Monday
Today started my last week of student teaching - WOW! How is it here all ready? After this week and a lot of paperwork, I'll be able to submit for my VA Art Educ. K-12 teaching liscence, amazing.
Back to today though, first off - its an even week ... at this point I am just finishing the color collage lesson with the 8th graders and the representational self - portraits with the 7th graders, then handing the classes back over to my teacher. The first 8th grade class started on the new lesson of Georgia O'Keeffe style flower watercolors when I was out at my interview two Fridays ago, viewing a Powerpoint presenation and starting to sketch closely cropped flower images. They continued with this for what was suppose to be the first part of class - but actually turned into all class. I circulated and helped students arrange their viewfinders for the best cropping of the flower so they could sketch them into their sketchbooks and then transfer them (enlarged) to watercolor paper for their final. Many of them realized today that art can still involve a fair amount of math, they had to measure their cropping, then the square for their sketch, then double that for their final image. The students got so wrapped up in their flowers so they will have to finish their collages on Weds.
The 7th graders finished up their represenational self-portraits - which look awesome! (and are now up in the display case in the school entrance/lobby). I was going to give them only 30 min. so they would have the other hour to start the clay lesson with my teacher and then they begged for another 15 minutes, which turned into about 20 ... in other words, they just got the run down on clay vocab, a demo and got set up with supplies for next class. There were still students that had not finished their self-portraits, but sometimes you just have to move on and then give them a make-up day later in the 6 weeks. The clay project they are going to be doing next seems really fun, I wish I was going to be around for the whole project! They get to use all different techinques of handbuilding with the clay and in the end create a made-up creature - my teachers' example looked like Alf, from the T.V. show, like ump-teen years ago, haha.
The second 8th grade class, worked on their watercolor sketches before lunch and then after lunch were to finish up their color collages - although some of them still are not done. If they had finished their collage and accompanying poem, they were to continue work on their watercolor sketches. On Weds. (when they are in there again) they will get a watercolor demo (they are going to be using watercolor from tubes! a new experience for me) and start painting their flowers - if there is time, they will try to finish their collages. However, just like the 7th graders, they will have a make-up day later on to finish any unfinished projects. I like that kind of set-up - it allows for the pace to continue without making slower working students suffer and without making faster working students slow down!
During planning today I worked on organizing my paperwork, which is all due tomorrow at my last seminar - after school, aloong with my teaching portfolio, which I need to update tonight. In other words, I gotta get busy on that tonight! I also put up more of the collages, self-portriats, and fixed up the cup and saucers in the display case. Ok, paperwork and portfolio time ...
Tuesday
... was a blur. I spent the day trying to multitask - teaching (as well as passing control back over to my cooperating teacher) and prepping my portfolio (which was due today at my last Student Teaching Seminar at 4:30). The 3D class needed the most attention today, they were suppose to brainstorm and sketch for their "life and death" (or cause and effect, as it is turning out so they don't become so morbid or try to include hunting) t-shirts. It took them awhile to really get rolling, my teacher and I turned it into a class discussion instead of individual work. The brainstorming session worked pretty well and students went down to the computer lab to look up references (which they were suppose to do over the week-end, but I digress). I think there will be some successful ones though, one student is going to do a coffee cup and newspaper on the front and a starbucks cup and cell phone on that back. I love it! What a statement about the progression of modern society. Very clever, though it was achieved through some guidance and group collaboration, but that is how the best design concepts are born. I really enjoy doing design based projects because I feel like I can really give valid advice and have solid experience to draw from... which reminds me that Thurs. I'm going to bring in my graphic design portfolio to share with them and my other classes. The 7th graders took 30 min. to finish up their representational portraits, then started on the clay project (can I say again, I really wish I was going to be there to do that with them, I love clay). It was actually pretty cool, my teacher really laid down the law today when she took back over - saying that she was going to use the same classroom management techniques I had been using and explained what behaviors she expected from them the rest of the semester. Rock on. She also did the same speech in the two 8th grade classes (which really needed it) when they came in. The 8th graders started on their O'Keeffe watercolors and then while they were working on those, they could also have time to finish their color collages. I moved around the room and helped them when they needed it with both projects. The watercolor is another one I wish I was staying for ... bummer. How is this all over already? I feel like the next two days (since I'm only teaching the 3D class officially) are kinda "lame duck" days. Each class that comes in, I've been reminding them that my last official day is Thurs. that way when I am gone, its not like I disappeared. This news has met more positive reactions than I thought, many students that I didn't think even liked me made it a point to express their disappointment in my leaving. Aw.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
Week # 8 (well really 7): almost done?!
Monday
phew, what a Monday. Another odd week begins. Teaching definitely takes a lot out of you - especially with four 90 minute classes in a row. I started today with the 3-D kids, still working on their cup and saucer - we are finally to the painting stage. I discussed and helped to develop the concepts that still needed it with the creators (students), demo-ed how to use the tempra paint (reviewing paint mixing - primary, secondary, tints and shades). Most of them will finish painting next class and will then hopefully be able to seal them with the acrylic gloss - the final touch. That class definitely has some talent in it - as I've said before, it just requires pushing them to really make it come out. There are a couple students though that make me wonder why they took the class becuase every project seems like torture/pulling teeth - I have one student, a male who is very needy and negative (and loud) who just won't do the work or even try after I spend a re-diculous amount of time helping him. He makes me nuts-o and tries to play like he's my best friend - only 5 (classes) more days.
The 7th grade class continued on their representational self-portraits - starting to add things inside their boxes, I think they are starting to enjoy it now (despite themselves). The black grids have morphed from all looking exactly alike to each having a personality. They have 3 spaces that they have to do in specific places (past-present-future) in the center - but other than that they can choose the elements to go in whichever spaces they please (but they must include things representing all 9 questions). Many of them were asking to bring more things in from home - magazines and pictures and ribbon, etc. AWESOME! There are some serious attitudes in that class ... including another needy male! I had to talk with him one-on-one (just like the one in the 3-D class, did I mention that) in the hallway, talking about the problem, how it was disrupting the class and options for solving it. Hopefully the situations will disolve some ...
The two 8th grade classes got story time today - I gathered them around in a semi-circle (allowing them to sit on the floor, in chairs, and on the tables) and explained how the story would relate to their project and then read them excerpts from the book Colors by Ken Nordine (awesome awesome illustrations and text). Then after "story-time" they got their crayon, adjective and emotion and then got to start looking for magazine clippings to represent those things ... they all thought I was crazy when they were starting it, but again by the end were enjoying it. We'll see how tomorrow goes with those 8th grade classes ...
Ok time to go write/touch up the final lesson plan (life & death t-shirts) and pack up my stuff.
Tuesday
Even day and day of last observation, woo. I did story time and cutting out collage pieces with both of my 8th grade classes and continued work on the representational self-portraits with my 7th graders. The 8th graders were a little wound during block 1 and more attentive during block 3, the latter being very surprising - I think they really enjoyed the book though, even talking about some of the illustrations and the "poems." I then got them started cutting out colors and things that represented their emotion and adjective they had drawn, encouraging them to keep everything in their baggies as they cut things out and looked. We definitely made a mega mess in all 3 classes as they are each using collage elements, but at least its not paint! Collage definitely has really easy clean-up as long as you keep things organized and have a good pick up system (piles of magazines and piles of trash - which can be swept from a table into the trash can). I know the classroom that my teacher and I have right now is small and may not always look neat, but between the two of us we can almost always find where things are suppose to go.
The 7th graders are really going on their self-portraits now, gluing, stapling, cutting and even weaving things into their spaces and grids. I asked them at the beginning of class today if they were starting to like their portraits and if it felt like they were good representations of them - it was a overwhelming yes, huge change from the beginning of the project (yay). I spent most of class scanning their pictures that they had brought in for the present and past portions of the project, which was a lesson in technology disconnect. I got all of the pictures scanned into the old computer (the one I use at school) and then discovered that I could not open them on the new computer (which the printer is connected to - problem). Then during the last class we had today one of the students accidentally knocked/pulled the scanner off of my desk (by the power cord I'm guessing) and the scanner fell to the floor in a couple pieces. I then got to learn/teach myself how to fix a scanner during planning. It was an educational day all around, but in the end everything turned out OK.
Now for paperwork, updating my portfolio, more planning, packing and probably a meeting in there too - yikes. Its gonna be a crazy last two weeks for sure!
My students today actually seemed genuinely sad that I would be leaving them soon, I'm gonna miss them too, awwwww/sniff sniff.
Wednesday
This week is flying by way too fast! Today was another odd day ... Cups and saucers with the 3D kids, color collages with the 8th graders, and representational self-portraits with the 7th. The 3D kids will finish their cups and saucers on Friday and hopefully be able to seal them with the acrylic gloss and then have time left over to start on their t-shirt lesson. I'm hoping that 2.5 days will be enough to finish the t-shirts because I dont want to leave my teacher with a lesson to finish - but we already have the supplies to do the project too. I'm going to use my planning period tomorrow to test out the process and create another sample for the life/death shirt - maybe explore one of the ones I didn't use when I did this project in college. I'm really excited to start on that ... I just have two students that are dragging behind in the painting of the cup and saucers, so they are going to have to "get busy," as I frequently tell them. Some of the 7th graders spotted them today and though they were really cool, thats one way you know you have a good project - its when other students want to do it too!
The 7th graders will get one more day to finish their representational self-portrait grids - my teacher and I are going to keep some to put in the downstairs lobby display case when they are done. I spent their class today scanning pictures and helping them with any questions they had too. I came in this mornging and had figured out (I now dream about teaching as well) that I could hook up the printer to my school computer and the scanner too - allowing us to print what we needed. Technology has been my biggest enemy this week for sure, but I have adapted as needed and fixed things as they broke/malfuntioned.
