Student Teacher Visit

Today we were able to hear first hand from someone that student taught within this last year. I believe that I learned a great deal from him.  The biggest thing his presentation reminded me was to take advantage of the experience. This will be the last time I will get help before my own classroom. With that it is important to get all of the advice I can get.

With that I learned that sometime your cooperating teacher might not be as good at giving you the feedback you would like. He discussed how he had a difficult time with one of his teachers. He said that he really had to ask him to get any sort of feedback what so ever.  As, someone that can be reserved I think it is important for me to realize as well that it doesn’t hurt to ask him or her for advice. They might not be saying it out loud but maybe they do have something to say. Also have your cooperating teacher help you take care of classroom management issues. Let them stand by as you take control of a situation. Do to liability issues it is important for them to be there thought.

The other thing that came to my attention while he was student teaching was lesson plans. He implied that he spent a lot of time working on lesson plans and therefore had many late nights. I don’t doubt that this will happen either way but it made me realize that I should probably put together some sort of binder or something of lesson plans that I can take from in the future. One is going to need a lot of them for many different grade levels. I think my sleep is important to me so working ahead of the game with a lot more lesson plans then I currently have would be a really good idea. 

Unions

Today we had a couple speakers come in to speak to our class about unions.  What I learned was the unions were really and advocate to the teaching profession. They helped to make agreements within districts to make teaching situations fair to the staff. They negotiate what is in the contracts. This means they help to decide things such as the duties you will have, how many sick days you are allowed, and more. Even though a lot of good can come from unions there are some negatives as well. For instance if you are not tenured they cannot really help you. For instance if you are being fired for unjust reasons they wouldn’t be able to do anything unlike someone that was. They might also support ideas that you do not agree with but you are forced to pay into them.

Overall when I think about unions I think that its nice knowing that there is someone looking out for you and for your best interest. Its seems like for the most part they want the conditions for the teacher to be fair which in return makes a better environment for not only the staff but also the students. In ways I hope that we can find a way to bring back some of the powers of the union that the state took away. So, hopefully in the future there will be someone to stick up for the teachers again. 

Reflection of teaching experience.

Throughout my classroom experience I learned many things from the students and my cooperating teacher.  I discovered that there are going to be ups and downs in teaching as well. I think I am someone who tries to be extremely positive and sometimes conditions will challenge that. In the end though it is important to remember the students are my main priority.

Being the end of the year with my experience I was there at a time when schools are trying to decide what they are going to be doing the following year. I definitely felt the stress of the teaching staff with the lurking possibilities of whether they would or would not make the cut.  So, It came to my attention that as much as I might love my job there will be some negative and stressful aspects that come my way. One teacher even asked me, “So, are you sure you still want to be a teacher?“  My answer to them was yes. I realize teaching is a tough career but I hope that I can make light of things. I noticed some of that negativity traveled into the classroom and I feel like no matter how hard things maybe the classroom is about the students. Making sure the students come first and that they are being brought up in an environment they can strive in. So, my hope is that in the future if I am going through some challenges of my own I will continue to keep a positive outlook in the classroom.

In terms of teaching I learned a great deal. I learned that it is so important not to assume that students just know things.  They really do need to be reminded every time you take out the paints or other materials how you properly use them. Even if you have been using them everyday for a week it seems like they sometimes just forget. So, reminders are not a bad. They will only help you keep your materials longer. 

Some great advice I also received through out the semester was getting to know your teaching staff and community. When you are in need of supplies there are many people that would be willing to help you out. For instance get to know your principal, secretaries, and librarians as I was told that they would help work wonders.  Also I was told don’t be afraid to ask local businesses if they have extra supplies. Sometimes they are willing to help a lot.

Overall I think this experience has helped me grow a great deal. I have worked a tremendous amount with elementary students so this opportunity to work with an older age group was rewarding. I learned that the high school students were really independent with their work. They didn’t need as much help as the younger students. What I learned about middle school also surprised me, as they still really do need a lot of guidance. Once they get started they are typically fine but in order to reach that point they really do need to be taken through step by step. Either way this experience has me truly excited to have the opportunity to work with all age groups and learn more about them as I start student teaching in the fall. 

Final day in the classroom.

Today in the ceramics room the students were still finishing up their mugs.  It was interesting to see the though process that some of the student put into their creations. I watched one boy that really though about the placement of his handle and what his intentions were for it. He wanted it to resemble the rest of the mug but be comfortable for use.  He was really the only student I saw that put as much effort into their handles in terms of making it really a part of the piece and not just there because it needs to be.  Today was the day before prom as well so it seemed like many of the students had checked out already for the day. In general it really just seemed like the students were too excited for the weekend to really focus on their work. So, I am thinking that some of the projects might have had more effort placed into them if they were in the right mindset. Fortunately they still have more time to work on the mugs.

