Self-portraits are a significant part of our SK curriculum. They offer an opportunity for students to use their creativity, connect learning from other parts of the curriculum, and practice reflection.

We have been making self-portraits throughout the year using different mediums and focusing on different areas. Our first self-portrait was done with pencil, then traced with black ink. During this experience, we focused on adding details like eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, and teeth. This was a challenge at the beginning of the year, as every child was at a different developmental level of drawing, and adding that amount of detail was new for them.

During the year, we varied the experience of self-portraiture. One way was to draw oneself in a certain mood or feeling. When they finished tracing with black pen and adding color with crayon, we invited them to paint over the whole picture with watercolor that corresponded with their feeling. This related to the learning we had done throughout the year about emotions. We created another self-portrait using loose parts—materials that can be used in more than one way. We used frames to give a boundary of space to place their materials and had a table full of loose parts to choose from. They used their creativity to include all the details of their face, as they had practiced before in drawing. We observed children thriving in these different ways of expression as they shared their reflections with the teachers.

For our culminating SK self-portrait, students engaged in a symmetrical drawing exercise. This involved providing each student with a photograph of half of their face and prompting them to draw the other half. This activity linked to our study of butterflies and the concept of symmetrical wing patterns. We anticipated challenges with this approach and were impressed by the students' attention to detail. They were captivated by the process of completing their portraits, demonstrating careful consideration for the size and dimensions of each feature they added.