Big talks

So I spent three class periods with my Photo II classes just talking this week.  I introduced the "Aesthetics" assignment.  I used to split it up and they had to analyse the beautiful in one project, the ugly in another one.  Due to the extended/forced student testing, we will have massive disruptions to the school schedule later in the year.  So I have to adjust some things.  This assignment is one of them.  This year, they are combined as one and the students can choose which to address, or address both with the being a connection between the two.  So on Tuesday I had them read an old National Geographic article on beauty standards.  Last year, they breezed through it.  Meaning, they read nothing.  This year, I walked the room, watched them read, watched their body language and monitors to see where they were in the article, and made comments to them about what they were reacting to.  this let those who didn't want to read know that I might be asking them stuff.  So, most of them read it.  Although, I did get a few who said "Is this really ten pages?  Do we have to read ALL ten?"  No, I just want you to read one page and forget the meat of the article/  Jeez!

Well, the reactions were great!  Some very personal, some insightful.  (Hey, what happens in Photo, stays in Photo.)  I knew when I saw my rosters for this year that I was going to get work that was much more cerebral, and the discussions this week showed that.  For homework, they had to list ten things they find beautiful and ugly.  Many didn't do it, but none escaped telling the class.  The rushing of pens to paper was great.  The discussions were great.  And best of all, few answers were surface ideas.  Most were intangible things.  Qualities of life, people, society.  Everything I was hoping for.  Then, yesterday, we talked about our ideas and I showed the students all the studio equipment.  (My kids know what this stuff is, but the kids I didn't have in PI do not.)  If an untrained observer walked into the room, he would wonder why we were all sitting around talking and not working.  But this was work!  Hard work!  I told the classes that I want them to have clear ideas of what to shoot; do not create a narrative for me.  Take a broad topic and zero in on the essence of what it means to them as individuals.  Look up artists whose work epitomizes their own ideas, not to copy, but inspire.  For the first time, I think they truly get it.  Each year I look at what went wrong with this assignment - or what I wish was better - and tweak it.  Taking these three days might be the best way to carry the kids through.