A Broadway Books First Class Visit From Jonathan Freeman

We rubbed Aladdin's lamp and our wish came true!
We spent a morning with Tony Award nominee (and Disney's Jafar)
Jonathan Freeman

Broadway Books First Class opened Year Three this October with a magical visit from Broadway guest artist Jonathan Freeman. Jonathan has worked steadily on the Broadway stage for the past 43 years and was even nominated for a Tony Award for his role in She Loves Me, but he is perhaps best known for his vocal performances - most notably Jafar in Disney's Aladdin.

Jonathan is also heretofore credited with (unknowingly) guiding Broadway Books First Class through rough waters after some unexpected changes occurred at the close of Year Two.  

Last June, the misguided machinations of the administrative upper echelon almost brought the curtain down on my passion project. Their decision to assign me to teach preschool, instead of my beloved first grade, left me scrambling to figure out how to keep the integrity of the program intact. My vision for the program was for the visits to include my students.  How would a class of 4-year-olds sit for a read aloud and a discussion?

Luckily, I had a very kid-friendly performer waiting in the wings to usher in Year Three.

In addition to Aladdin (on stage and in the movies), Jonathan's resume includes Broadway roles in Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and Mary Poppins.

And his voice can be heard in the long-running children's television series Shiny Time Station, Hercules, and Lilo and Stitch: The Series (among others).

Jonathan's artistic oeuvre hinted at his capacity to embrace the wee ones and, in turn, provided an entry point from which to immediately hook a young audience. All of this prompted me to expand the scope of the program to include more students. So, Year Three's premiere saw my energetic preschoolers joined by the darling second graders.

Students introduce themselves to Jonathan Freeman in American Sign Lanuage

I began to prepare for the visits long before Jonathan arrived. This included inviting the second graders to become "Book Buddies" with the younger children. Each morning, four of the second graders would join us to sit and read books in my classroom. This allowed time for everyone to become comfortable with one another and familiar with the environment. It also promoted excitement about literacy. The older children gained confidence in their reading abilities while the younger ones built up happy experiences around shared literacy events.  

The classes worked separately too.

I read children's books about the theater to my preschool class, including Backstage Cat by Harriet Ziefert and Amadina by Sergio Ruzzier. They learned about various aspects of showbiz and the language associated with theater (e.g., scenery, props, etc.).

In both classes we studied Jonathan's work. I brought in artifacts (i.e., Playbills) from the shows he's appeared in and discussed the storylines from several of the musicals. I made connections to other Broadway Books First Class visitors (the program was recommended to Jonathan by Mary Testa and Nathan Lane) and, of course, showed video clips from Aladdin.

Armed with this background knowledge each class brainstormed a list of questions for Jonathan and we selected four to ask during his visit.

I also worked with Jonathan and his lovely, helpful friend Karen to coordinate the visit.

Jonathan suggested an Aladdin Golden Book for the read aloud. He even brought 30 autographed copies and showcards for every student!

This was incredibly kind and exceedingly generous. I knew it would be a spectacular visit. And it was!

The day finally arrived and everyone gathered together in anticipation of Jonathan's arrival. There were cheers when he stepped into my classroom (from the adults and children alike).

I've read that whenever Jonathan meets new fans they always ask him to "Talk like Jafar" and this crowd was no exception. Personally, I wanted to hear him growl, "Prince ABooBoo". He acquiesced and it brought me so much joy!

After introductions, Jonathan settled in to read alongside American Sign Language interpreter Kathleen Taylor.

Jonathan and Kathleen in a dramatic reading of ALADDIN
(One of my favorite interpreting pictures ever!)

It.
Was.
Amazing!

We had a front row seat to exquisite storytelling from Jafar himself! Everyone was engaged and throughout the story children passionately interjected, which was met with good-humored quips from Jonathan.

One student, Joey, could barely contain his excitement and asked several times, "Can I tell you something?" Jonathan, who kept things moving with a smile, responded with, "Can I tell you something?" and continued reading.

After the reading Jonathan laughingly turned to Joey and innocently asked, "Did you want to tell me something?"

Jonathan Freeman reads student-created questions

In the question and answer segment that followed Jonathan stressed the importance of working collaboratively with others throughout the creative process. He noted that it takes about 150 people to make Aladdin run smoothly and that any theater production requires many parts working together.

He shared stories of starting out as Jafar 25 years ago and how his journey with the character allows him meet folks like us. His warmth, patience and humor were very endearing. He spent time with each child and happily chatted with the adults in the room, who loved him as much as the children did.

