy,” Anderson said. “It did get very intimidating at times because you never knew what to expect from them at any time with the amount of energy they all have.”

Brunner said the course helped her communicate with parents and students, as well as improve her public speaking skills.

“When I’m teaching, I’m a lot more open,” Brunner said. “Any other time, I’m pretty shy and quiet. The kids just want to be here to be entertained. We have to entertain them to get them to want to learn.”

Parents can find more information on enrolling their children through the Office of Continuing and Distance Education.

Contact Brittany Nader at [email protected].