First day of school and drawing

On the first day of school I want to help my students deconstruct the first day of school and their conceptions of art. 

We'll start with a getting to know you activity. We'll maybe start with a conventional getting to know you activity where each student asks the person next to them the conventional questions. 

"What is your name?"
"Where are you from?"
"What do you like to do?"

I'll then spend some time deconstruction the first day of school, starting out with a discussion of what students expect from me on the first day of school.  We might make a list on the board.  I'd expect it'd say "going over the syllabus, getting to know you activities, introductions, etc." 

We'll then talk about the process of getting to know someone, and why we often start it the same way.  Why do we ask the same questions? Are those things important to them?  Do we even remember them?  What do you want people to know about you?  What do you want to really know about someone else?

We'll then do an activity where everyone will write a question and send it in to me.  I will answer the questions (unless they are inappropriate).

Next we'll take a test!  This will be a Dr. Graham test.  I want to ask them questions like this:

What is an artist? 
What will happen in this art class?
What makes an art class a good art class?
What makes a teacher good? 

I'm considering putting a scale on there that looks like this:

And having them rate themselves on the scale:


Not artist -----------------------------------------------------------------------------Artist


Then I'll have them answer the question of why they are or are not artists.  We will deconstruct this idea next time.

Now onto the topic of DRAWING.

I do think it's important to teach drawing.  Whether or not drawing is going to be a main part of each student's art practice or not, I think drawing connects us to art history and to the art discipline.  I think for me, most importantly drawing teaches us to see.  I would want a drawing foundation course to be about that.  About learning to see the world around you.  I think it is important for them to grapple with representational and observational drawing.  I think it's also important for them to explore conceptual drawing.  I want them to expand drawing past their original conceptions.  I want them to break their idea of "artist" and "not artist" and also consider what it is that makes art important or relevant.  I also want them to spend a significant amount of time drawing things that are relevant to them.  I want them to really consider what is significant to them and then make iterations and push themselves further.  I want them to deconstruct the world through drawing.