Students enjoy signed copies of ALADDIN courtesy of Jonathan Freeman

As I walked Jonathan and Karen down to the lobby they said that they would like to try to arrange for the children to see Aladdin on Broadway. This is a HUGE logistical undertaking on both ends but Jonathan is currently working with Disney and the House Manager to figure it all out.

Meanwhile, he sent the class a copy of the beautiful, clothbound book The Road to Broadway and Beyond Disney Aladdin: A Whole New World.

And I sent him a collection of thank you cards created by the children.

As Year Three of Broadway Books First Class continues I am extremely grateful that it began with Mr. Jonathan Freeman.

There are moments when you must listen to the universe and allow the tenets of the words "Follow Your Bliss" to wash over and direct you. This program is influenced by good people.

Jonathan, I thank you!

SiriusXM "On Broadway" Interview

This summer I was interviewed on SiriusXM Satellite Radio by the Amaaaaazing Seth Rudetsky about Broadway Books First Class.

There were some delays getting started and by the time we sat down I was feeling a bit nervous, but Seth is certainly excellent at keeping things lively, interesting and on track.

It was such an honor to share the program with a larger audience and give thanks to the wonderful performers who've so willingly supported it.

The interview was broadcast on Stars (Channel 109), Entertainment Weekly (Channel 105) and On Broadway (Channel 72) in September.

I typed up a transcript of the interview so my friends who are deaf/hard of hearing have equal access and figured I would share it here as well.

Seth: Hi everyone.  This is a special edition of Seth Speaks because we had a technical malfunction and instead of cancelling the show we are continuing with my guest but my audience is literally in a separate room where they can sort of see me through 2 panes of glass, yes, they are waving frantically and they can hear me and I can hear through an ambient microphone their fake laughter – audience let me hear it. (Audience laughs) Just as fake as every week.  Excellent.  And cut!  Alright, for my first guest I have a Dock-ter but he’s not here to talk about that weird lump on my shoulder.  He’s here to talk about his amazing Broadway program for literally first graders. Dr. Gary Wellbock?

Gary: Wellbrock, yes.

Seth:  Still got it.  Not Jewish. Okay, so what exactly is this program?  From what I read about it it sounds amazing but describe it to my audience.

Gary: Sure.  It’s called Broadway Books First Class.

Seth: Already I like it, it has the word Broadway in it.  Keep Going.

Gary: (laughs) Basically at its core it’s a pretty simple idea but the concepts that support it are more complex.  So, what I do is I invite Broadway performers into my classroom to read a book and answer about 3 questions about life in the theater, life as an artist. 

Seth: So you bring like Patti Lupone to read her autobiography “Glenn Close stole my role!” And the first graders literally enjoy it?

Gary: Ahhh, I would love that.  And I’d make sure the children put away their cell phones before she came to the classroom.

Seth: (laughs) Exactly. Da Da Da Da Da Da – Reference! Wait, what kind of books do these Broadway people read?

Gary: The books are high-quality children’s books.

Seth: Oh, they’re children’s books.  I see.

Gary: Yeah, children’s books.  And, they’re read…the kids that I teach are Deaf and hearing and hard of hearing.

Seth: Oh, I didn’t know that part.

Gary: Oh, yeah.  I try to make sure that I have a nice balance of Deaf performers and hearing performers and the performers who are hearing, when they come in there is an interpreter that sits beside them..

Seth (interjects): Wow

Gary: and interprets the book.

Seth: And so, I guess the question is, “Why bring in a Broadway performer just to give my version of the story?”  I used to, for a long time I performed for these AIDS patients in hospitals and it is amazing when I bring Broadway performers but so many non-famous people are amazing and when I would bring in a Broadway performer they’d be like, “You’re good” like it was no different, they wouldn’t care if you were a Broadway star or not.  Aren’t the kids like, “We don’t know who you are Dame Judi Dench”.

Gary: Well, I think that would happen if it was just a one-time event where someone would come into the classroom and read a book but that’s not how it happens.  I really try to reach out beyond the walls of my classroom to have New York…the whole idea is that New York is this great cultural center so I try to take advantage of what’s going on here.  And when I have a performer come in, say Alison Fraser…

Seth: The original Trina in Falsettos, well, March of the Falsettos…go on…

Gary: We’ll talk about her work for a week or two prior…

Seth:  You mean, you and the kids will?

Gary: Yeah, yeah

Seth: And they are like, 6-years-old?