The two 8th grade classes worked on their collages today - many students finished the actual collage and will be ready to do their poems and illutrations next class - I think these were quick but meaningful projects for them. I got to be a counselor for one of my female students in my 3rd block class today while I was circulating and helping - her boyfriend had broken up with her and she was very upset. Its amazing how art class, because it provides a chance to talk often turns into a guidance office a little bit too. As both a student and now a teacher, that is one aspect of art class that I have always enjoyed - its a time and place for sharing of all sorts.
My block 4 8th graders were a bit more of a challenge - they had to stay after the bell rang today because they wouldn't quiet down when I was instructing. They take class time, I take their time - I think its finally starting to take effect. I also had to deal with my difficult boys - one of them playfully tossed a balled up magazine page at me while I was giving instructions to the class. I sent him out in the hall, finished my instructions and then had a talk with him about appropriate classroom behaviour - warning him that if he did anything like that again (disrupting the class, etc.) he would be given silent lunch, and after that he would be talking to the office. I hate having to do that to a student, but he's a repeat offender and he's got to learn how to control himself. Sigh, I'm going to be just like my mom and end up crying when I have punish my own children ...
I can't believe I only have 6 more days left! I got a fantastic and touching compliment from my cooperating teacher today, she told me that of all of her student teachers, I was probably her best - that I was the whole package - wow. : )
Thursday
Chaos, today, definitely chaos - even though it was an even day. Technology was against me today - first it was my school computer, then it was the scanner, then the printer ... I spent two class periods today struggling with it and trying to teach at the same time. Very tricky and frustrating - all my 7th grade girls were waiting for their pictures and getting frustrated with me and I had to keep cool and collected, a test in patience and working under pressure. Finally a solution was reached during planning and my teacher and I also figured out how to still do my life and death t-shirt lesson (which needs a scanner) without using our now broken scanner - the computer won't recognize it. I'm going to play around with it more tomorrow, trying to hook it up to my teachers' newer computer, importing it through Photoshop Elements, if I can find the scanner software - otherwise, a computer teacher said that I could come down to her classroom and use the scanner - then put them on the network to print from the printer in our classroom. Also during our planning period I showed my teacher how to create the iron ons from the computer - thats part of the fun/experience of student teaching is trading knowledge on art techniques or art making. I have learned how to mosaic and weave baskets and I have showed my teacher things on the comptuer. I can't believe exactly a week from today it will all be over, suddenly it all moved so quickly - every time I mention it to my students (reminding them, so it doesn't come "out of the blue"), many of them either fake being happy or say that they will miss me. I really have begin to wonder if I want to teach or do design - I was so sure it was design when I went into student teaching, I think now I know I am capable of managing my own classroom, coming up with lesson plans and really enjoying helping students learn.
phew, what a Monday. Another odd week begins. Teaching definitely takes a lot out of you - especially with four 90 minute classes in a row. I started today with the 3-D kids, still working on their cup and saucer - we are finally to the painting stage. I discussed and helped to develop the concepts that still needed it with the creators (students), demo-ed how to use the tempra paint (reviewing paint mixing - primary, secondary, tints and shades). Most of them will finish painting next class and will then hopefully be able to seal them with the acrylic gloss - the final touch. That class definitely has some talent in it - as I've said before, it just requires pushing them to really make it come out. There are a couple students though that make me wonder why they took the class becuase every project seems like torture/pulling teeth - I have one student, a male who is very needy and negative (and loud) who just won't do the work or even try after I spend a re-diculous amount of time helping him. He makes me nuts-o and tries to play like he's my best friend - only 5 (classes) more days.
The 7th grade class continued on their representational self-portraits - starting to add things inside their boxes, I think they are starting to enjoy it now (despite themselves). The black grids have morphed from all looking exactly alike to each having a personality. They have 3 spaces that they have to do in specific places (past-present-future) in the center - but other than that they can choose the elements to go in whichever spaces they please (but they must include things representing all 9 questions). Many of them were asking to bring more things in from home - magazines and pictures and ribbon, etc. AWESOME! There are some serious attitudes in that class ... including another needy male! I had to talk with him one-on-one (just like the one in the 3-D class, did I mention that) in the hallway, talking about the problem, how it was disrupting the class and options for solving it. Hopefully the situations will disolve some ...
The two 8th grade classes got story time today - I gathered them around in a semi-circle (allowing them to sit on the floor, in chairs, and on the tables) and explained how the story would relate to their project and then read them excerpts from the book Colors by Ken Nordine (awesome awesome illustrations and text). Then after "story-time" they got their crayon, adjective and emotion and then got to start looking for magazine clippings to represent those things ... they all thought I was crazy when they were starting it, but again by the end were enjoying it. We'll see how tomorrow goes with those 8th grade classes ...
Ok time to go write/touch up the final lesson plan (life & death t-shirts) and pack up my stuff.
Tuesday
Even day and day of last observation, woo. I did story time and cutting out collage pieces with both of my 8th grade classes and continued work on the representational self-portraits with my 7th graders. The 8th graders were a little wound during block 1 and more attentive during block 3, the latter being very surprising - I think they really enjoyed the book though, even talking about some of the illustrations and the "poems." I then got them started cutting out colors and things that represented their emotion and adjective they had drawn, encouraging them to keep everything in their baggies as they cut things out and looked. We definitely made a mega mess in all 3 classes as they are each using collage elements, but at least its not paint! Collage definitely has really easy clean-up as long as you keep things organized and have a good pick up system (piles of magazines and piles of trash - which can be swept from a table into the trash can). I know the classroom that my teacher and I have right now is small and may not always look neat, but between the two of us we can almost always find where things are suppose to go.
The 7th graders are really going on their self-portraits now, gluing, stapling, cutting and even weaving things into their spaces and grids. I asked them at the beginning of class today if they were starting to like their portraits and if it felt like they were good representations of them - it was a overwhelming yes, huge change from the beginning of the project (yay). I spent most of class scanning their pictures that they had brought in for the present and past portions of the project, which was a lesson in technology disconnect. I got all of the pictures scanned into the old computer (the one I use at school) and then discovered that I could not open them on the new computer (which the printer is connected to - problem). Then during the last class we had today one of the students accidentally knocked/pulled the scanner off of my desk (by the power cord I'm guessing) and the scanner fell to the floor in a couple pieces. I then got to learn/teach myself how to fix a scanner during planning. It was an educational day all around, but in the end everything turned out OK.
Now for paperwork, updating my portfolio, more planning, packing and probably a meeting in there too - yikes. Its gonna be a crazy last two weeks for sure!
My students today actually seemed genuinely sad that I would be leaving them soon, I'm gonna miss them too, awwwww/sniff sniff.
Wednesday
This week is flying by way too fast! Today was another odd day ... Cups and saucers with the 3D kids, color collages with the 8th graders, and representational self-portraits with the 7th. The 3D kids will finish their cups and saucers on Friday and hopefully be able to seal them with the acrylic gloss and then have time left over to start on their t-shirt lesson. I'm hoping that 2.5 days will be enough to finish the t-shirts because I dont want to leave my teacher with a lesson to finish - but we already have the supplies to do the project too. I'm going to use my planning period tomorrow to test out the process and create another sample for the life/death shirt - maybe explore one of the ones I didn't use when I did this project in college. I'm really excited to start on that ... I just have two students that are dragging behind in the painting of the cup and saucers, so they are going to have to "get busy," as I frequently tell them. Some of the 7th graders spotted them today and though they were really cool, thats one way you know you have a good project - its when other students want to do it too!
The 7th graders will get one more day to finish their representational self-portrait grids - my teacher and I are going to keep some to put in the downstairs lobby display case when they are done. I spent their class today scanning pictures and helping them with any questions they had too. I came in this mornging and had figured out (I now dream about teaching as well) that I could hook up the printer to my school computer and the scanner too - allowing us to print what we needed. Technology has been my biggest enemy this week for sure, but I have adapted as needed and fixed things as they broke/malfuntioned.
The two 8th grade classes worked on their collages today - many students finished the actual collage and will be ready to do their poems and illutrations next class - I think these were quick but meaningful projects for them. I got to be a counselor for one of my female students in my 3rd block class today while I was circulating and helping - her boyfriend had broken up with her and she was very upset. Its amazing how art class, because it provides a chance to talk often turns into a guidance office a little bit too. As both a student and now a teacher, that is one aspect of art class that I have always enjoyed - its a time and place for sharing of all sorts.
My block 4 8th graders were a bit more of a challenge - they had to stay after the bell rang today because they wouldn't quiet down when I was instructing. They take class time, I take their time - I think its finally starting to take effect. I also had to deal with my difficult boys - one of them playfully tossed a balled up magazine page at me while I was giving instructions to the class. I sent him out in the hall, finished my instructions and then had a talk with him about appropriate classroom behaviour - warning him that if he did anything like that again (disrupting the class, etc.) he would be given silent lunch, and after that he would be talking to the office. I hate having to do that to a student, but he's a repeat offender and he's got to learn how to control himself. Sigh, I'm going to be just like my mom and end up crying when I have punish my own children ...
