Don’t stifle their creativity

I was heartened when I came across a book during my son’s kindergarten years by Pennie Brownlee who encouraged parents and teachers of young children to ask children to tell them about their drawing rather than something like “what is that you’re drawing, is a duck”?  However, I was surprised how this philosophy seemed to have disappeared by the time he reached primary school and he was shown how to draw a duck which resulted in 20 or so ducks from the same class all looking the same. By the age of 9 or 10 he didn’t think he was any good at drawing because it ‘didn’t look right’. Fortunately I came across this fantastic book Drawing for the Artistically Undiscovered by Quentin Blake and John Cassidy and he’s still drawing and has plans to be an animator.   This clever poem by Harry Chapin was sent my way, it serves as a good reminder of the responsibilities we carry as teachers and the influence we can have on children’s

Flowers are Red – Harry Chapin

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw
He put colours all over the paper
For colours was what he saw
And the teacher said.. What you doing young man
I’m painting flowers he said
She said… It’s not the time for art young man
And anyway flowers are green and red
There’s a time for everything young man
And a way it should be done
You’ve got to show concern for everyone else
For you’re not the only one

And she said…
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said…
There are so many colours in the rainbow
So many colours in the morning sun
So many colours in the flower and I see every one

Well the teacher said..
You’re sassy
There’s ways that things should be
And you’ll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me…..

And she said…
Flowers are red young man
Green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

But the little boy said…
There are so many colours in the rainbow
So many colours in the morning sun
So many colours in the flower and I see every one
The teacher put him in a corner
She said.. It’s for your own good..
And you won’t come out ’til you get it right
And all responding like you should
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen

Time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smiling
She said…Painting should be fun
And there are so many colours in a flower
So let’s use every one

But that little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said.. and he said

Flowers are red, green leaves are green
There’s no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen.