Learning the Basics: Drawing and Painting at Coral Park Elementary

Last month, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the workshop “Learning the Basics: Drawing and Painting” at Coral Park Elementary. The session was led by Ms. Fraga, an experienced art teacher with many years of inspiring students through creativity.

During the workshop, Ms. Fraga shared a wealth of tips and techniques for teaching art effectively, which I found incredibly valuable. Together, we explored a lesson about the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose vibrant and expressive style captivated everyone in the room. I left with many exciting ideas and plan to incorporate them in February, when I’ll introduce Basquiat to my students as part of our “Artist of the Month” project.

One of the highlights of the day was meeting and connecting with other art teachers from different schools. It was inspiring to see so much talent gathered in one place and to exchange ideas, experiences, and teaching strategies.

The second part of the workshop focused on a hands-on drawing exercise: we were asked to draw the person sitting across from us without lifting our pencils too much. This continuous-line drawing activity was both challenging and fun! Laughter filled the room as we compared our drawings at the end — it was a joyful and creative experience that reminded us of the simple pleasure of making art.

Overall, the workshop was not only educational but also deeply inspiring. I left feeling motivated, refreshed, and eager to bring new ideas into my classroom and share the joy of art with my students.