I can't believe I only have 6 more days left! I got a fantastic and touching compliment from my cooperating teacher today, she told me that of all of her student teachers, I was probably her best - that I was the whole package - wow. : )
Thursday
Chaos, today, definitely chaos - even though it was an even day. Technology was against me today - first it was my school computer, then it was the scanner, then the printer ... I spent two class periods today struggling with it and trying to teach at the same time. Very tricky and frustrating - all my 7th grade girls were waiting for their pictures and getting frustrated with me and I had to keep cool and collected, a test in patience and working under pressure. Finally a solution was reached during planning and my teacher and I also figured out how to still do my life and death t-shirt lesson (which needs a scanner) without using our now broken scanner - the computer won't recognize it. I'm going to play around with it more tomorrow, trying to hook it up to my teachers' newer computer, importing it through Photoshop Elements, if I can find the scanner software - otherwise, a computer teacher said that I could come down to her classroom and use the scanner - then put them on the network to print from the printer in our classroom. Also during our planning period I showed my teacher how to create the iron ons from the computer - thats part of the fun/experience of student teaching is trading knowledge on art techniques or art making. I have learned how to mosaic and weave baskets and I have showed my teacher things on the comptuer. I can't believe exactly a week from today it will all be over, suddenly it all moved so quickly - every time I mention it to my students (reminding them, so it doesn't come "out of the blue"), many of them either fake being happy or say that they will miss me. I really have begin to wonder if I want to teach or do design - I was so sure it was design when I went into student teaching, I think now I know I am capable of managing my own classroom, coming up with lesson plans and really enjoying helping students learn.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Week # 7: Moving forward ...
Monday
What a day to be an educator. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, a school that is near and dear to the students I teach, I am left in shock and found in a new position in this type of tragedy. I was looked to today for answers and comfort from many of my students, being asked to seek out information online and to listen and provide wise words. It was difficult to suddenly have to assume that role, as I am still a student myself (wanting those same answers and comfort) and was extremely concern about the friends that I have who are still in attendance at VA Tech. I was very touched that at the end of the day, two girls who have not been terribly warm to me during this placement, came back to the classroom to let me know that they would be thinking of me and hoped that all of my friends were safe. Tragedy is somehow unifying.
I am still in disbelief at the massacre that happened today and it is quite frightening as a teacher to know our schools, no matter what level are not, as our president said "sanctuaries of learning," as they have been thought to be. This week-end I went home to find out that my high school, where my brother is now a junior, had made the news because a student had left and brought back a semi-automatic weapon, luckily caught by a security guard - apparently he felt he needed it for protection? There were also several bomb threats to a local middle school (in my hometown) that same day. I don't think it matters where you live these days, urban or rural, I think it is becoming a sad reality that new levels of security need to be taken to keep all students safe in the development of new threats and dangers.
The day went on as usual though outside of supporting my students through this event. I taught the 3-D students, continuing work on their cup and saucer project - today was gesso-ing their forms and doing thumbnails of designs. I have some really creative students in there who have developed a variety of different ways to approach their part-to-whole concepts, one girl wants to do appleseeds to apples and is going to create slices and well its difficult to describe, but I think it will be great. I had to talk two boys out of trying to include hunting scenes in their sketches, citing that guns were not appropriate subject matter, they are now going to do fish/pond to fishermen. The last part of class my teacher worked with them on finishing up the illuminated repousse and making their books.
The 7th graders, little gems/punks that they are were quite rowdy today, but we continued to work on their representational projects - gesso-ing their newspaper grids and working on a worksheet (vocabulary and 9 questions about themselves). Some of the girls in that class have such intense attitudes and try to order me around - it makes me crazy, but I respond with firm niceness. Again, I ran this class entirely by myself and I am feeling pretty comfortable doing it. I can tell that some of the students don't particulary like me because I am more strict than my cooperating teacher, but thats the way I operate so they'll have to get over themselves.
During the 8th grade classes today I worked with the students while they finished up their mosaics, grouting and polishing. The students that had finished last class worked in their sketchbooks. Next time we see them I'll be starting a brief painting to music lesson (although I think I will talk to my teacher about just starting the other lesson instead). I will be finishing off my color collage lesson tonight. Time to try and concentrate and get to work.
Tuesday
Even day: Today went fairly quickly, with the planning period flying by the fastest. One of the assistant principalsin my school finally confirmed that she would be coming by to observe me tomorrow during my 5th period class, 8th graders. I'll be starting a new lesson with them, the color collages based on the book Colors by Ken Nordine, illustrated (with collage elements) by Henrik Drescher. I'm pretty excited about it. With the 8th graders today I did painting with music during class since some of them were still finishing up their mosaics, that way they wouldn't miss the start of a new lesson, just a interlude activity. My first class is very high energy and many of the students in there are friends (and often get a little too friendly, trying to sit on each other laps) but I really enjoy working with them. I think the Kandinsky painting to music was a good exercise to do with them (its a shortened one day version of the lesson I did with the 7th graders). It helped them loosen up after doing more tedious and craft oriented projects (baskets, paper making/book making, and mosaics) - plus it was a good way to ease them into recieving instruction from me. I actually have not had as much difficulty teaching the 8th graders as I had expected - there was some resistance, but I think they have become used to having me in the classroom. I think any teacher would have problems getting and maintaining the attention of this age group and especially some of these students. I have realize that when I start to instruct and no one is listening one of two approaches usually works: I step back and stand quietly waiting for them to catch on - its usually takes less than a minute or I ask a the students how many people heard what I just said, and that makes them zip it! I must say I do miss the elementary approach of freeze please or ms. adams says.
The 7th grade girls today - who are such an experience - painted their grids black today and I think they are starting to warm up to the idea of this project. It took some of the students longer than others to finish painting theirs so the other students that had finished helped clean up and then picked up brushes and helped their classmates finish. Then we did a worksheet - working through the "boring" definitions, but then I worked them in all into one sentence at the end to describe the project and the students seemed to get the purpose of knowing the words, plus apparently crazy ms. adams is amusing. Then they had the remainder of class to finish the nine self-reflection questions, if they did not finish they were to take it home and work on it before Thursday (they also needed the sheet to know what to bring in for their self-portraits. I'll be very interested to find out how the end product turns out ...
I must confess, I felt fairly scatterbrained today though - I'm still shaken and distracted from the events of yesterday at Virginia Tech. Some of my 8th grade boys, who always try to talk about guns and hunting in my class were exploring that conversation topic again today and I was quicker than ever to squelsh it. The audacity! I cannot believe that they would not be affected by the horror of what these guns that THEY own and use can do ... it really frightens me that students don't see these machines as lethal weapons. Very disturbing ... all of it.
Now to try and concentrate on lesson plans and prep ...
Wednesday
I heard magical words today ... "Ms. Adams, you are a good teacher." As challenging as today was, hearing that from one of my students (especially one who tends to be a challenge herself) really made the difference. I think its little successes like that which make teaching worth it with the day in-day out nitty gritty worth it. I taught every little last bit of each class today - which is intense with four back to back 90 minute blocks and the personality which are in those blocks on the odd days. I felt today I really dedicated myself to establishing my "teacher" credibility - I had to disciplined some (very very talkative and active this week, probably due some to spring and some to this weeks events) and re-explain how I am different from my teacher and I have my own expectations of their behavior. I also have started couting how many seconds it takes them to quiet down and pay attention, today was their grace day - but from now on however long it takes them (past 5 seconds) - the talkers - have to stay after. They take class time - they spend extra time in class to make up for it, seems reasonable to me - we'll see how it goes. I have amazing support in my classroom management from my teacher and she has let me trial and error with most of it on my own, really figuring out what works for me.
I started my color collage lesson with the 8th graders today - I think it went really well. We first did the five symbols warm up - I think its a great way to begin with the concept of representation and abstract art and we had a discussion about what they already knew about those ideas. Then after the symbols activity and analysis - we took a strech break - and then went through a PowerPoint on color theory/connotations and collage. Now that they have been introduced to the concepts and started thinking in terms of abstract art instead of baskets, papermaking and mosaics - next class I will read them excerpts from Ken Nordine's "Colors," discuss illustration, let them draw their color (crayon), emotion and adjective. I'm so excited to see how these turn out.
The representational grid project continued with the "difficult" 7th grade class - it took them all class to paint their grids black! But again, I used the students to help each other when some were slow at finishing - I am realizing that at this age you can help them help themselves! Next class they will have to get movin' on adding their personal items and other objects to their assemblages - really making them their own! It is a self portrait after all...
I can't believe I only have to create one more lesson plan for this placement (by create I mean write up - I already know what I'm doing). I'm going to do a t-shirt design project - they will study t-shirt design and illustration and then come up with symbols for life-deat relationship (ex. salmon - sushi roll). We're going to scan into the computer and then print off the images onto iron on paper and then actually make the shirts! Yay. Speaking of the 3D class, they continued on their books and cup & saucer today. There are some really cool ideas and then some students that are like pulling teeth ... I have one that is doing the hands of a clock to time (the clock), another is doing a UFO to an alien ... then I have a couple students who are coming up with ideas that aren't part - to - whole relationships so I'm having to push and pull with them to develop it into the project requirements. I think the end result of these is going to be really great overall though, especially once they paint and then seal them (with a glossy acrylic medium). The forms won't be functional, unfortunately, but they can dispaly them and use them for other purposes that drinking tea/coffee.
Ok - time to pack and prepare, I'm going home after school tomorrow for a portfolio review with a design firm on Friday morning, wish me luck!
What a day to be an educator. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings, a school that is near and dear to the students I teach, I am left in shock and found in a new position in this type of tragedy. I was looked to today for answers and comfort from many of my students, being asked to seek out information online and to listen and provide wise words. It was difficult to suddenly have to assume that role, as I am still a student myself (wanting those same answers and comfort) and was extremely concern about the friends that I have who are still in attendance at VA Tech. I was very touched that at the end of the day, two girls who have not been terribly warm to me during this placement, came back to the classroom to let me know that they would be thinking of me and hoped that all of my friends were safe. Tragedy is somehow unifying.
