We celebrated Dot Day this year at my school, thanks to our fabulous art teacher. We all read the book and she had us leave our mark. So cool!
Originally posted Nov 28, 2014
Her teacher smiled. "Just make a mark and see where it takes you."
Art class is over, but Vashti is sitting glued to her chair in front of a blank piece of paper. The words of her teacher are a gentle invitation to express herself. But Vashti can’t draw - she’s no artist. To prove her point, Vashti jabs at a blank sheet of paper to make an unremarkable and angry mark. "There!" she says.
That one little dot marks the beginning of Vashti’s journey of surprise and self-discovery. That special moment is the core of Peter H. Reynolds’s delicate fable about the creative spirit in all of us.
We read this book as part of our character lessons on influence. The children pointed out how the teacher was an influence on Vashti and helped her realize her talents, and then Vashti was able to be an influence on someone else.
Now, everytime one of my students gives me a drawing and I ask them to sign it, they smile. :)
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