Today was a day with no fifth grade, which was ok because this gave me more time to think about setup for my lesson plan on tints and tones with the 6^th grade.  During the time I also had a chance to grade projects on my own with my cooperating teacher making the final call. It was nice because he told me what he thought of my grade. Sometimes he thought I was being generous especially when I didn’t know the participation factor. Most of the time he agreed with the grades given. So, for me it was kind of nice to be able to talk through what I was giving the student for a grade as well as receive the input of another teacher.  Even though I absolutely love being able to work with the 5^th grade class I am glad that on this last day I had to opportunity to grade lessons again for the second time.

In the 6^th grade I got to start my own lesson this time. This was a lesson I had created on tints and tones. I decided that I didn’t want to do the usual value scale I wanted them to learn about tints and tones by creating a project that actually allowed them to create something. So I wanted each of the students to create a tints and tones tree. Tints for the leaves and tones would be for the trunk.  I think I took a lot of what I had learned from teaching the other lesson and really tweaked things when giving this lesson. I did things step by step and gave all the directions as well as ask for questions before I had them begin. Which was extremely important to get everything squared away. The only change I thought about was that I maybe would have like to see what they do if I give them the paper right away. So, that they could draw the tree with me. This way the lesson probably would have made it closer to the one-day mark and I may have been able to see the finished product.  Most unfortunately I only got to teach day 1 of my project, as I couldn’t take off work anymore to teach more then one day.  From what I was able to see it seemed like the students were getting it and I have no fear that they will have a great tints and tones tree at the end of the project. 

Day 8 in the classroom!

I started the day off with ceramics in the high school. I learned that they were starting to finish up platters and begin mugs. I also was lucky and got to help a few students on the wheel.  I have taking ceramics twice now because I too struggle with the wheel but I am a hundred times better now. So, i really connected with these students and tried to give them some pointers when I could. My cooperating teacher was helping them most of the time but when he stepped away I would ask how things were going. I asked what they thought of the wheel and they both thought that it was extremely challenging.  I think that it’s almost too bad that there is only a few wheels for a whole class to attempt to throw on. Throwing is something that takes time and only being required to throw once in a semester just is not enough to really learn how. I had to take 2 semesters worth of college ceramics and I still feel like I need more. I just think it would be nice if each student could even have a week that they were designated to use the wheel just so they could have a something that they might feel a little more ownership over. Other

In the 5^th grade they were continuing to make their still life fruit. So today I had lots of students to help as they were starting to create fruits they wanted to make. I found myself reminding students that they were going to be cutting things out. The fruits would be cut out and pasted onto another piece of paper. Some of them also needed to be reminded that it was ok to make things bigger versus the size of finger. The other things that I found myself helping students understand where to put their shadows and highlights. Some didn’t seem to grasp that the highlight and the shadow should really be next to each other. So I tried to draw little sketches for them to remind them to think about where the light is coming from and what happens to the spots nearest to the light and farthest away. That helped most of them.  Even with the challenges the students seemed to be getting close to the finish. Each of them had several fruit made and were getting ready for the final stages of placing the fruit and platter on a piece of paper made to look like a table with a table cloth.  I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Today was the final day for the mask project.  For me and for the students I think this was by far the most enjoyable day as well. At the beginning I reminded the students to respect the tools they would be using. From there it was time to start adding thing to their mask. I really saw students getting into things that weren’t really before at this point. Students were excited to show me what they had thought of doing for their mask as well as asking for advice. I think the best part on this day was seeing how proud everyone was of the masks they had created. I think the room was all smiles. My cooperating teacher even thought they did such a great job that he would allow them to have a little more work time in the next class if they wanted to add some finishing touches. Over all though the project turned out great. 

About the classroom

How do students act upon entering the classroom? How does the teacher act?

In the high school students enter and begin work right away.  The teacher seems to be doing his own thing for the first couple minutes and then goes on to remind the of what needs to be worked on for the day.

In the middle school students begin by sitting in their assigned seats. When the bell rings class begins promptly.  This means that the teacher will start giving the lesson at the front of the classroom.

How does the teacher get their attention to begin class? Is there a procedure for listening?

My cooperating teacher has a strong voice that he is able to lift over that of the students. It seems like the minute he lifts his voice the students bring down theirs. So typically all he needs to do is raise his voice in order to get things started.  This method seems to work in either class. In the middle school his also stands in the front, which implies he is ready to start.

What is current project?  What are the objectives? What are the materials used?

The current project in the high school is the sushi platters. The objective of this project is to hand build 3 sushi platters out of clay. 

