Cave Paintings

In college I took two Art History courses.  I enjoyed them very much.  As a history major, I enjoyed learning about the purpose and historical significance of paintings, architecture, pottery, etc.  After receiving my undergraduate degree in History, I was seriously considering going to graduate school to study Art History.  Instead, I decided to become a teacher.  A decision I am happy I made.  But I have never lost my interest in art.  The cave paintings from Lascaux have always resonated with me.    Fast forward to today, I am still very interested in writing, communication, and learning spaces.  Inevitably, Lascaux is a great example of a learning space.  Lascaux was a place for communication, collaboration, creativity, and sharing.

Over the last year, I have completely re-evaluated how my students present their work.  My students covet the opportunity to share their work.  It is a priority for each of them so it is a priority of mine.  One sharing method in my classroom that is very popular is writing.  We have begun to write on the floor, the desks, the walls, and the bulletin boards.  They love it!  Their engagement level is high, and because their work is so transparent they really focus on working hard.  When I see my students crawling on the floor working on a poem, writing on the walls or collaborating on math problems at desks, I can’t help but think of the Lascaux Paintings.

The Floor, Walls and Desks

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