Written by Spring 2026 AFA Intern/TAP Extern Noor Tannir
Session 1:
On my first visit to PS15, I joined Ms. Briget’s first-grade classroom for an Earth Day-themed lesson and art activity. Ms. Briget began the class by asking the students what they knew about Earth Day and why people celebrate it. The students were incredibly eager to participate and share their ideas. Many of them talked about protecting animals and taking care of the planet, and one student excitedly brought up the importance of “reducing, reusing, and recycling.” It was wonderful to see how engaged the students already were with conversations about the environment and sustainability.
After the discussion, the students worked on an Earth Day art activity where they created heart-shaped Earth drawings and colorful projects inspired by nature. The students were very excited to use the art materials and worked hard on their drawings, carefully coloring and decorating their work. Some students needed extra help using scissors and glue, while others worked very independently and eagerly assisted their classmates. One especially sweet moment was seeing how proud the students were of their finished projects and how happy they became whenever they received encouragement or compliments on their work. The classroom felt energetic, collaborative, and full of creativity throughout the lesson.
Session 2:
During my second session at PS15, I returned to Ms. Briget’s classroom, this time with a second-grade class continuing their Earth Day discussions. Ms. Briget asked the students what Earth Day means to them, and the students had many thoughtful responses about protecting nature and keeping the Earth clean. One student explained that Earth Day is about “cleaning our planet from pollution and trash,” while another expressed concern about polar bears and melting ice caps. It was impressive to hear the students connect environmental issues to the world around them and speak so passionately about protecting animals and the planet.
For the art activity, the students created colorful heart collages connected to themes of recycling and caring for the Earth. The class talked again about reducing, reusing, and recycling while working on their projects. The students were excited to cut, glue, and arrange their materials, and many proudly held up their finished hearts to show the class. I loved seeing how art became a way for the students to process and express their ideas about the environment in such a creative and personal way.
Session 3:
Also at PS15, I joined Mx. Bryne and Ms. Kalyani’s first-grade classroom for a lesson that revisited material from the previous week. The class discussed a physical mural process they had worked on together, and the students were eager to talk about what they remembered from the project. Mx. Bryne and Ms. Kalyani asked the students questions about imagery and meaning within the artwork, and the students enthusiastically participated in the conversation. One student excitedly shared that they had worked on drawing a globe, while another proudly remembered creating clouds for the mural.
The students then continued working on collaborative fabric patterns and art pieces using glue and colorful materials. One student created a rainbow design, which brought a lot of excitement to the table. The students seemed very engaged in both the creative process and the teamwork involved in building artwork together. It was lovely to observe how naturally they collaborated, shared supplies, and celebrated each other’s ideas throughout the activity.
Session 4:
During my final session at PS15, I observed Mx. Bryne and Ms. Kalyani’s second-grade classroom working on spring-themed collage projects. The students were creating colorful scenes featuring animals, grass, flowers, and other spring imagery. The classroom was lively and social, with students eagerly discussing their artwork with one another while carefully assembling their collages. Many of the students were especially excited to include animals in their scenes, and it was fun to see the different creative directions each student took with the assignment.
One thing that stood out to me during this session was how supportive and playful the classroom environment felt. The students laughed together, complimented each other’s work, and proudly showed their finished collages around the room. I also noticed artwork from previous Arts For All sessions displayed throughout the classroom, which made it clear how much value was placed on student creativity and expression. It was wonderful to end my shadowing experience by seeing how art fostered not only creativity, but also confidence, collaboration, and joy among the students.