In the 5^th grade they are making a still life. The objective of this project is that a student will create their own still life that involves a platter and 4 fruits. They will display the knowledge of highlights and shadows. They will also understand how to depth through the placement of their cut out images.  The students will use pastels and paper to create this project.

Comment on teacher’s instruction?

I only ever see workdays for the ceramics course, which basically just involves a short reminder of what needs to be done at the beginning of class. He also reminds them at the end when it is time to clean up.

In the 5^th and 6^th grade the demonstrations typically take place in the front of the classroom. They are generally a step-by-step approach that allows them to really see how they do certain skills. Other projects are a little more independent but today’s 5ht grade lesson is step by step. Through this he is able to make sure each student is on the right track.

In the past he has also introduced projects with a power point. During the power point he allows the students to sketch out their ideas. I am unsure whether I like this method or not. It keeps the students busy but it does make me wonder how much they are actually getting out of the power point.

How is classroom management?

The teacher manages the classroom by making the students aware of his expectations. When a student isn’t working in the high school he makes them work on something. He does raise his voice to makes points often but it does seem to make his students listen. In the middle school the students don’t really talk back to him at all if he tells them to stop the pretty much do it right away.  

Are the rules posted what are they?

I could not find the rules in the ceramics room besides reminders on the kiln shelves as to where certain items should go. For example if it’s a high fire or low fire item. This room is also not his typical room except for the ceramics classes.

His room does have rules posted.   They are to be safe. Which means no sink without permission and use materials and tools correctly.  Be responsible. Which was described as all regular school rules apply. Stay in seat and not talking if teacher is.  The last rule was to be respectful. This rule implied that you raise your hand, be patient, and arguing is not allowed.

How does the teacher address safety issues?

He addresses safety issues with each lesson. He gives special directions when different issues arise. For instance he limits who is allowed at the sink. He also engraves what the students need to know about each material so that it is used properly and many times that comes with safety too.

How dose the teacher handle breaks, radio or ipods, cell phones, cleanup, ect.

In the high school students are allowed to listen to ipods and the radio is always playing. They are also allowed to have their cell phones as I see them texting away in class. If they get their work done they are allowed those freedoms. It’s when they take advantage of them that they will be taken away.

In the middle school they are only allowed to listen to music during work times if my cooperating teacher feels like they are working hard. Cell phones and ipods are not permitted though.

In terms of cleanup there is a reminder during the last ten minutes of class where he tells the students what they need to do to clean up. In the highs school they just need to be told to start cleaning up as they know how to clean up the clay. In the middle school depending on the lesson he adjusts how he tells them to clean up. For instance today he simply told them to clean up and have one person put the pastels away nicely.

Does the teacher use a lesson plan, curriculum map, or a calendar to plan units?

In term of know what he is teaching he generally goes by the grade book from the year before and adjusts it as needed.  In terms of lesson plans he doesn’t actually have any on hand but he has some rubrics and power points that he uses with the lessons he planned in years past. With his years of experience he implied that he basically knows now what needs to be done so having the lesson plan is not as important.

Questions to the students:

What is their favorite project so far?

In the high school the students in the group I asked seemed to enjoy the current project the most. They liked the idea that they could use the sushi platters when they were done with them.

In the 5^th grade the students really enjoyed being able to work with clay. The students liked it since it wasn’t something that they didn’t always get to do.

What do you like about this project?

Again the students were working on sushi platters in the high school. The students were truly enjoying the project. They liked it because it was quick. This meant that they were able to spend a lot more time creating designs for their platters. They also liked that they were able to use different materials. They hadn’t been able to use the stamps until today.

In the 5^th grade the students enjoyed learning how to draw in 3d. They thought it was cool that they were able to make things not look flat anymore.

What do you like to draw?

In the high school I found a couple students that were interested in drawing people. They liked the challenges of drawing the face. I also found a few people that enjoyed doing things that were more nature based. This made a lot of sense when I noticed the flowers that I recalled seeing on their pieces a lot throughout the semester.

In the middle school I ran into all kinds of answers. The guys seemed to enjoy drawing action scenes where the girls where more interested in drawing a nature based project. 

Day 7 in the classroom

Today the ceramics classes were working on sushi platters again. What many of them were finding was if they had left the wood blocks in that made the shapes of their platters their pieces had cracked apart. The reason being clay shrinks and as it shrunk it became smaller then the blocks therefore causing them to crack and break. So several students found themselves disappointed but they definitely learned what they needed to do for next time.  One of the girls was also working on some of her own projects at the same time. She likes to ask for advice but its usually more of a what path should I take. Her project was of a clay head that she had made. I really enjoyed the piece as she did an excellent job carving features for him. This time she knew her path but I look forward seeing what this girl is capable of.