I am still in disbelief at the massacre that happened today and it is quite frightening as a teacher to know our schools, no matter what level are not, as our president said "sanctuaries of learning," as they have been thought to be. This week-end I went home to find out that my high school, where my brother is now a junior, had made the news because a student had left and brought back a semi-automatic weapon, luckily caught by a security guard - apparently he felt he needed it for protection? There were also several bomb threats to a local middle school (in my hometown) that same day. I don't think it matters where you live these days, urban or rural, I think it is becoming a sad reality that new levels of security need to be taken to keep all students safe in the development of new threats and dangers.
The day went on as usual though outside of supporting my students through this event. I taught the 3-D students, continuing work on their cup and saucer project - today was gesso-ing their forms and doing thumbnails of designs. I have some really creative students in there who have developed a variety of different ways to approach their part-to-whole concepts, one girl wants to do appleseeds to apples and is going to create slices and well its difficult to describe, but I think it will be great. I had to talk two boys out of trying to include hunting scenes in their sketches, citing that guns were not appropriate subject matter, they are now going to do fish/pond to fishermen. The last part of class my teacher worked with them on finishing up the illuminated repousse and making their books.
The 7th graders, little gems/punks that they are were quite rowdy today, but we continued to work on their representational projects - gesso-ing their newspaper grids and working on a worksheet (vocabulary and 9 questions about themselves). Some of the girls in that class have such intense attitudes and try to order me around - it makes me crazy, but I respond with firm niceness. Again, I ran this class entirely by myself and I am feeling pretty comfortable doing it. I can tell that some of the students don't particulary like me because I am more strict than my cooperating teacher, but thats the way I operate so they'll have to get over themselves.
During the 8th grade classes today I worked with the students while they finished up their mosaics, grouting and polishing. The students that had finished last class worked in their sketchbooks. Next time we see them I'll be starting a brief painting to music lesson (although I think I will talk to my teacher about just starting the other lesson instead). I will be finishing off my color collage lesson tonight. Time to try and concentrate and get to work.
Tuesday
Even day: Today went fairly quickly, with the planning period flying by the fastest. One of the assistant principalsin my school finally confirmed that she would be coming by to observe me tomorrow during my 5th period class, 8th graders. I'll be starting a new lesson with them, the color collages based on the book Colors by Ken Nordine, illustrated (with collage elements) by Henrik Drescher. I'm pretty excited about it. With the 8th graders today I did painting with music during class since some of them were still finishing up their mosaics, that way they wouldn't miss the start of a new lesson, just a interlude activity. My first class is very high energy and many of the students in there are friends (and often get a little too friendly, trying to sit on each other laps) but I really enjoy working with them. I think the Kandinsky painting to music was a good exercise to do with them (its a shortened one day version of the lesson I did with the 7th graders). It helped them loosen up after doing more tedious and craft oriented projects (baskets, paper making/book making, and mosaics) - plus it was a good way to ease them into recieving instruction from me. I actually have not had as much difficulty teaching the 8th graders as I had expected - there was some resistance, but I think they have become used to having me in the classroom. I think any teacher would have problems getting and maintaining the attention of this age group and especially some of these students. I have realize that when I start to instruct and no one is listening one of two approaches usually works: I step back and stand quietly waiting for them to catch on - its usually takes less than a minute or I ask a the students how many people heard what I just said, and that makes them zip it! I must say I do miss the elementary approach of freeze please or ms. adams says.
The 7th grade girls today - who are such an experience - painted their grids black today and I think they are starting to warm up to the idea of this project. It took some of the students longer than others to finish painting theirs so the other students that had finished helped clean up and then picked up brushes and helped their classmates finish. Then we did a worksheet - working through the "boring" definitions, but then I worked them in all into one sentence at the end to describe the project and the students seemed to get the purpose of knowing the words, plus apparently crazy ms. adams is amusing. Then they had the remainder of class to finish the nine self-reflection questions, if they did not finish they were to take it home and work on it before Thursday (they also needed the sheet to know what to bring in for their self-portraits. I'll be very interested to find out how the end product turns out ...
I must confess, I felt fairly scatterbrained today though - I'm still shaken and distracted from the events of yesterday at Virginia Tech. Some of my 8th grade boys, who always try to talk about guns and hunting in my class were exploring that conversation topic again today and I was quicker than ever to squelsh it. The audacity! I cannot believe that they would not be affected by the horror of what these guns that THEY own and use can do ... it really frightens me that students don't see these machines as lethal weapons. Very disturbing ... all of it.
Now to try and concentrate on lesson plans and prep ...
Wednesday
I heard magical words today ... "Ms. Adams, you are a good teacher." As challenging as today was, hearing that from one of my students (especially one who tends to be a challenge herself) really made the difference. I think its little successes like that which make teaching worth it with the day in-day out nitty gritty worth it. I taught every little last bit of each class today - which is intense with four back to back 90 minute blocks and the personality which are in those blocks on the odd days. I felt today I really dedicated myself to establishing my "teacher" credibility - I had to disciplined some (very very talkative and active this week, probably due some to spring and some to this weeks events) and re-explain how I am different from my teacher and I have my own expectations of their behavior. I also have started couting how many seconds it takes them to quiet down and pay attention, today was their grace day - but from now on however long it takes them (past 5 seconds) - the talkers - have to stay after. They take class time - they spend extra time in class to make up for it, seems reasonable to me - we'll see how it goes. I have amazing support in my classroom management from my teacher and she has let me trial and error with most of it on my own, really figuring out what works for me.
I started my color collage lesson with the 8th graders today - I think it went really well. We first did the five symbols warm up - I think its a great way to begin with the concept of representation and abstract art and we had a discussion about what they already knew about those ideas. Then after the symbols activity and analysis - we took a strech break - and then went through a PowerPoint on color theory/connotations and collage. Now that they have been introduced to the concepts and started thinking in terms of abstract art instead of baskets, papermaking and mosaics - next class I will read them excerpts from Ken Nordine's "Colors," discuss illustration, let them draw their color (crayon), emotion and adjective. I'm so excited to see how these turn out.
The representational grid project continued with the "difficult" 7th grade class - it took them all class to paint their grids black! But again, I used the students to help each other when some were slow at finishing - I am realizing that at this age you can help them help themselves! Next class they will have to get movin' on adding their personal items and other objects to their assemblages - really making them their own! It is a self portrait after all...
I can't believe I only have to create one more lesson plan for this placement (by create I mean write up - I already know what I'm doing). I'm going to do a t-shirt design project - they will study t-shirt design and illustration and then come up with symbols for life-deat relationship (ex. salmon - sushi roll). We're going to scan into the computer and then print off the images onto iron on paper and then actually make the shirts! Yay. Speaking of the 3D class, they continued on their books and cup & saucer today. There are some really cool ideas and then some students that are like pulling teeth ... I have one that is doing the hands of a clock to time (the clock), another is doing a UFO to an alien ... then I have a couple students who are coming up with ideas that aren't part - to - whole relationships so I'm having to push and pull with them to develop it into the project requirements. I think the end result of these is going to be really great overall though, especially once they paint and then seal them (with a glossy acrylic medium). The forms won't be functional, unfortunately, but they can dispaly them and use them for other purposes that drinking tea/coffee.
Ok - time to pack and prepare, I'm going home after school tomorrow for a portfolio review with a design firm on Friday morning, wish me luck!
Monday, April 2, 2007
Week # 5 & 6: All Broken Up...
Monday
So today started off spring break week - meaning we had school today and tomorrow and then the kids are off Weds. through next Monday. Wednesday is an in-service/teacher workday for us though (womp womp), but on the upside our county wide in-service in the morning is going to be an art supply rep. presentation of sorts (aka hopefully some free supplies). All that aside, it was a normal and slightly chaotic Monday of an odd week - we had all four classes (3D, 7th, 8th, 8th). The 3D class was working on their reposse - I love this class because they are a fun, mainly good group once you get them going and they all seem to like me and respect me (yay). I worked with them, catching up folks and helping them start their book making (they will mount their reposse on books they make themselves) while my teacher took groups outside to "antique" the copper, using liver of sulfur (smells delicous - not). I could tell as soon as I walked in today that both my teacher and I were on the same level - and unfortunately that level was kind of out of it and exhausted. Over the week-end I didn't really get my chance to rejuvinate due to various obligations, and I could definitely feel the toll it had on me today - I can also tell that I just plain need a break! Teaching each day, planning and doing homework/paperwork each night paired with trying to prepare my design stuff and search for jobs is a little well - stressful, especially the job aspect of things. I cannot believe that in a month and a couple days this college aspect of my life will be over and I'll be transitioning into the real world - hopefully with a good employer lined up and a place to live!? I also am realizing that I don't have a lot of time to do projects with these kiddos - after spring break, the heat is on. I plan on using the days I have off to go home and really focus on getting both sides of my life together - teaching and design. I finally registered to take the last of my standarized tests, the VCLA (assuming I passed the Praxis II) - I'll take that in two weeks and then just have to make sure all my paper work is in order and all that - yikes.
Now that that's out of my system - today was good, although the 7th grade class I have today always gives me some trouble. We have one student that is really needy and drives me absolutely nuts truth be told, but I have started not answering all his questions and turning them right back around to him - it seems to work more often than not. When he asks if something is right or if I think it looks good I ask him to think about it for himself - "that's not a Ms. Adams question - that's a question for you." One of the other girls in that class informed me he's been like that since the 3rd grade haha.
