Students will walk away from class each week with some fun animal facts as well as a better understand of art. Students will learn about types of arts and even an artist some weeks. They will have a better understanding of breaking down an animal into shapes making it easier to draw.

Art and Creativity are what get me through the day. The joy that creating provides is something that should be shared and explored by all! I have been teaching this particular class for the last 5 years in person and am excited to bring it to the Outschool platform.

To get an idea of the types of projects we'll be doing in this class check out my student portfolio: https://www.eclecticallymeniki.com/student-art-journaling-examples 

I have been teaching in one aspect or another all my life, from helping in Sunday School classrooms as a teen to teaching my own classrooms at 18. I was a lead teacher for a Preschool prior to having my own family. Once I had children, I was organizing local families into craft clubs and field trips. It was only natural that we chose to homeschool. When I struggled to find a curriculum that would work well with my very hands on son and my visual daughter, I set out to create my own. This curriculum is still on the market 18 years later and being used in homeschools and classrooms across the world. 

I believe all learning styles can be taught in the same space in most cases and you will find that 99% of my classes are project based for the reason. Putting the learning into the hands of the students helps retention and instills a love of learning.  I teach for enjoyment and want my students to also enjoying the learning process, you will not find me teaching to a test or requesting memorization of facts. I will find fun and creative ways to get kids learning without them even realizing it most of them time. Some may call it arts and crafts, but I guarantee you your students will love it and they will learn and more importantly retain the information being taught.
With 20 years of experience teaching my own children at home I am well versed in a multitude of subjects and ages but my passions lie with the Preschool – Elementary age groups and in the arts and sciences and now i share that passion and creativity with anyone willing to listen.

I’ve been focused on teaching within the arts and life skills categories within my local homeschool community and am super excited to bring these classes to Outschool. I have seen so many students show growth and development in the 5-7 years they have been taking my class and can’t wait to share that with your students as well. 

I have always felt that art was important. I did not always know how to put it into words necessarily, but I realized early on that it always left me in a better mood than when I started. With our current “social distance” orders, my views on the need for a creative outlet have gone from thinking they are important to knowing they are ESSENTIAL. We need to create our own happiness and when at all possible share that joy with others. 

While we are all struggling to process our thoughts and fears, our kids are also struggling to put into words what they are feeling. ART CAN HELP. It can become a way to slowly work through thoughts and feelings. Sometimes a feeling is easier expressed in color or shape than in words. And art does not always have to be in the form of a painting or drawing, but a visual representation of what they’re learning. Check out my class listings to see how many different ways arts and crafts can really be learning.

Homework Offered
In my mind art is never work, but enjoyment, self-care and relaxation. That said, I do not assign homework in this class, though as all artists work at varying speeds, some students may need to finish up their project outside of class time.
Assessments Offered
I do not give written grades, but I do give feedback when asked by the students in class. I stay positive while also offering constructive advice on how they could take their project to the next level. I will never tell a student they must do something a certain way, if they want a purple giraffe drawing, that is their creative vision and what they will get. But they will get feedback on the construction of their drawing, their composition of the piece and overall elements of art. My feedback is never negative, I have worked with too many young students over the years who have felt torn down or rejected by previous art teachers to the point they did not want to take another art class. Students will leave my class feeling empowered.
Grades Offered