In the 5^th grade they begin their still life drawings. Normally with still life you would think that you would set up things for the students to look at but he decided to do things differently. The students were going through a step-by-step process of how to create an orange.  They had learned how to do a sphere the other day the biggest concern now was how can I add color to what I already learned.  Things seemed to be going well and students understood the concepts a great deal better then they had in the previous class.  So, I felt good knowing that they didn’t need my help as much this time. Some still did, as the challenging part was the highlights and shadows. By the end of the class each of the students had an orange that seemed to look, as it should. Next class period it will be interesting to see what they come up with for the rest of their fruit as I was told there would be more freedoms.

Today was the painting day of the plaster mask project.  What I learned from today is that you really need to have a good system setup for the students or everything gets crazy!  Paint requires a lot of materials and potential mess. Fortunately the 6^th grade is aware of the expectations when painting. They know that one person is to handle each of the chores for instance getting the paint, paint trays, water, and brushes. I ask and one person automatically volunteers. What I know though. Something I mental noted from today’s teaching was to make sure I tell them everything I want them to understand before I start asking for volunteers for the chores because once that happens they are on a whole new mindset. I did do better keeping them informed but I could see where that could have been a problem.  Today was a really fun day though because one really started to see the student’s masks come to life and I think they were truly starting to enjoy it. The plaster day was kind of the wait before the big event so now they are starting to get the rewards. They also seemed very excited to see the potential of their masks and what they could do on the final day when they are able to add things to the mask.  Many of the students also decided to change their project ideas from their sketches. It was nice though after Tuesday to feel better with the direction of the project.

Day 6 in the classroom and 2nd day of teaching.

In the ceramics classroom the students were creating sushi platters. Since I am coming in on the second day of this project it seemed like several of them had at least one that was started. They need to have 3 by the end.  Since there were many that did not even have 1 started though my cooperating teacher gave bonus points out to those that did as an incentive.  This seemed to light a fire for other students that they should probably get to work as well.  Walking around I was able to ask students what their plans were for the 3 platters. Most of them wanted to have them look similar and match. I could also see what students really enjoyed the project as they took their time to make it look neat. The other students just slapped things together to get done quickly.

In the 5^th grade they started to do some exercises that would prepare them for their still life project.  In today’s class they were learning about high lights and shadows as well as how to make something 3 dimensional. Given I have not worked with the 5^th grade for a while it really amazed me to see how challenging this was for them.  I thought it was a really good thing I was there because this allowed me to walk around and help the students that were really struggling, while the teacher continued to give examples on the board.  By the end of the class the students were starting to get it a little more but this was truly a challenge for each of them.

Honestly today I probably should not have gone to the school.  I had a cold that was leaving me extremely run down.  I knew that I needed to come because it was up to me to finish my lesson with the 6^th grade. This however proved to be a challenge due to how I was feeling.  I was already a little on the edge with teaching about plaster as this was the first time I had done so. I also knew we only had just a little bit of time to do this so I made sure to write the instructions on the board too. 

The biggest thing that I would change about today though is really making sure that I give all the directions right away, especially when you are sick and your voice is soft. I decided to split the directions in half and I shouldn’t have. So things started to not go as I wanted. Overall though I think I got really flustered today and even though it worked ok and each kid will have a mask I just really need to do plaster a whole new way next time.  That means giving ALL directions at the beginning and making sure that things are clear for them. So clarify if they have questions. Today wasn’t a complete fail but I think next time I will be better prepared. 

Day 5 in the classroom and first day of my lesson!

Today I only came for the last half of the day so I made it in time to be with the 5^th and 6^th grade. I wanted to be able to enjoy a little more time with my family for Easter break but also make it back in time to start my lesson.

In the 5^th grade they were glazing their mugs they had made in the class period before. This was quite the process, as it seemed like all of them had something to say about how fast the glaze dries and how it was difficult to glaze with the brushes in some places. What I noticed for the students was they put very little glaze on the brush and needed to be reminded it was ok to have a little more glaze on their brush. It has been nice to have the opportunity to work with this class as this week they are really starting to get use me being there.  I am no longer just a stranger their as they remember my name and are actually asking me for help by name. It’s hard when I was only seeing them every other week. So I’m glad that they are finally grasping who I am.

In the 6^th grade I started my first day of the plaster mask lesson. This was a lesson that my cooperating teacher has done in the past he wanted me to do with them.  Its unfortunate that we didn’t get much time to talk about his expectations for the power point because I didn’t realize that he was expecting me to talk for the entire class period until the day of. So I felt a little less prepared at that time. I thought that the information, which I wanted to give to the students, was great place for them to get started. I think they learned the purposes for masks and each of them had a great start to the project having sketches in mind. The only real dilemma that occurred was that some of the boys thought I would be good to make Hitler themed masks. I talked to each of them individually informing them that they needed to come up with something else, as this was inappropriate. I had to tell them twice before they finally took a new direction. I was definitely not expecting that to happen and I think in the future if I do a lesson like this one I will remind students that some things are not appropriate if things are questionable they probably should not be done. In my own classroom it will be nice because I will know more about discipline procedures.  Overall though I think there was a lot to learn from but I don’t think it went horribly I just think that next time there will be changes to make. 