Gary: Yeah, six, seven, seven-years-old.

Seth: Aren’t they like, “What’s Equity?” How do they understand anything?

Gary: Well, we have discussions about that.  I really let them lead the discussion and, you know, I start with Googling Alison Fraser or Bryce Pinkham and we have a discussion about that.  What really helps is if I am really into that performer.

Seth: Of course

Gary: Like Alison Fraser, I love her work so much.

Seth: Yeah, she’s amazing.

Gary: So that I am able to talk about what she did in Romance/Romance or The Secret Garden so one day we just talk about The Secret Garden and all of those things play into what the kids are going to bring into the conversation.

Seth: So, even if they’re musical theater stars and a lot of the kids are hearing impaired it doesn’t matter that they can’t necessarily hear them singing.

Gary: No.  And Elizabeth Ward Land, I don’t know if you know…

Seth: I know Elizabeth Ward

Gary: She came in and she sang a song.  Alison Fraser sang a song. Most of the kids in my class are CODAs, that means they are Children of Deaf Adults so their first language is American Sign Language so the interaction there is that they can obviously hear but I have the support of the interpreter there to make sure that their first language is covered.

Seth: Wait a minute, so the kids are actually hearing. So, what’s the ratio of the kids in your class of hearing vs. not hearing?

Gary: I have 21 kids and 17 of them are CODAs.  That means most of them are children of Deaf adults.

Seth: But they themselves can hear?

Gary: Yes

Seth: And then the other children are Deaf?

Gary: Deaf or hard of hearing, right.

Seth: I see. What an interesting combination. What kind of school is this?

Gary: It’s a dual language school.

Seth: I see.

Gary: We do spoken English and written English and then ASL – American Sign Language.

Seth: Oh, it’s all so creative on so many different levels. So, you have these Broadway performers come in and perform and read these books. What I like about it is I’ve met so many Broadway stars who say it wasn’t until they were 20 that they realize they could have a career as a Broadway…like “We didn’t know you could get paid for being on Broadway” So I love that you are telling these 6-year-olds from the very beginning that you can actually have a job as an actor because a lot of people don’t realize that.

Gary: Yeah, and if anything else it’s an appreciation of the Arts, right?

Seth: Exactly

Gary: They live in NYC so I want not only to build maybe somebody who might be a performer but to build an audience so Broadway keeps going.

Seth:  I know. It drives me crazy that so many people that actually live in NY don’t go to Broadway.  I love that you’re doing this. Who decides on the books?  You do?

Gary: The original idea was that I would have the performers bring up a book that maybe they loved from childhood that was a favorite but that didn’t really go over.

Seth: Why not?

Gary: Nobody really had a big suggestion or they were more hesitant…

Seth: I sure do

Gary: …about bringing something in. Well, I have a book idea for you too.  I want you to come.

Seth: What? I want to bring in my own book!

Gary: Oh, you could do that.  But, I got you this book right here.

Seth: Oh, this is the book. Oh, hold on.  Let me see it then. I’m unwrapping on the air because people love dead air. Okay, so hold on.  It’s so well wrapped.  Did you wrap this yourself?

Gary: Yeah, yeah.

Seth: I am the worst wrapper.  I am super depressed.  Okay, so this is the sound of paper tearing. (Opens present) Audience can you verify that I am unwrapping and it’s not some bad sound effect?  The back is beautiful.  Ahhhh, this would be a good book for me.  Audience look It’s called The Bear and the Piano. 

Gary: Do you know that one?

Seth: No, I don’t know it at all. OMG, it’s so lovely.

Gary: Yeah, it’s a beautiful book.  It’s about learning to play the piano and it’s about going off and following your dreams and coming home again to the people that love you.

Seth: It’s a more sensitive book. Mine that I’m obsessed with is Nosey Mrs. Rat.  Do you know that book?

Gary: No, I don’t.

Seth: It is hilarious. It’s about a Be-yitch of a rat who is really snoopy and she literally has helium balloons so she can float up and look through the windows of her neighbors, she’s such a bitch (laughs).  Anyway, but this one is much more sensitive The Bear and the Piano. It’s so beautiful too.

Gary: No, if you come you can read whatever you want. You know, I would love that.

Seth: I love the illustrations in this.  So, this is…I am trying to think of how people can adapt this.  They don’t always have Broadway performers so how would you adapt this to another city?