During our 3rd block 8th grade class I sat with a student while they worked on their mosaics, everyone else at his table was absent so I thought I'd give him company. Its amazing what you can find out from students that way - we were just talking about art and he was asking me questions about the other classes and said he had heard some kids say that art used to be their favorite class until I came - WOW. I know I am more strict and have a lower BS tolerance than my teacher does and I think the kiddos that must be saying that are the ones that are acting up and "incurring my wrath." My teacher said not to worry about it - my thought is I must be doing something right with discipline if not every kid likes me - now they just have to earn their spot back in my good graces and I'll win them over with good lessons and good one-on-one interaction. I definitely realize that not every student is going to think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread and that's OK with me, I have friends - I'm there to be their teacher. Just as long as they all don't hate me haha.
Tuesday/Wednesday
... were busy days - making sure my teacher and I had all our ducks in a row before we went on break. We finalized our long term planning for the remaining weeks of my student teaching, figuring out lesson plans and when I would hand things back over. I really enjoy the way my teacher runs her classroom and works with me, she just makes it very easy and I like to think that she and I make a good team in there. It frequently happens that if one of us can't find something the other knows exactly where it is and things like that - which is especially crucial in such a small classroom! I have seen my teacher's normal classroom (which is currently storing all of the auditorium chairs until the auditorium is done and her room can get redone - oh construction) and it is very spacious, the classroom we are currently in is not (and has no windows). I think trying to rennovate a school while the students and teachers are in there is just so unfair and should really be avoided. Teachers having to pack up their supplies and store them in mobil units, only allowed to have what is absolutely needed (and will fit) in their temporary classroom, students being shifted around constantly, interrupted learning and just general health and safety hazards - craziness.
The in-service was pretty cool - we had a rep from one of the suppliers to the county come and speak with us about ordering (getting discounts) and new products. We then got to have "play time" more or less and try out all of the new products, my favorite was a graphite crayon that you could apply water to - kind of like water color pencils - it made such beautiful marks. I also got to experience the planning of the next county wide inservice and volunteered myself to come back and do a graphic design/computers in art education inservice with the teachers (I think it'd be so fun and really really helpful). I also spoke for awhile with one of the other elementary art teachers who is currently doing his masters through JMU and using i-movie in the classroom with a group of students, very interesting stuff!
Tuesday (4/10)
Today was tough and got off to a bit of a rocky start. Coming back from spring break (which for me wasn't so much of a break), I think I might be a bit sick. I have had an iffy stomach and on-off headache for the past couple days and today I think I added a fever to that combo. I have a newfound appretiation for teachers that can teach while they are sick, I was trying to put on the happy face and get it done - but by block 3 my students were asking me I was feeling ok and I was wrapped up in my scarf and sweater. I've started pumping the fluids and have taken some advil since I got home - I'm hoping with a good amount of sleep tonight, this will go away. I'm not sure if this is stress caused or just catching whatever is going around - I know that I need to sort out my stress issues though. I've been trying to do student teaching, freelance work, searching for design jobs, and prepare for the end of all of this (aka college). I've also had some added stress because I am in a long distance relationship (luckily he lives back home) so I have been driving back home alot (for him and my family). Driving will take a lot out of you! I try to keep my personal life out of my teaching but it definitely does affect it; it can't hurt to have the students see you as a little more human though. I really got some sympathy out of a group of girls that normally give me a hard time.
I was observed this morning by my university supervisor - I taught half the class and my cooperating teacher taught the first half. The 3D class was working on their reposse and books with my teacher and about halfway through class we switched gears and I taught the intro to the cup and saucer lesson. I started a discussion on how they had interacted with cup and saucers previously, where they had seen them, etc. We then looked at a PowerPoint of images from a variety of artists, starting with the most shocking - the fur covered teacup, saucer and spoon by Meret Oppenheim. As soon as the students saw it - awesome reaction, which finally started the discussion. We explored all the images and I started to ease them into the concept of "part-to-whole" relationships - prefectly on the morning announcements this morning they were doing analogies, so I was able to reference that while illustrating the idea. I gave the students an overview of the entire project, got materials passed out and did a quick demo of how to make the plaster cup and saucer using the styrofoam dishes as molds. Almost everyone finished that portion during class, so when they are back in the classroom on Thursday they will finish that, move on to the next step and have some time to do their reposse. I think doing a couple projects at once is a good idea because it doesn't leave any down time - the studentst always have something to work on, also its more like being a real artist - rarely are you working on just one thing. If I was going to do today's lesson over again I would have brought in different cup and saucer sets and left one on each table, asking the students to study them - hoping that would fire the discussion.
The 7th graders worked on finishing their Kandinsky inspired paintings, as they finsihed they got to work on free drawings with the materials - giving them a little repreve before they start a new project on Thurs. I spent their class helping students that needed it and refining the lesson for the class tomorrow - they are already done with their paintings. They will be doing a representational self-portrait next, using newspaper to weave a grid (9 blocks) - I'll be using Audrey Flack and Louise Nevelson as the inspirational artists - I'm really excited about it. To warm them up to this new direction of abstract art they will do a symbols exercise that we did for visual journaling, I'll also be using this with the 8th graders before they start on their new project next week.
The 8th graders are finishing up their mosaics, some have even groted - as they finish they are helping other students. They will start on a new project next week, color collages - inspired by a book my sister gave me called "Colors" that I will read them. Before they start in on this though, since they will be finishing at different times - I'm going to do some painting to music with them (many have been requesting to do this) as they finish.
Ok, time to get on the lesson planning so I can hit the hay early and hopefully start feeling better ...
Wednesday
Another even day and another new lesson started! Today we had our two 8th grade classes and 7th grade all girls class - unfortunately they had a field trip today so we only got them for about 45 min. and that was split up by taking them to lunch. It was a good day though - I am thankfully feeling better than yesterday, well my energy is still kinda drained but hopefully with some more good rest tonight I'll be back to normal. I grouted my mosaic today with the first 8th grade class, it turned out really well (yay) and then was able to help the other students grout their own. I also learned how to spell grout correctly today - way to go Tyler! I am still struggling a little with the one girl in that class - she told me today that she has a problem respecting anyone my age because her first set of foster parents were my age and they were horrible. My response to that was that she shouldn't judge a whole age group on her experience with one pair of people, that I respected her and hoped it would become mutual. She still makes little side comments about me all the time - I can tell she is joking, but its that mean kind of joking - I just laugh it off and move on. She's very hot and cold with me, but I try to be consistantly warm with her, we'll hope that works - especially since she comes in everyday to visit my teacher.
The 7th graders today started on their new project - doing a warm-up activity that got them thinking about symbols. I used a visual journal activity that we did at one of our student teaching seminar - the students were to draw five symbols (circle, triangle, cross, square and spiral). Then they rate the symbols on a scale of one to five, one being the one they are most attracted to visually - after that they use these symbols to create a composition. They can repeat the symbol, use it with different sizes/colors and distort it - we used watercolor pencils for this and I instructed them to use different methods with each symbol. Then I read them the "meaning" of each symbol and how they related to them with their ratings. I think once they learned that and looked at their drawings they really started to get the concept of symbols - I discussed how to analyze the information with a couple students. After that I was hoping we would have time to view the PowerPoint I had made and begin the discussion on representational art, but they had to go for the field trip, so we'll get to that on Friday. I'm still brushing up the lesson anyway though so that gave me tonight to really get everything tested out and prepared.
During planning my teacher and i worked on lesson plans - I helped her create a PowerPoint on Georgia O'Keefe - showing her shortcuts of getting images from the internet. She loved it! I got started on a sample for the 7th graders and figured out some little things in the lesson that would need to be changed. I'm pretty excited to do more of the lesson with the 7th graders tomorrow when they get the intro.
Thursday/Friday
Some days just seem to run together, that's what the past two days have been like. I have really gotten into the representational self-portrait lesson with both of my 7th grade classes at this point. Earlier in the week we did the exercise with symbols to get them to start thinking in that fashion (instead of quite so literally). Now we have moved on to exploring the artists (Andrew Wyeth, Audrey Flack, and Louise Nevelson) through a PowerPoint and have started prepping their black board (cardboard) with newspaper woven grid (twisted newpaper woven to create 9 squares). The odd day 7th grade class went along with this doing what I asked, though moving fairly slowly with it as usual; however, my even day class of girls gave me a really hard time on Friday. My teacher had been called down to a quick meeting during the first part of class, so I had the girls all so myself and as soon as I showed them the images of Nevelson's work (Sky Castle, for one) they started rejecting the direction of the project. Well, we had a talk about respect and open-mindedness after that and I simply asked them to trust me that what we were doing was going in a direction that would bring them something that would be their artwork that they could be proud of. It was definitely a lesson in keeping calm under pressure and not taking things personally (this is a lesson I'm really excited about) . I have also learned that sometimes the best way to calm down a class is stand there, completely silent, surveying the room - for some reason students always find that so unnerving that they get quite long enough to hear instructions. I used that tactic with my 3D students on Thursday morning when they talked through about 95% of my instructions. I finally sat down on one of the tables and looked around until they got quiet, then I asked if they had ever had a conversation with someone that wasn't paying attention and the like and we talked about how that made them feel. Then I told them I had been having a conversation with them all class ... it was like lightbulbs going off - unfortunately with this age group that kind of novelty only lasts but so long haha. I also did some painting to music with one 8th grade class and will be doing one day of that for each 8th grade class because they had all heard about it from 7th graders or heard the music and had been requesting it, so I'm going to do it. I figure I'll test out a short form alternate approach to the lesson with them which can also act as somewhat of an intro to their color collages that they will start next week. My teacher and I came up with a cool way to give them their color for their color collage - they draw crayons and have to use that color (or shades similar) to create their collage along with two other words that they draw (adjective/adverb and an emotion). My teacher and I also discovered for one of the last lessons I'm doing that we can order t-shirts and iron on stuff from a catalog because she still had money left in her budget. When I have my own classroom I am going to try and make sure I have a little reserve for "emergencies" - it seems like a pretty rational thing to do!
