Nearly all students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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My students have been working on a mural all year of circles. It is a voluntary project. Our first lesson of the year 1-8 is about Yayoi Kusama. I expose the students to Yaoi and her infinity rooms and nets. Her cirlces of bright colors are engaging and the students are enmoured with her work. Kusama struggles with childhood trauma and mental illness. She paints to bring others joy as well as herself.
Students can ask to paint a cirlcle on our huge Kusama Corner mural when they are having a difficult day. The students then write about how they felt before and after painting that cirlce. Students have come from other classes, lunch, and recess to paint a circle. Their reasons have been really devestating, and also really funny at times. But they alone are able to explain their feelings before and after.
In an effort to be more proactive with our social emotional education push, I have decided to expand this Kusama Corner idea. In the efforts so far, I'm only getting kids who are bold enough to say they are having a bad day and want to paint. I'm missing so many students who are having difficulty throughout their days and I would like to be able to give them all a chance to express their emotional state quickly and beautifully. The chart below will correspond with the sticker they choose to add to our mural.
💚 I’m doing great
💙 I’m okay
💛 I’m okay-ish
💜 Things are tough
🧡 I’m struggling with Something
💔I’m having a hard time and wouldn’t mind if someone reached out to me
🖤 I’m in a really dark place
About my class
My students have been working on a mural all year of circles. It is a voluntary project. Our first lesson of the year 1-8 is about Yayoi Kusama. I expose the students to Yaoi and her infinity rooms and nets. Her cirlces of bright colors are engaging and the students are enmoured with her work. Kusama struggles with childhood trauma and mental illness. She paints to bring others joy as well as herself.
Students can ask to paint a cirlcle on our huge Kusama Corner mural when they are having a difficult day. The students then write about how they felt before and after painting that cirlce. Students have come from other classes, lunch, and recess to paint a circle. Their reasons have been really devestating, and also really funny at times. But they alone are able to explain their feelings before and after.
In an effort to be more proactive with our social emotional education push, I have decided to expand this Kusama Corner idea. In the efforts so far, I'm only getting kids who are bold enough to say they are having a bad day and want to paint. I'm missing so many students who are having difficulty throughout their days and I would like to be able to give them all a chance to express their emotional state quickly and beautifully. The chart below will correspond with the sticker they choose to add to our mural.
💚 I’m doing great
💙 I’m okay
💛 I’m okay-ish
💜 Things are tough
🧡 I’m struggling with Something
💔I’m having a hard time and wouldn’t mind if someone reached out to me
🖤 I’m in a really dark place