Creative Practice 8 ~ Pottery and Movement Classes

       This week, the kid’s pottery class and adult movement class started at The 4th Door Worship Arts Center in Englewood, Florida.  These classes are offered for free to the community.  My perspective on teaching has expanded with everything I am learning in my arts in medicine college course.  This last week I was learning about needs how to assess needs and create programs based on needs.  I plan to build relationship with each student individually within the classroom setting so I can get to know them, learn their needs and assess their needs. This will enable me to purposefully help them with their creative and healing process.  I am excited about teaching the classes and having the opportunity to explore new ideas and get to know my new students in art and movement.

        Kids Pottery Class 

10 children 4 years to 14 years old along with 2 parents came to the first class. Right away I was able to assess healing needs, one student; Savannah is missing her right arm.  Her ability to overcome her handicap is amazing; I know I will be learning from Savannah. Another student who is 13 I was able to assess had low self esteem and her friend was just the opposite, very self confident with a strong need for attention.  The first week’s project was clay tiles.  The kids did an amazing job and it was a creative outlet for the two mothers that participated.

   Creative Movement Class

An awesome group of seven women came to the class with a desire to learn about creative movement. Each person had questions and inhibitions they were hoping to overcome.  One of the women has multiple sclerosis and another woman has a severe stiffness in her neck and shoulders. I am looking forward to helping them, through creative movement, with their healing process. The class started with introductions and each person answering a series of questions for my initial assessments of getting to know them and to help me purposefully teach them. The class was supposed to be one hour but it lasted three hours. We all decided that in the weeks to follow we will have the class be both an art and movement class. The class ending with a simple interpretive arm movement dance we created as a group.  Everyone was able to do it and the dance brought a release of expression and healing, it was beautiful!