I attended a party here for my daughter's friend. These were 6 year olds, keep in mind 6 year…read moreolds.We got there early and Mrs. Barbara was very nice and had my daughter stomp on some things so it could be easily thrown away. We talked and she told me she was serious about her art and didn't play with that going out of the line business and leaving "snow" what she called it as white spaces. More people came they started the art. She kept telling them this was a time to be nervous and they were only allowed 3 mistakes. I could see some kids faces looked actually nervous. My daughter couldn't see one of the little lines and called me over to help , I was showing her where to draw the line. Mrs. Barbara told me that I wasn't allowed to do that and if my child was taking a math test would I be allowed to help her. I was being talked to like a child. Later, I was standing in the back of the room and doing absolutely nothing, she calls out to me and tells me, mom restrain yourself, restrain yourself from helping. I just smiled and said, I'm not doing anything. Later, Mrs. Barbara asked the kids to take out a light pink sharpie marker, yes sharpie permanent markers they used, but then Mrs. Barbara changed her mind and told them I mean the dark pink sharpie marker. My daughter didn't hear her and another child didn't either. I whispered to them to get the other pink. Again, Mrs. Barbara was telling t he kids they were only allowed 3 mistakes and this was a time to be nervous ( again we're at a birthday party). The mom of the birthday girl asked me to help her with something in the other room and as I was leaving out, Mrs. Barbara shouted to me, yes mom , go , you need to go. I was appalled, but again I didn't say anything because I was at someone else's party , even though I felt justified to take up for myself but of course do it in a classy way, but I didn't want to upset anyone because I didn't know how the parents of the birthday girl would react or if they would of thought it was inappropriate to say some thing for their daughters party even though I wasn't doing anything wrong and still being picked on. I felt bad for a little girl, she was doing her work and talking to her friend( birthday party) and Mrs. Barbara kept making it a big deal and saying that she needed to hush it or she was going to move her to another table and even did a knocking motion on her own head and said, maybe I need to knock on your head and remind you to be quiet when you talk. You could see the little girl was embarrassed. She shouted out another girls name who was just talking to the person next to her. She told another girl, what I told you about sitting on your feet. Most parents dropped their kid off and left. I and two other parents were the only ones that stayed besides the birthday girls parents. I've never been to a party where the kids were not allowed to talk, they could only sing a "raffle song" Mrs. Barbara made up and they would sing it before Mrs. Barbara would pull a name for a candy. I understand she takes her art seriously and that the kids need to draw, but this was not an actual class, it was a birthday party that felt like a strict classroom . I am a school teacher and I know for a fact that 6 year olds need extra support, movement, etc. I know for a fact that some kids need extra cues, thumbs up for reassurance, modifications of directions, extra time before moving on to next step, extra modeling of the task, as I have taught Special Ed and have other experiences. My daughter didn't talk the whole time and looked sad, later she told me she didn't want to get in trouble for talking and that she felt bad that the lady "Mrs. Barbara " was being mean to me. She was also hungry...lol
She was proud of her artwork though . I do think Mrs. Barbara knows her stuff about art and is passionate about it but she could lighten up a little and realize that some kids might need extra support or reassurance. Keep in mind they were 6, they all could use extra cues and reassurance.