Learning about grading and project assessments in my cooperating teacher’s classroom.

During this 4 teaching experience I was given the opportunity to help grade some of the 6^th grades past assignments with my cooperating teacher. What I learned from my cooperating teacher is how important the rubric is in his classroom. It is essentially what backs up his projects and defines why they are important. It shows parents what the students are learning and it also allows students to clearly see where they have missed the mark.

I thought that the layout of my cooperating teachers rubrics were interesting and I had never really seen one like it before but I though they were affective. In the rubric the top portion was a set of 5 questions worth 2 points each about the subject they were learning. For his he had fill in the blank questions that included a word bank to aid students. The next section was divided into 4 parts each worth ten points. The first was grading effort. Which was basically a place to grade whether they participated in class or not.  The next section was for craft. Which essentially asked if the student kept their work neat.  The 3^rd section was for content, which essentially graded whether the student included the needed elements in their work. The final part was called stretch. What this section did was grade whether the student went above and beyond.  As we graded the 6^th grades work I could definitely see how this dignified what they were doing. I also think that by including participation and questions this really makes a student realize that they need to pay attention and take part in class. It’s almost like a little reminder every time they come in.

Then after we were all done grading I was given the opportunity to help him put the scores into skyward.  He showed me how I look for the classes and one I get there I basically just need to type in the score in the proper section. This actually seemed fairly simple considering it is similar to putting things into an excel program. The only dilemma that came into play was he forgot to tell me that I needed to save everything before it times out or all will be lost. So, unfortunately the work I did for him wasn’t as helpful as intended. But an important lesson was learned as always. Remember to save! 

Day 4 in the classroom

Today was the before an extended Easter weekend. So it was a major wrap up day so that things would not dry up over the weekend.  Students were at several different places. Some were still working on masks others had already begun to glaze theirs.  It was interesting to see the ideas that occurred. Most masks seemed to take on an animal theme like a cat, parrot, and donkey to name a few. Others seemed to be more comical face with outlandish features.  For instance some of them had large noses or prominent eyebrows.  There wasn’t a lot to help with today, as the students seemed to be well on their way with the projects. So, I went around and asked what the students liked about the project. Most of them said they enjoyed being able to create a mask with a theme as many of them chose animals that they liked.

In the 5^th grade they also started a really quick one-day coil pot. For this lesson he basically gave each of the students a chunk of clay and gave them step-by-step instructions as they followed his lead.  I went around and helped students as he went that might have questions. He stayed in the front of the room so I thought this way I could be of help to those that were still not getting it. Once the students had a pinch pot made with several layers they were asked to add a handle to make it a mug as well as add pieces to create eyes and a mouth for their pot. For a quick day lesson each of them worked extraordinarily well to finish up the project.

The 6^th grade continued their aboriginal artworks. This time they started to add the dots to their sketches they had created during the previous class.  The students seemed to enjoy doing this project. Many of them were timid to transfer their sketches on to a bigger piece of paper though. Most of them only really made it to this first step of the project because of that fact. Unfortunately that means they won’t get back to this project for a few weeks, as I will be starting my lesson the next week. Another thing I noticed was that students didn’t always take advantage of the amount of paper they were given. So, it will be interesting to see how these projects turn out. 

Day 3 in the classroom.

Today was the start of a new project for the ceramics classes. Well, for me it was a new project. They had introduced the project with a Power Point the class period before.  What this project involved was creating a mask that you mind find hung up on a tree. So, many of the masks seemed to take on a nature theme. However they were not limited to that several people started to create faces as well.  While walking around today I asked the students what Ideas they had for the projects. Most of them implied that they were not completely sure at this point and where just going to start playing around today to see what they came up with. For these students I tossed around a few general topics they might consider.  Some of the students were also starting to glaze their slab pots, as they were bisque. Today overall was another workday for the ceramics class. I am interested to see what ideas they started to come up with as I return the next Friday.

The 5^th grade was starting another project as well on one-perspective. This time they were learning about how to create a road and buildings that came to a vanishing point. Unfortunately I didn’t really get to help the students as much, as it was mainly a teaching day. I was also given a job to help create a poster for the art show they would be having the next week during this time.