Gary: Well, what I…the idea is to take what you have in your community…

Seth:  Ahhh

Gary: …and make the most of it.  So, at the very least teachers can invite parents in to read a book. And it’s about building excitement for literacy.  It’s about kids wanting to come to school. You know, when I was little if there was an event I was more excited to go to school.

Seth: Totally

Gary: And obviously I am someone who loves school in the first place but I remember waking up early and really wanting to come to school and I want to give that to the kids I teach.

Seth: So you build it up. You don’t just say, “They’re coming today” You build it up weeks in advance.

Gary: Yeah, weeks in advance.  And then we talk about it afterwards.  Right now they are very theatrically wise.  Michael Urie was in…

Seth: Ah, he’s so great.

Gary: Yes, he was.  He was fantastic.  He was the last one, the last guest we had this year.  Right before him was Julianne Moore and Nathan Lane…

Seth: NATHAN LANE! Did he scare the kids with a loud voice?

Gary: No, No and I was hoping he would (audience laughs) but he didn’t.  But the kids became very theatrically wise so they went off script because most of the time I ask them to come up with three questions, which we develop and we kinda stick to that but by the time he came they were asking him, “Do you have any Tony Awards?” “Do you know…”

Seth: Oh, so they hurt his feelings. Wonderful. (laughter) He has to say, “No, I don’t” It’s very kind of you. Do not ask me that question if I come because I’ll be literally devastated.  (laughs).

Gary: (laughs) Okay

Seth: So, in conclusion…Okay, this particular program is called

Gary: Broadway Books First Class

Seth: Broadway Books First Class.  Oh, I get it First Class.  And you can develop it in your community and how can people contact you to just say, “How do you actually do it?” Do you have a website or something?

Gary: Yeah, it’s Broadway Books First Class dot com

Seth: Oh, that’s easy

Gary: And there’s a tab where it says “Contact” and you can send me an email and I’ll get that and I’d love to talk to people about it.

Seth: And there’s no apostrophe in Broadway’s books?

Gary: No, no

Seth: Wait, Broadway Books.  I see, Broadway Books Fist Class dot com.  It’s such a great idea.  And get this book it’s so beautiful it’s called The Bear and the Piano or Nosey Mrs. Rat, which is hilarious. Alright, thank you Dr.!

Gary: Thank you so much.  I appreciate it.
Seth: Applause from the audience in the next room.  Excellent fake applause people.

Fundraising

Photo Credit: Kim Weild

Broadway Books First Class ushers in Year Three in October with a visit from Tony Award Nominee - and Jafar in Disney's Aladdin - Jonathan Freeman.

The program, originally conceived for children in First Grade, has expanded its reach over time. In Year Two I partnered with Kori Rushton of IRT Theater to create Broadway Books Upper Class. This year I am working with children in First and Second Grades, as well as a class of preschool children.

Broadway Books First Class celebrates the Arts and promotes literacy by inviting Broadway performers into the classroom to read children's books and talk about life in the theater. The guest artists also autograph copies of the books for the students to take home.

In the past, I have received grants and donations to purchase these fabulous books.  This year I am hoping to raise money through a project posted on DonorsChoose.

The books (above) represent a variety of topics rooted in the theory of counter storytelling and components of critical literacy (in addition to simply being wonderful books).  They promote discussion and questioning as they allow children to see themselves in the books they read.

I am very excited by the prospect of sharing these books with the children and welcoming the guest artists this year, including Julie Halston, Douglas Sills, Charles Busch, Anthony Lee Medina, Alison Fraser, Devlin Elliott, Kim Weild, Kecia Lewis, Alexandra Wailes, Ali Stroker, Seth Rudetsky and Vanessa Williams.

As of this writing the project has received over $1,200 in donations but still needs another $1,600 to become fully funded.  Please consider supporting the program with a donation (every dollar helps).

You may follow this link to learn more about the project.

UPDATE: THIS PROJECT WAS FULLY FUNDED ON OCTOBER 3, 2017.  THANK YOU TO THE FOLKS WHO DONATED TO SUPPORT LITERACY AND THE ARTS IN THE CLASSROOM!

A Broadway Books First Class Visit from Julianne Moore

First Graders embracing what makes them unique with Julianne Moore

Julianne Moore is a wildly successful actress, well known and well respected - she won an Academy Award! - for tackling the complicated inner lives of ordinary (and extraordinary) women in a way that allows audiences to understand and empathize with them.

She also writes children's books.

Her work as an author for the elementary school set is distinguished by the same standard of quality she brings to performing.