I am now officially down to 3 weeks left of teaching, its going to get intense here the next couple weeks as I start, teach and finish up lessons ... and try to move out of my house all at the same time. Multi-tasking will be key for sure!
So today started off spring break week - meaning we had school today and tomorrow and then the kids are off Weds. through next Monday. Wednesday is an in-service/teacher workday for us though (womp womp), but on the upside our county wide in-service in the morning is going to be an art supply rep. presentation of sorts (aka hopefully some free supplies). All that aside, it was a normal and slightly chaotic Monday of an odd week - we had all four classes (3D, 7th, 8th, 8th). The 3D class was working on their reposse - I love this class because they are a fun, mainly good group once you get them going and they all seem to like me and respect me (yay). I worked with them, catching up folks and helping them start their book making (they will mount their reposse on books they make themselves) while my teacher took groups outside to "antique" the copper, using liver of sulfur (smells delicous - not). I could tell as soon as I walked in today that both my teacher and I were on the same level - and unfortunately that level was kind of out of it and exhausted. Over the week-end I didn't really get my chance to rejuvinate due to various obligations, and I could definitely feel the toll it had on me today - I can also tell that I just plain need a break! Teaching each day, planning and doing homework/paperwork each night paired with trying to prepare my design stuff and search for jobs is a little well - stressful, especially the job aspect of things. I cannot believe that in a month and a couple days this college aspect of my life will be over and I'll be transitioning into the real world - hopefully with a good employer lined up and a place to live!? I also am realizing that I don't have a lot of time to do projects with these kiddos - after spring break, the heat is on. I plan on using the days I have off to go home and really focus on getting both sides of my life together - teaching and design. I finally registered to take the last of my standarized tests, the VCLA (assuming I passed the Praxis II) - I'll take that in two weeks and then just have to make sure all my paper work is in order and all that - yikes.
Now that that's out of my system - today was good, although the 7th grade class I have today always gives me some trouble. We have one student that is really needy and drives me absolutely nuts truth be told, but I have started not answering all his questions and turning them right back around to him - it seems to work more often than not. When he asks if something is right or if I think it looks good I ask him to think about it for himself - "that's not a Ms. Adams question - that's a question for you." One of the other girls in that class informed me he's been like that since the 3rd grade haha.
During our 3rd block 8th grade class I sat with a student while they worked on their mosaics, everyone else at his table was absent so I thought I'd give him company. Its amazing what you can find out from students that way - we were just talking about art and he was asking me questions about the other classes and said he had heard some kids say that art used to be their favorite class until I came - WOW. I know I am more strict and have a lower BS tolerance than my teacher does and I think the kiddos that must be saying that are the ones that are acting up and "incurring my wrath." My teacher said not to worry about it - my thought is I must be doing something right with discipline if not every kid likes me - now they just have to earn their spot back in my good graces and I'll win them over with good lessons and good one-on-one interaction. I definitely realize that not every student is going to think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread and that's OK with me, I have friends - I'm there to be their teacher. Just as long as they all don't hate me haha.
Tuesday/Wednesday
... were busy days - making sure my teacher and I had all our ducks in a row before we went on break. We finalized our long term planning for the remaining weeks of my student teaching, figuring out lesson plans and when I would hand things back over. I really enjoy the way my teacher runs her classroom and works with me, she just makes it very easy and I like to think that she and I make a good team in there. It frequently happens that if one of us can't find something the other knows exactly where it is and things like that - which is especially crucial in such a small classroom! I have seen my teacher's normal classroom (which is currently storing all of the auditorium chairs until the auditorium is done and her room can get redone - oh construction) and it is very spacious, the classroom we are currently in is not (and has no windows). I think trying to rennovate a school while the students and teachers are in there is just so unfair and should really be avoided. Teachers having to pack up their supplies and store them in mobil units, only allowed to have what is absolutely needed (and will fit) in their temporary classroom, students being shifted around constantly, interrupted learning and just general health and safety hazards - craziness.
The in-service was pretty cool - we had a rep from one of the suppliers to the county come and speak with us about ordering (getting discounts) and new products. We then got to have "play time" more or less and try out all of the new products, my favorite was a graphite crayon that you could apply water to - kind of like water color pencils - it made such beautiful marks. I also got to experience the planning of the next county wide inservice and volunteered myself to come back and do a graphic design/computers in art education inservice with the teachers (I think it'd be so fun and really really helpful). I also spoke for awhile with one of the other elementary art teachers who is currently doing his masters through JMU and using i-movie in the classroom with a group of students, very interesting stuff!
Tuesday (4/10)
Today was tough and got off to a bit of a rocky start. Coming back from spring break (which for me wasn't so much of a break), I think I might be a bit sick. I have had an iffy stomach and on-off headache for the past couple days and today I think I added a fever to that combo. I have a newfound appretiation for teachers that can teach while they are sick, I was trying to put on the happy face and get it done - but by block 3 my students were asking me I was feeling ok and I was wrapped up in my scarf and sweater. I've started pumping the fluids and have taken some advil since I got home - I'm hoping with a good amount of sleep tonight, this will go away. I'm not sure if this is stress caused or just catching whatever is going around - I know that I need to sort out my stress issues though. I've been trying to do student teaching, freelance work, searching for design jobs, and prepare for the end of all of this (aka college). I've also had some added stress because I am in a long distance relationship (luckily he lives back home) so I have been driving back home alot (for him and my family). Driving will take a lot out of you! I try to keep my personal life out of my teaching but it definitely does affect it; it can't hurt to have the students see you as a little more human though. I really got some sympathy out of a group of girls that normally give me a hard time.
I was observed this morning by my university supervisor - I taught half the class and my cooperating teacher taught the first half. The 3D class was working on their reposse and books with my teacher and about halfway through class we switched gears and I taught the intro to the cup and saucer lesson. I started a discussion on how they had interacted with cup and saucers previously, where they had seen them, etc. We then looked at a PowerPoint of images from a variety of artists, starting with the most shocking - the fur covered teacup, saucer and spoon by Meret Oppenheim. As soon as the students saw it - awesome reaction, which finally started the discussion. We explored all the images and I started to ease them into the concept of "part-to-whole" relationships - prefectly on the morning announcements this morning they were doing analogies, so I was able to reference that while illustrating the idea. I gave the students an overview of the entire project, got materials passed out and did a quick demo of how to make the plaster cup and saucer using the styrofoam dishes as molds. Almost everyone finished that portion during class, so when they are back in the classroom on Thursday they will finish that, move on to the next step and have some time to do their reposse. I think doing a couple projects at once is a good idea because it doesn't leave any down time - the studentst always have something to work on, also its more like being a real artist - rarely are you working on just one thing. If I was going to do today's lesson over again I would have brought in different cup and saucer sets and left one on each table, asking the students to study them - hoping that would fire the discussion.
The 7th graders worked on finishing their Kandinsky inspired paintings, as they finsihed they got to work on free drawings with the materials - giving them a little repreve before they start a new project on Thurs. I spent their class helping students that needed it and refining the lesson for the class tomorrow - they are already done with their paintings. They will be doing a representational self-portrait next, using newspaper to weave a grid (9 blocks) - I'll be using Audrey Flack and Louise Nevelson as the inspirational artists - I'm really excited about it. To warm them up to this new direction of abstract art they will do a symbols exercise that we did for visual journaling, I'll also be using this with the 8th graders before they start on their new project next week.
The 8th graders are finishing up their mosaics, some have even groted - as they finish they are helping other students. They will start on a new project next week, color collages - inspired by a book my sister gave me called "Colors" that I will read them. Before they start in on this though, since they will be finishing at different times - I'm going to do some painting to music with them (many have been requesting to do this) as they finish.
Ok, time to get on the lesson planning so I can hit the hay early and hopefully start feeling better ...
Wednesday
Another even day and another new lesson started! Today we had our two 8th grade classes and 7th grade all girls class - unfortunately they had a field trip today so we only got them for about 45 min. and that was split up by taking them to lunch. It was a good day though - I am thankfully feeling better than yesterday, well my energy is still kinda drained but hopefully with some more good rest tonight I'll be back to normal. I grouted my mosaic today with the first 8th grade class, it turned out really well (yay) and then was able to help the other students grout their own. I also learned how to spell grout correctly today - way to go Tyler! I am still struggling a little with the one girl in that class - she told me today that she has a problem respecting anyone my age because her first set of foster parents were my age and they were horrible. My response to that was that she shouldn't judge a whole age group on her experience with one pair of people, that I respected her and hoped it would become mutual. She still makes little side comments about me all the time - I can tell she is joking, but its that mean kind of joking - I just laugh it off and move on. She's very hot and cold with me, but I try to be consistantly warm with her, we'll hope that works - especially since she comes in everyday to visit my teacher.
The 7th graders today started on their new project - doing a warm-up activity that got them thinking about symbols. I used a visual journal activity that we did at one of our student teaching seminar - the students were to draw five symbols (circle, triangle, cross, square and spiral). Then they rate the symbols on a scale of one to five, one being the one they are most attracted to visually - after that they use these symbols to create a composition. They can repeat the symbol, use it with different sizes/colors and distort it - we used watercolor pencils for this and I instructed them to use different methods with each symbol. Then I read them the "meaning" of each symbol and how they related to them with their ratings. I think once they learned that and looked at their drawings they really started to get the concept of symbols - I discussed how to analyze the information with a couple students. After that I was hoping we would have time to view the PowerPoint I had made and begin the discussion on representational art, but they had to go for the field trip, so we'll get to that on Friday. I'm still brushing up the lesson anyway though so that gave me tonight to really get everything tested out and prepared.
