If you can't say anything nice...

I just have a small gripe. A note to non-art teachers who happen upon young artists at work: PLEASE think about what you say with regards to a student's art work. Your sarcastic and supposedly funny remark that the child's self-portrait makes him look like an alien or your theatrical, "What's THAT?!", as you feign horror is NOT funny at all. It is, in fact, hurtful and damaging to the confidence that I'm trying to build in my students. Seriously. THINK. After all, you teach these kids, too, and you konw how fragile their self-confidence is. While the student may laugh with you, because he likes you and doesn't want you to know you've upset him, I'm the one spending the rest of the class period convincing the student to take the drawing back out of his desk and talking him through its strengths, because the work he was proud of until 5 minutes ago is now a source of shame and isn't good enough. You just set me back an entire school year of trying to help my students take risks and gain confidence in their work and break free of the need to make their art fit the preconceived expectations of people like you. Thanks a lot. The next time you feel compelled to comment on my students' work, remember what you learned in Kindergarten: BE NICE. And if you truly are so unimaginative that you can't find something positive to offer, just stay quiet.