The Freckleface Strawberry book series showcases her uncanny knack for capturing the everyday experiences and exuberant drama inherent in the life of a seven-year-old.

So, it was an incredible honor to welcome her into my first grade classroom to read those stories and discuss the writing process with my fledgling authors. Julianne joyfully interacted with the children in American Sign Language (ASL) - yes, she signs! - and happily encouraged their participation throughout the visit.

Freckleface Strawberry is a "story about a little girl who is different...just like everybody else".

It was inspired by Julianne's childhood experiences when her red hair and freckles caused some angst and earned her the nickname Freckleface Strawberry. However, as adults, we realize that our troublesome childhood problems don't seem to bother us so much anymore. The eponymous picture book is a story of coming to accept - and eventually celebrate - the things about ourselves that are unique.

Freckleface Strawberry sends the message that rather than losing sleep worrying about conforming or fitting in or wanting desperately to adhere to the perception of "normal" that children instead embrace you-ness. Of course, that is easier said than done and that's why it is up to those of us who know better to provide example upon example of the tenets of acceptance, love, tolerance and forgiveness of others...and ourselves.

A student introduces himself to Julianne Moore in American Sign Language

That message made me wonder about how it plays out in the everyday lives of my students. As Children of Deaf Adults (CODAs) how do they feel about having deaf parents in a hearing-centric society? Do they see the benefits of being bilingual? Is any of this even an issue?

To understand my current students better I enlisted the help of three former kindergarten/first grade students; Kinda, Michael and Lana. My little babies - I taught Michael for four years beginning when he was just 3-years-old in preschool - are now all grown up and attending college. I wrote each of them asking how they felt growing up as a CODA. Their responses were insightful and they all reflected that their reactions were situational (i.e., based on the community around them).

Being a CODA as a child, created very different perspectives for me at the time. When it was school related, I was always embracing the fact that my classmates and I knew American Sign Language because we were able to make the silliest jokes from across the room if we weren't able to speak at the time. However outside of school, I mostly had the attitude every kid had whenever parents wanted us to do something for them.  In my case - and as well as other CODAs I'm sure - whenever my parents needed an interpreter, I was always the one to do it. It was always "Ugh why? I don't want to do it" or "Can't you postpone it?" At the time these appointments they needed me to help translate seemed so long and tiring. I nearly always complained. My feelings being a child of a deaf adult(s) really depended on the situation. 

When I was younger, I never wished my parents weren't deaf, I was amongst other CODAs and so I didn't feel different, we all have had the same experiences with our parents. As I was transitioning from middle school to high school and I was in a whole new different environment and they would have parent teacher conferences or anything that involved the parents I was shy and always excluded my mother...sometimes teachers would ask, how come your parent doesn't come to your (dance) performances?

And like Freckleface Strawberry there is a "happily ever after" when our differences are woven into the fabric of who we are and the person we become...

Growing up, I learnt that being a CODA is something I'd never change. Having deaf parents has been a learning experience.  It gave me a sense of identity in this world. I love the community I am a part of and I love what the culture has brought into my life.

I love being a CODA and I'm so grateful to be blessed with deaf parents.

So we teach. We teach in the classroom. We teach by example in our daily lives. We teach through writing. We teach by being role models. And we teach by sharing our own experiences with a willingness to be vulnerable, honest and open.

Julianne Moore reading Freckleface Strawberry beside ASL interpreter Lynnette Taylor

The Freckleface Strawberry books as crafted by Julianne Moore are chock full of those moments wherein potential roadblocks for children coping with being "different" are met head on. For example, in Backpacks! the character Windy Pants Patrick is seen eating breakfast with his two moms in direct juxtaposition with Freckleface Strawberry and her (more traditional) family. On the next page the children set off to school with a big kiss from their respective parents. The focus is, rightly, on family and love and for many children with two moms or two dads it allows them to see themselves in the pages of the books they read. The effects of that are immeasurable. Brava Julianne!

Each child is different...just like everybody else.

In our first grade literacy curriculum we spend time immersed in series books. We study and write books with the same characters (e.g. Curious George) who engage in different adventures across several titles. The Freckleface Strawberry books, with their relatable characters and storylines, are a perfect fit and every first grade teacher should have them in his or her arsenal of high-quality children's books to pull out again and again, year after year to help meet the objectives surrounding the teaching and learning of series books.

It also helps when you have a guest author like Julianne Moore answering questions about the writing process. The children asked, "Do you like your books and do you ever make mistakes?"