The 6^th grade was starting a new project lesson on aboriginal art. Today they received a power point on the subject and learned about Australia. During the time they were asked to draw sketches of animals for their own projects. This took the entire period.  Because he was giving a power point presentation I was limited to only really observing how the class reacted. I’m not completely sure if I am sold on having them sketch during the power point but it does seem like it kept them busy. I just don’t know how much information they actually retain that way. 

How do you prepare for being evaluated by your principal?

My evaluating teacher described how other person being in the classroom normally does not bother him.  He explained that his principal would normally tell him when he is coming, so this would all him to inform the principal of what he will be teaching.  He will typically send the Principal the rubric and standards that will be covered in the lesson ahead of time.  He also explains that he likes to do fun lessons when the principal comes to observe. For instance for his last observation he dressed up as Grandma Moses for the day. It sort of brings a new element to the table.

I think that when it comes time for me to be observed by the principal I will definitely consider some of the things my cooperating teacher has done. I think that it is important to share with them what it is you will be doing in the classroom that day. So I think that sending him my lesson plans and rubrics, which contain the standards that are being met, are important for him to have.  This way they know what the intentions of the lesson are especially when they may not be familiar with the arts. That will give them the background they will need. I think in terms of preparation I would do something that I am comfortable with. For example I would probably not want to dress up in front of my principal because that is not something that suits my personality. I feel like it is a time to be professional and show them I am doing well and the students are learning.  So, I think the best thing I can do is just plan everything out like any other lesson and be prepared  because that will make the lesson run smoothly. 

Day 2

Today students were still working on the slab pots.  This time more of them were creating lids to put on the top of them.  A lot of students appeared to be done and not doing anything so that is when Mr. B asked these students to work on a pinch pot that they could finish with in the hour. They are normally allowed to do other homework or projects but it seemed like several students were not taking advantage of the opportunity.  One of the girls asked me for advice on her project. She wanted to create a slab pot that had a lid that looked like a roof for a log house. We decided upon create strips to add strips to a longer piece of slab that would look like boards with texture. She didn’t get far on the project but hopefully it works out well for her.  Other then that the students again worked very independently on their projects.

The 5^th grade was continuing to work on 1-point perspective. Some of them needed to finish creating perspective with their names but others were ready to come onto coloring them in.  During this time the students were asked to choose colors that would stand out against each other. So, that they would blend together and be hard to see. The students did well they didn’t need as much help picking out colors but those still finishing the perspective part needed guidance.

The 6^th grade was finishing up their Kandinsky pictures. This time they had lots of cutting and gluing to do with there patterned paper choices.  This actually took a long time since students were attempting to create patterns in each of the sections. This was going to be the last day of the project so students were asked to help students that were not done to finish. I thought this was a great way to make sure that everyone was able to finish and move onto the next lesson at the same time. I also thought this was great because it had the students working together.

The other nice part about today was during Mr. B’s prep we were unloading and loading the kiln. Since I don’t really get this opportunity in my ceramics course, I am truly blessed that I will have this opportunity through out the course of the semester. He was using a top-loading Kiln, which is also different, then what we have here at school and more likely to be what I will use in my own classroom. 

What inspired you to become an art teacher?

What inspired my cooperation teacher to become an art teacher? I learned that drawing was something that he always did as a child. This was something that was passed down by his mother, who he actually learned later in life also had gone to school to become an art teacher.  So art was something that he always truly enjoyed. The event that actually made him want to become an art teacher though was when he took over some swimming lessons at his job at the Y.M.C.A. His students ended up doing really well and his boss told him that he has a thing for teaching. This moment really sparked his interest for him.

Listening to his story about what made him want to become an art teacher made me realize that I have similar reasons of my own. I have always known since I was young that I wanted to do something in art.  I just never really knew what exactly. People told me along the way that I would make a great teacher because I have a tremendous amount of patience and I tend to be good at people but at that time I wasn’t ready to follow in my mothers footsteps of teaching. I wanted to do my own thing. It wasn’t until my freshmen year of college that I volunteered at Give kids the world in Florida.  This was an organization like the make a wish foundation that allowed families from all over the world to come that had children with life threatening diseases. It was in that week that I realized I loved working with kids. So, why not take the two things that I find myself passionate and make a career out of it. That is when I decided to become and art educator. Since switching my majors I have never felt more like I am stepping in the right direction everyday.  

Day 1 in the classroom

Day 1 in the classroom

Today was my first day taking part in a new school. It was also my first time working with a high school age group. A complete difference from the elementary school students I have been so use to. The first thing I noticed was that these students were much more independent. It was a workday so each of them knew what they needed to be doing. 

In the high school I take part in the ceramics classes for the first two periods of the day. Today they were working on slab pots that they had started. Some of them were allowed the opportunity to work on other projects. They could either do work from other classes or start an extra credit project with clay. Either way there wasn’t a ton that I could help them with since each of them knew exactly what they needed to do. Every once in awhile I would ask them if they would like help, most did not. 