During planning my teacher and i worked on lesson plans - I helped her create a PowerPoint on Georgia O'Keefe - showing her shortcuts of getting images from the internet. She loved it! I got started on a sample for the 7th graders and figured out some little things in the lesson that would need to be changed. I'm pretty excited to do more of the lesson with the 7th graders tomorrow when they get the intro.
Thursday/Friday
Some days just seem to run together, that's what the past two days have been like. I have really gotten into the representational self-portrait lesson with both of my 7th grade classes at this point. Earlier in the week we did the exercise with symbols to get them to start thinking in that fashion (instead of quite so literally). Now we have moved on to exploring the artists (Andrew Wyeth, Audrey Flack, and Louise Nevelson) through a PowerPoint and have started prepping their black board (cardboard) with newspaper woven grid (twisted newpaper woven to create 9 squares). The odd day 7th grade class went along with this doing what I asked, though moving fairly slowly with it as usual; however, my even day class of girls gave me a really hard time on Friday. My teacher had been called down to a quick meeting during the first part of class, so I had the girls all so myself and as soon as I showed them the images of Nevelson's work (Sky Castle, for one) they started rejecting the direction of the project. Well, we had a talk about respect and open-mindedness after that and I simply asked them to trust me that what we were doing was going in a direction that would bring them something that would be their artwork that they could be proud of. It was definitely a lesson in keeping calm under pressure and not taking things personally (this is a lesson I'm really excited about) . I have also learned that sometimes the best way to calm down a class is stand there, completely silent, surveying the room - for some reason students always find that so unnerving that they get quite long enough to hear instructions. I used that tactic with my 3D students on Thursday morning when they talked through about 95% of my instructions. I finally sat down on one of the tables and looked around until they got quiet, then I asked if they had ever had a conversation with someone that wasn't paying attention and the like and we talked about how that made them feel. Then I told them I had been having a conversation with them all class ... it was like lightbulbs going off - unfortunately with this age group that kind of novelty only lasts but so long haha. I also did some painting to music with one 8th grade class and will be doing one day of that for each 8th grade class because they had all heard about it from 7th graders or heard the music and had been requesting it, so I'm going to do it. I figure I'll test out a short form alternate approach to the lesson with them which can also act as somewhat of an intro to their color collages that they will start next week. My teacher and I came up with a cool way to give them their color for their color collage - they draw crayons and have to use that color (or shades similar) to create their collage along with two other words that they draw (adjective/adverb and an emotion). My teacher and I also discovered for one of the last lessons I'm doing that we can order t-shirts and iron on stuff from a catalog because she still had money left in her budget. When I have my own classroom I am going to try and make sure I have a little reserve for "emergencies" - it seems like a pretty rational thing to do!
I am now officially down to 3 weeks left of teaching, its going to get intense here the next couple weeks as I start, teach and finish up lessons ... and try to move out of my house all at the same time. Multi-tasking will be key for sure!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Week # 4: Adventure Continued
Monday
Today went wooosh and I can't believe I've been there for 3 weeks already (although because of "spring break" - I use that term loosely - this placement is actually 9 weeks). It is an even week, meaning that we have 3 planning periods this week, which couldn't have come at a better time as I start preparing my lesson for the 3-D class and make revisions to the 7th grade lesson as I teach it this week. I helped out during our first block class this morning (8th grade) as well as doing final checks and preparations for the 7th graders. The 8th graders are now working on their tessarae mosaics, creating several design sketches, chosing a final (they are to use line and pattern and french curves, etc.) design and transferring it to the boards they sanded and gesso-ed last week. They also got a demo today from my teacher on how to properly cut glass with tile nippers ( wearing very stylish safety glass - woo) and then got to start seeking out their colors. I am doing this project with them and assisting the classes as needed - I still need to choose my own design though, haha. The situation with the one girl that is kind of the trouble child of that class is starting to subside, she sees me more as the ally now rather than the enemy - in fact she came to talk with me & my teacher today during our planning period about some troubles she was having (guess she knows a good resource when she sees one - my teacher is amazing, patient and very understanding). The rest of that class has also accepted me as a classroom fixture and even come in early to help out preparing the classroom or to talk - its really cute.
The 7th grade class went really well today with the intro to non-objective art and the 2nd set of sketches to music; unfortunately though I got to deal with the joys of a school under construction and how it can disturb learning. I was leading a discussion with the class and giving them information about abstract art and Wassily Kandinsky when they started drilling or jackhammering a neighboring wall - totally drowning out even the thoughts in our heads! After a couple e-mails and a trip down to the office, my teacher got them to stop drilling for the remainder of class - phew! I tried not to get frustrated and laugh it off with the students - it was definitely a bonding experience! The drawings today with the music were much more abstract - they were really getting it, and I think the final compositions they create (after looking at all their preliminary drawings) will be awesome! On Weds. they will get a color wheel lesson on color mixing and a demo on how to use water colors since they have not painted before - the color wheel lesson will be super fun because we're doing edible color wheels (iced nilla wafers - yum!). My teacher and I decided during our discussion of my lesson today (she was all praise) that doing a color mixing activity would be a good - educational - breather before starting into their final piece, plus it would be a fun way to learn how to mix both types of paint they will be using in their final.
I haven't started teaching this lesson to my other 7th grade class yet - they will get started tomorrow with the drawing exercise and then the intro/discussion, as they are a little behind b/c of assemblies - plus they work a little slower. I think I will make some changes with this class, asking them to start with lines only on their first drawings - using pencil, then colored pencil, then finally a mix of the other two and chalk pastels. Then we'll move onto shapes and more abstract things - I think starting with line will be a simpler and less overwhelming transition from realistic to abstract art. i also want to make it more of a discussion tomorrow with them about the ideas of abstract art - I love this lesson!
The last class of the day was 8th graders again - the ones that had major attitude problems with me last week when I was with the substitute. My teacher gave them a talking to about attitude and the way they go to and from lunch - I think it really made a difference and I think they are starting to get that they can't mess around with me. Althought there is still one guy that constantly mouths off - my teacher and I both heard him today saying f-this and f-that and he will have silent lunch tomorrow because of it. Also during this block, if it wasn't crazy enough getting divided by lunch, there was an unplanned fire drill today which meant class time got eaten up with the processional outside then in. I was informed during the fire drill, when I was trying to keep the students in line and such that "teachers were whack" - I responded to them by saying yeah, that's a feeling that all students have - in some way or another - but if we were whack, what were they? haha - oh this age group is such a joy.
During planning today my teacher and I got organized planning/prepping for the week and the next couple weeks - which will be split up by spring break - two days of school next week and a monday off the week after that we have monday off (all for "spring break"). I'll have to use that time wisely to prep my teaching portfolio (and my graphic design portfolio) and make sure I'm ready for the end of all this which is suddenly coming quickly!
Tuesday
Oh odd days are so special (and long). Today we had 3-D, 7th grade and then two 8th grade classes - which definitely kept us on our toes. Having two teachers in an art classroom makes things a lot easier because while one wraps up one lesson the other, prepares materials for the enxt class - at least that's how it goes with my teacher. The 3-D kids were working on their reposse illuminated letters again and got a demo on how to reposse - which is actually a new technique for me as well. Being in an art classroom has definitely been a learning experience for me in that I have had to learn several new techniques and then turn around and teach them to the students that same class period. It tests my ability to think on my feet and learn quickly for sure! So I learned how to do reposse and then got to help the students while they worked on their designs and then transferred them to the copper sheets using etching/reposse.
I taught the 7th grade class today - this is the one that hadn't started my lesson yet. I started them off with a little discussion about switching gears from realistic to abstract art, trying to find out what they already knew about abstract art and what their thoughts on it were ... that's one thing I really like about this age group is that you can take what they already know and run with it, finding things out through questioning and discussion. Then I got them started with the warm-up exercise (listening to one song, then drawing to two) - although I did things a bit differently than I had with the first class. This time I asked the students to start by simply drawing lines that represented the sounds they heard, using pencil or colored pencil (so they could warm up to the looser style) then they were allowed on the second song to start exploring more shape and color, with their lines. After this, I talked to them about it - discussing their reactions to the music and the color and lines they used. Then they watched the video and went through the power point - I took my supervisor's advice and incorporated more historical references, really trying to drive home the point of non-objective art and the novelty of it when Kandinsky first started creating. After that came another round of drawings listening to music and the change in approach and level of development was awesome! I think doing the before and after approach shows the students that they are learning, sweet!
Wednesday
Another even day - phew. I got to work with the two 8th grade classes we had today and help teach mosaics (glass cutting, design transfer and glass gluing); since I am working on one too right now, I have started sitting with a different table each class so I can develop better relations with some of the students (mainly the ones that are giving me problems). Safety is a major problem with the glass cutting, we've already had a couple pricked or cut fingers (we have a large supply of bandagdes on hand) and all the students are required to wear safety glasses while cutting the scrap glass with tile nippers, even still we had a girl get some glass in her eye today (the nurse got it out, she was ok, and promised to wear her glasses the whole time next class and be more careful). It becomes quite the racket in there with all the glass shifting and such, but once the students start in on the gluing they all become so quiet and focused - its awesome! They kept begging to work just 5 more minutes and not clean up "just yet." The mosaic project is apparently the "holy grail" project at our school - the kids get so excited and beg to do it.
