Playing with Paper

By Keri Reynolds,

Many students, especially at the secondary level, are preoccupied with how their finished artwork will look and how it will be perceived by others. This disposition leads students to focus on producing realistic-looking works of art that represent tangible things that they are familiar with. When students focus on creating realistic-looking products, they often miss out on experiencing the creative process. For this lesson, I wanted students to be present in the moment while they were making art. I decided to limit their materials to only paper, scissors, and glue. I chose paper because it is a simple and versatile material that can be manipulated and transformed in a variety of ways.

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September 2025

Connections

Our first issue of the volume year focuses on many aspects of connection. While teaching students about new artists, processes, and techniques, art teachers also prioritize building relationships and strong foundations. Young students transform the hallway bulletin board into a giant sheet music mural with lyrics promoting kindness, elementary students combine board games and fairy tales to develop fantastical illustrations, middle-school students embrace imperfections while making stained glass jewelry, high-school students work with limited materials to create balanced compositions, and more.

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