Questions and answers with Julianne Moore

She explained that she likes stories about real people and that inclination has influenced both her choice of roles and her writing. And yes, she told them, "I make a lot of mistakes. Oh, yes! Especially when I am first writing...I read it and think, 'That's bad. I don't like it. I need to do it again.' And so I write it again and again and again until I am happy with it. You have to practice."

BINGO!

In an instant the faces of the little ones showed amazement and relief. It's difficult sometimes for first graders to untangle the mess that is the creative process involved with writing stories. They shared that they sometimes have trouble thinking of ideas and - God love her - Julianne expressed the importance of concentrating and focusing on your work. "But, it still should be fun because the stories can be about anything. They can be about you, about things you like to do, things you imagine. Anything you want...anything you want."

That right there is some great advice.

Julianne Moore donated signed copies of Loose Tooth! for ever child in First Grade

As an added surprise Julianne gave out copies of her chapter book Freckleface Strawberry Loose Tooth!, which she brought in for all the children. The chapter books in the Freckleface Strawberry series are perfect for beginning readers who can tackle them on their own by applying their newfound reading strategies. As the children read I kept hearing, "Just like us!" because the characters engage in activities that are similar to their own experiences. Relatable = motivation to read = better readers.

After more than an hour together we all hugged Julianne goodbye but she had one last surprise up her sleeve.

Shortly after her visit I received copies of all of the Freckleface Strawberry books signed, "To Gary and his class. Love, Julianne Moore"  How amazing is that?

As a child I was a bit of a nerdy bookworm (just ask my brothers who teased me with the expression, "Reading is fun for mentals") but, like Freckleface Strawberry, I have come to embrace that aspect of myself and celebrate that I am different...just like everybody else.

Becoming...

Sketching young Heracles with the pelt of the Nemean Lion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Something quietly blossomed this afternoon and it was beautiful - my first graders became a family.

I've noticed this week that the seeds of cooperation, respect, kindness and "oneness" started bearing fruit. One by one and then seemingly all at once this amazing group of children started to move away from their little egocentric tendencies and operate as a unit.

It was evident during reading workshop yesterday when they were scattered around the room quietly reading. A palpable sense of determination and collective joy hung in the air.

Each child applauded the achievements of his or her classmates whose reading assessments indicated they had moved up a level. There were discussions about books. Incredible insights into the author's message being shared on strips of paper and placed into books. Children recommending titles to one another. A sense of purpose prevailed.

These interactions appear to be the cumulation of our time together, which includes lessons in being mindful and taking mind breaks 3 times a day to center our thoughts.

But today we took a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see sculptures of the Greek heroes we've been studying and the kids impressed the shit out of me.

Sketching Andromeda and the Sea Monster

I think they impressed everyone around us too.

As we gathered around a statue of Andromeda I asked them several questions such as, "Why is she looking up?" and "How is this artist's depiction different from the one you had visualized?  How is it the same?" Their answers prompted onlookers to ask disbelievingly, "How old are these students? What grade is this?" They carried themselves like college students on a museum trip.

Then they sat down to sketch and became fully immersed in the activity. So much so that I was ready to move on long before they were.

On the sidelines two artists sat sketching. Their drawings were not only of the artwork but included my little masterpieces as well. They kindly agreed to share their work with the students and offered tips on how to utilize the paper to maximize the drawing space.

Two kind artists share their sketches

Later, they sat on the ground with a group of children who had questions or who were becoming frustrated with their artistic skills. Role models are everywhere if you keep your eyes open. New York City is a wonderful teacher.

Next, we moved slightly to the left to study Perseus with the head of Medusa. If a bare-breasted Andromeda was cause for giggles and fascination, a naked Perseus seemed even more so.

But that quieted as they set to sketch. We had discussed nudity in art prior to the visit so establishing an openness and artistic viewpoint on the human body beforehand helped minimize - somewhat - the gasps, stares and pointing.

Sketching Perseus with the head of Medusa

However, they captured it all in their sketches.

A child's sketch of an older Heracles cloaked in the skin of the Nemean Lion

We ended the trip with a visit to the rooftop for some very interesting art and an exquisite view of the Manhattan skyline.

Adrián Villar Rojas, The Theater of Disappearance

What a day! The little ones are growing up and I feel like my mom when she says, "I wish I could keep you kids little forever". It always seems like just when things start running smoothly and a class becomes everything a teacher could wish for, they move on.

Still, I have them until June 28 so I'll be practicing mindful appreciation until I have to say farewell.