DOCENT ART PROGRAM
We talk about art.
We learn about life.
The History of Docent Art:
The Docent Art Program was created by Cathleen Drinan when she moved to Plympton in 1987 and started the program with Cultural Council funds at Dennett Elementary School. A few years later, the program was brought to Halifax Elementary School and we’ve been talking about art ever since!
A “docent” is a volunteer trained to teach. In this case, there are seven meetings for the docents to learn how to guide discussions of large, mounted fine art reproductions brought to the classrooms. It is a k-6 language arts program where the docent asks open-ended questions of the students, encouraging them to think about what they see. The children are given the opportunity to improve their critical thinking skills, enrich their vocabulary, learn about other cultures, and discuss important social and historical topics. All this happens while having fun! The children love having the opportunity to be expressive and to hear that their ideas count!
A background in art is not needed for this program. In fact, that can even be an impediment, for you’ll have to hold back that knowledge to allow the students to make their own discoveries. You only need to enjoy talking to and listening to children. Join us at any of our seven preparatory meetings at Holmes Public Library to learn more about this fun program.
Frequently asked questions about Docent Art:
1. What do you actually do in the classroom?
We look at 3 mounted fine art reproductions and talk about them. We ask a few questions and the children do most of the talking.
2. What is a "Docent"?
Docent = volunteer trained to teach
3. Do you need to know anything about art?
Definitely not! Sometimes people who know a lot about art history talk about the art works too much, instead of listening. The children love this opportunity to observe, talk and question.
4. What do you talk about?
Everything that is in the prints and more than you realized was in the prints, as art is an expression of all of life, including feelings and memories. We make discoveries as we respond to the art. It is comparable to bringing in a pretty rock or an interesting leaf, examining it and discussing it.
5. How do I know what to talk about?
For each of the seven thematic units, there is a fun meeting where you see the prints and are always given a packet of information with many suggestions.
6. Where and when do we meet?
The meetings are held at the Holmes Public Library once a month at 10:00.
For more information about Docent Art please contact Felice Roche at jeffroche08@comcast.net
We learn about life.
The History of Docent Art:
The Docent Art Program was created by Cathleen Drinan when she moved to Plympton in 1987 and started the program with Cultural Council funds at Dennett Elementary School. A few years later, the program was brought to Halifax Elementary School and we’ve been talking about art ever since!
A “docent” is a volunteer trained to teach. In this case, there are seven meetings for the docents to learn how to guide discussions of large, mounted fine art reproductions brought to the classrooms. It is a k-6 language arts program where the docent asks open-ended questions of the students, encouraging them to think about what they see. The children are given the opportunity to improve their critical thinking skills, enrich their vocabulary, learn about other cultures, and discuss important social and historical topics. All this happens while having fun! The children love having the opportunity to be expressive and to hear that their ideas count!
A background in art is not needed for this program. In fact, that can even be an impediment, for you’ll have to hold back that knowledge to allow the students to make their own discoveries. You only need to enjoy talking to and listening to children. Join us at any of our seven preparatory meetings at Holmes Public Library to learn more about this fun program.
Frequently asked questions about Docent Art:
1. What do you actually do in the classroom?
We look at 3 mounted fine art reproductions and talk about them. We ask a few questions and the children do most of the talking.
2. What is a "Docent"?
Docent = volunteer trained to teach
3. Do you need to know anything about art?
Definitely not! Sometimes people who know a lot about art history talk about the art works too much, instead of listening. The children love this opportunity to observe, talk and question.
4. What do you talk about?
Everything that is in the prints and more than you realized was in the prints, as art is an expression of all of life, including feelings and memories. We make discoveries as we respond to the art. It is comparable to bringing in a pretty rock or an interesting leaf, examining it and discussing it.
5. How do I know what to talk about?
For each of the seven thematic units, there is a fun meeting where you see the prints and are always given a packet of information with many suggestions.
6. Where and when do we meet?
The meetings are held at the Holmes Public Library once a month at 10:00.
For more information about Docent Art please contact Felice Roche at jeffroche08@comcast.net