I also had the opportunity to work with the 5^th grade students. They needed a lot more guidance and were not as independent when it came to working. The 5^th grade started by learning 1-point perspective.   First they were to create bubble letters with their names. Then they were to draw lines from the corners of each letter and make them reach the point.  This was certainly something that was new for these students because each of them sort of struggled in some way as they went.  I didn’t mind though because it allowed me to help them more. This was something that I missed after being with the high school students.  Since the students struggled with this project they didn’t quite get it finished by the end of the class period.

In the 6^th grade they were working on a project inspired by Kandinsky.  The students folded their papers into 12 square sections. They were then to pick 12 colors that they were going to paint each section of the paper. For the most part the students were doing really well with this project, as there was not much that they needed to actually do but some of the students needed to be reminded that they were only going to need to do one color in each square. Later they would be adding patterned paper to the project for layered circles in each of the sections.

Overall Day 1 went pretty well I thought. I do look forward to working with a different age group as the semester progresses. 

Principal P

It was nice to be able to listen to a principle that has been in education for the past 20 years. He spoke a great deal about the interview process, which will help me as I will be looking for jobs within the next year.

Some of his insights he helped us with are what he looks for in a prospective employer during the interview process.  First off make a good first impression. This would mean dressing up to impress. It may also mean that you should probably cover tattoos and if you have piercings that might not be acceptable this is the time to take them out.  He also mentioned that it is a good thing to be kind to the secretaries. Principals will often times ask them what they thought of the interviewers. So, it is good to make them like you because they do have a little bit of a say sometimes.

I also thought that his recommendations for bringing questions to the interview were helpful too. I sometimes have difficulty coming up with things such as that but I thought his ideas were a great place to start and give me an idea of what kind of questions I should be asking. For instance ask more about the position, district, and the security of the job. I also thought it was great to note that you shouldn’t bring up salary and benefits unless they do. Besides me asking questions I was relieved to find out that its ok to ask for a minute to come up with a quality answer when they ask questions. I know interviews can be nerve wracking and it’s nice to know from someone that does the interviews that they do understand.

Even if the interview doesn’t goes as planned. Principal P made a great recommendation to not burn your bridges because it is possible that he may recommend you to another district if you were one of his runners up. Principals talk. I also think he made a great recommendation to write down the questions that they ask. This can only better prepare you for interviews in the future. So, overall I think the information that I obtained from this principal will be a great help as I prepare for the future.  

Aesthetics

Often Aesthetics seems like a difficult topic to address. But after a classroom session discussing the many ways to address the topic it seems there are more ways then we might realize we could.

During the first portion of the class we watched a video where a man taught his class a lesson that was completely based off of aesthetics. The guy really stressed the ideas of aesthetic experiences. For instance putting the cream into coffee was an aesthetic experience to him as he described the details of what he was seeing in verbs and adjectives that really stressed why it was so pleasing for him. He then had the class write their own statement about an aesthetic experience. Aesthetics is something to be enjoyed and I think he really did get his class to understand that through his lesson.

Afterwards we were asked as a class to form groups and have a small group discussion on how we thought aesthetic could be addressed in certain age groups. My group was given the topic of elementary school students. We thought that this was a little more challenging then other age groups, as one is limited to what the student does know. So we thought that we might make a game out of it that allowed the student to decide what they thought was good art. Give them an opportunity to learn about beauty and art. It is a little more difficult to describe to them some of the bigger things that occur in aesthetics but it is a building ground so that you can eventually get to the point. 

Mrs. M

I learned a great deal from this teacher. She is a teacher in the special education department at her school. She came to talk to us about how we can create an environment that is beneficial to the students who have special needs.

One of the first things that she shared with us was to refer to them as people. Do not refer to the student by their disability. It is not something that defines them it is just something that they happen to have. Even though I have learned that in previous classes I do think that it is an important point to stress because people do it with out realizing it often.

I also became more familiar with the IEP’s through her. It made me realize just how important it is to be a part of them. These are meetings that have legal bindings that help you understand what you are required to do in order to be most beneficial to a student. They tell you how you can meet their needs and goals. It is also nice to be a part of the meetings as an art teacher she says because sometimes that is an area where students in her classes strive. But either way as a teacher, find the strengths of the student and bring that to light in the IEP meeting. Just like anyone else it is nice to hear the good things when there might be a negatives at some of these meetings.

She also gave us some pointers about our classroom. Allow students to know what is going on in the classroom. Write the assignments on the boards so they can see it. Also let them know when there is going to be a change or if you know you are going to be gone. Some students don’t take well to change and need that extra knowing. Even the supplies you get can make a difference for instance big handled brushes are easier for some students to work with. Lastly get to know your students and have high expectations for them. If you have high expectations you will receive higher results from them. 

Mrs. L

I was fortunate to have been in this teacher’s classroom to really see how she runs things. While speaking to her class she was very informative and really reinforced everything that I learned from her. One of her key things was organization. As she said when you are going from class to class with very little time you really need to be on time of things in terms of organization. If you are not then that leaves little time for the projects that need to be done.

She also shared some valuable information when it comes to grading. One of the first things she said was that she Rarely gives out the top grade of a 4 on skills. Students have lots to learn at that age and getting a 4 is challenging. She also mentioned that when it comes to some students some students have different needs and goals that are to be met. This means that you have to consider your grading different for these students by seeing if they meet their individualized goals.

Behavior was another topic discussed. In her school they have a system based on tickets, which are yellow and green tickets. The yellow is what students don’t want this is something that represents bad behavior. What I thought was excellent though was the fact that they had green tickets. When they got so many of these tickets that meant they were up for a reward. I think that is a great way to motivate kids to be on their toes to be good. They never know when a green ticket is going to be given but if they are caught doing good things there is a better chance of getting one. So, This might train kids to start doing good things on their own too!

Learning from another….

This past week my class was fortunate to hear from a teacher who is currently in the field as a high school teacher. She brought several insights with her that I will be able to take from as I venture further within my own career.

One of the things which she noted is that we should reward kids. If they only reward they receive in their education is a diploma then they will not be as successful. Ways to motivate students is by allowing them to be recognized. That might be allowing them to do projects which get public recognition. Be proud of your students work and they will be motivated.

Another things which she discussed is being brave and taking chances. Sometimes some of the projects that have the greatest impact on students lives are also the ones that come with the biggest risk. Sometimes this also means creating projects that are in the moment. Allow room for modification and student input. 

Do you teach a disciplined-based art curriculum or a choice based one?

I think that in my classroom I would have both a discipline based program as well as a choice based one.  I think that its important to have a structured program that is guided through DBAE. This gives you a structure to work off of so that students achieve a certain level of understanding from the beginning of their education to the end. I also believe their art time, which you should allow more freedoms. However I think that more of these freedoms come later on in the education when they are not learning as much of the foundations. So, a student in a advance studio class in high school would be more accepting to a choice based education as they have the foundation needed to make the choice necessary for a successful project. 

Can you talk about trends in education to which you are professionally committed?

At this point I think that the trends in education, which I am committed to, are those that involve keeping literacy in the schools. After taking my secondary reading and writing course I have really started to think about how important it is to keep reading and writing in the classroom no matter what subject is being taught. So, as i continue along my way i hope to provide enriching opportunities in my art classroom to expand on those skills. 

How do you deal with safety in the classroom?

The way that I plan to keep my classroom a safe place is by keeping the students informed. By informed I mean that I will make students aware of the materials they are using as well as the rules. Some materials are dangerous if they are not used properly so I think it is highly important to have a demonstration. At the beginning of the class it is also important to show students safety hazards there might be with in the classroom. I think it is also not a bad idea to remind students of these safety measures as you go incase they may have forgotten.

What can students expect on the first day?

On the first day of class I think it is important to start off with introductions and rule sharing.

I would start the day off by giving a short introduction to myself. This maybe the first time some of the students have had me so it’s a good idea to let them know who I am.  This is also a perfect opportunity to get to know some of my students and become familiar with names. So I might start with a quick activity or icebreaker that would be modified according to age levels in order to get to know my students. 

The next thing that I would do is go over the rules and expectations. It is important that students understand right away what they can expect in the classroom. This way they know what you are expecting as the class progresses. 

Things Learned Thus Far...

Currently I am a still a student embarking on a journey to becoming an art educator.  The things I have learned this past year have been extremely rewarding to me. The experiences I have had within the schools and in the classroom have given me a great amount of insight as I step closer to having my own classroom someday.

Through my multicultural experiences I have begun to understand how important it is to embrace our differences. Often time’s people want everyone to be the same but the truth is we are all different and from those differences we can learn from each other. So, understanding this I hope to bring a more multi-cultural standpoint to my teaching.

Through my experiences I have also seen how encouragement and respect can bring a student to a whole new level.  One of the greatest ways to obtain respect is by letting the students understand that you care.  You are stern with the rules but you are also willing to get to know them. It’s the simple acts that sometimes let them know you are really there for them. In each of my experiences I have found that students accept the encouragement you give them if they really feel like there is a level of respect.

Certainly this is only a small fragment of the many things, which I have learned.  I think the most important understanding for myself is knowing that every time I step into the classroom I feel like I am on the right path.  I truly want to help these students learn and find their passions while teaching them about a subject I am passionate about.