The 7th grade class - the all girl one - started the next phase of their Kandinsky lesson today - delving into color and painting. My teacher and I team taught a color wheel lesson, first asking the students to fill out a color wheel on paper (primary, secondary & tertiary), then reviewing color mixing with them - using the sheet. After that we created edible color wheels, using nilla wafers and primary colored icing - the girls loved it and we are now their favorite teachers haha. It was kind of messy, but it was a fun way to drive home the idea of how to make colors and everybody got to eat 3 cookies and finish off the icing. I'll be teaching this lesson solo tomorrow with the other 7th grade class. Then after our lesson/snack, I did a water color demo - showing them the different ways water color can be used and how to use water color pencils. Originally I was going to have them use water color and acrylic on thier final, now I think we'll just do water color maybe? Lessons are definitely a learning process the first time you teach them! After the demo, they had the rest of class to experiment with the different ways of using the watercolors, which they enjoyed. On Friday that class will start their final compositions, looking at all the drawings they have done to music previously and creating one final work.
During planning today, my teacher and I finally got to test out the 3D lesson I want to teach after they finish their reposse. It will be creating cups and saucers out of plaster gauze (using styrofoam bowls and plates as molds), gessoing them, and then painting them to show a part to whole relationship. We tried doing the plaster gauze on the plate and bowl and it definitely worked - I super excited to start writing up this lesson and then actually teaching it. Time to go get to it!
Thursday
coming soon... along with Friday.
Today went wooosh and I can't believe I've been there for 3 weeks already (although because of "spring break" - I use that term loosely - this placement is actually 9 weeks). It is an even week, meaning that we have 3 planning periods this week, which couldn't have come at a better time as I start preparing my lesson for the 3-D class and make revisions to the 7th grade lesson as I teach it this week. I helped out during our first block class this morning (8th grade) as well as doing final checks and preparations for the 7th graders. The 8th graders are now working on their tessarae mosaics, creating several design sketches, chosing a final (they are to use line and pattern and french curves, etc.) design and transferring it to the boards they sanded and gesso-ed last week. They also got a demo today from my teacher on how to properly cut glass with tile nippers ( wearing very stylish safety glass - woo) and then got to start seeking out their colors. I am doing this project with them and assisting the classes as needed - I still need to choose my own design though, haha. The situation with the one girl that is kind of the trouble child of that class is starting to subside, she sees me more as the ally now rather than the enemy - in fact she came to talk with me & my teacher today during our planning period about some troubles she was having (guess she knows a good resource when she sees one - my teacher is amazing, patient and very understanding). The rest of that class has also accepted me as a classroom fixture and even come in early to help out preparing the classroom or to talk - its really cute.
The 7th grade class went really well today with the intro to non-objective art and the 2nd set of sketches to music; unfortunately though I got to deal with the joys of a school under construction and how it can disturb learning. I was leading a discussion with the class and giving them information about abstract art and Wassily Kandinsky when they started drilling or jackhammering a neighboring wall - totally drowning out even the thoughts in our heads! After a couple e-mails and a trip down to the office, my teacher got them to stop drilling for the remainder of class - phew! I tried not to get frustrated and laugh it off with the students - it was definitely a bonding experience! The drawings today with the music were much more abstract - they were really getting it, and I think the final compositions they create (after looking at all their preliminary drawings) will be awesome! On Weds. they will get a color wheel lesson on color mixing and a demo on how to use water colors since they have not painted before - the color wheel lesson will be super fun because we're doing edible color wheels (iced nilla wafers - yum!). My teacher and I decided during our discussion of my lesson today (she was all praise) that doing a color mixing activity would be a good - educational - breather before starting into their final piece, plus it would be a fun way to learn how to mix both types of paint they will be using in their final.
I haven't started teaching this lesson to my other 7th grade class yet - they will get started tomorrow with the drawing exercise and then the intro/discussion, as they are a little behind b/c of assemblies - plus they work a little slower. I think I will make some changes with this class, asking them to start with lines only on their first drawings - using pencil, then colored pencil, then finally a mix of the other two and chalk pastels. Then we'll move onto shapes and more abstract things - I think starting with line will be a simpler and less overwhelming transition from realistic to abstract art. i also want to make it more of a discussion tomorrow with them about the ideas of abstract art - I love this lesson!
The last class of the day was 8th graders again - the ones that had major attitude problems with me last week when I was with the substitute. My teacher gave them a talking to about attitude and the way they go to and from lunch - I think it really made a difference and I think they are starting to get that they can't mess around with me. Althought there is still one guy that constantly mouths off - my teacher and I both heard him today saying f-this and f-that and he will have silent lunch tomorrow because of it. Also during this block, if it wasn't crazy enough getting divided by lunch, there was an unplanned fire drill today which meant class time got eaten up with the processional outside then in. I was informed during the fire drill, when I was trying to keep the students in line and such that "teachers were whack" - I responded to them by saying yeah, that's a feeling that all students have - in some way or another - but if we were whack, what were they? haha - oh this age group is such a joy.
During planning today my teacher and I got organized planning/prepping for the week and the next couple weeks - which will be split up by spring break - two days of school next week and a monday off the week after that we have monday off (all for "spring break"). I'll have to use that time wisely to prep my teaching portfolio (and my graphic design portfolio) and make sure I'm ready for the end of all this which is suddenly coming quickly!
Tuesday
Oh odd days are so special (and long). Today we had 3-D, 7th grade and then two 8th grade classes - which definitely kept us on our toes. Having two teachers in an art classroom makes things a lot easier because while one wraps up one lesson the other, prepares materials for the enxt class - at least that's how it goes with my teacher. The 3-D kids were working on their reposse illuminated letters again and got a demo on how to reposse - which is actually a new technique for me as well. Being in an art classroom has definitely been a learning experience for me in that I have had to learn several new techniques and then turn around and teach them to the students that same class period. It tests my ability to think on my feet and learn quickly for sure! So I learned how to do reposse and then got to help the students while they worked on their designs and then transferred them to the copper sheets using etching/reposse.
I taught the 7th grade class today - this is the one that hadn't started my lesson yet. I started them off with a little discussion about switching gears from realistic to abstract art, trying to find out what they already knew about abstract art and what their thoughts on it were ... that's one thing I really like about this age group is that you can take what they already know and run with it, finding things out through questioning and discussion. Then I got them started with the warm-up exercise (listening to one song, then drawing to two) - although I did things a bit differently than I had with the first class. This time I asked the students to start by simply drawing lines that represented the sounds they heard, using pencil or colored pencil (so they could warm up to the looser style) then they were allowed on the second song to start exploring more shape and color, with their lines. After this, I talked to them about it - discussing their reactions to the music and the color and lines they used. Then they watched the video and went through the power point - I took my supervisor's advice and incorporated more historical references, really trying to drive home the point of non-objective art and the novelty of it when Kandinsky first started creating. After that came another round of drawings listening to music and the change in approach and level of development was awesome! I think doing the before and after approach shows the students that they are learning, sweet!
Wednesday
Another even day - phew. I got to work with the two 8th grade classes we had today and help teach mosaics (glass cutting, design transfer and glass gluing); since I am working on one too right now, I have started sitting with a different table each class so I can develop better relations with some of the students (mainly the ones that are giving me problems). Safety is a major problem with the glass cutting, we've already had a couple pricked or cut fingers (we have a large supply of bandagdes on hand) and all the students are required to wear safety glasses while cutting the scrap glass with tile nippers, even still we had a girl get some glass in her eye today (the nurse got it out, she was ok, and promised to wear her glasses the whole time next class and be more careful). It becomes quite the racket in there with all the glass shifting and such, but once the students start in on the gluing they all become so quiet and focused - its awesome! They kept begging to work just 5 more minutes and not clean up "just yet." The mosaic project is apparently the "holy grail" project at our school - the kids get so excited and beg to do it.
The 7th grade class - the all girl one - started the next phase of their Kandinsky lesson today - delving into color and painting. My teacher and I team taught a color wheel lesson, first asking the students to fill out a color wheel on paper (primary, secondary & tertiary), then reviewing color mixing with them - using the sheet. After that we created edible color wheels, using nilla wafers and primary colored icing - the girls loved it and we are now their favorite teachers haha. It was kind of messy, but it was a fun way to drive home the idea of how to make colors and everybody got to eat 3 cookies and finish off the icing. I'll be teaching this lesson solo tomorrow with the other 7th grade class. Then after our lesson/snack, I did a water color demo - showing them the different ways water color can be used and how to use water color pencils. Originally I was going to have them use water color and acrylic on thier final, now I think we'll just do water color maybe? Lessons are definitely a learning process the first time you teach them! After the demo, they had the rest of class to experiment with the different ways of using the watercolors, which they enjoyed. On Friday that class will start their final compositions, looking at all the drawings they have done to music previously and creating one final work.
During planning today, my teacher and I finally got to test out the 3D lesson I want to teach after they finish their reposse. It will be creating cups and saucers out of plaster gauze (using styrofoam bowls and plates as molds), gessoing them, and then painting them to show a part to whole relationship. We tried doing the plaster gauze on the plate and bowl and it definitely worked - I super excited to start writing up this lesson and then actually teaching it. Time to go get to it!
Thursday
coming soon... along with Friday.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Week # 3: Under Control?
Monday
This week is an odd week, meaning lots of classes and only a little planning. I also will start teaching by the end of this week in the 7th grade classes and will start a team teaching lesson with the 3-D class on illuminated letters. Also, my teacher will be out this Thursday, so I will be somewhat taking over with the help of the substitute.
Tuesday
Today was thankfully an even day, meaning the classes are a little calmer and we got a much needed planning period. I spent time assisting the students during the lessons - I am starting to feel much more comfortable, and putting final touches on my Kandinsky lesson.
Wednesday
Today was a busy one - not only getting things prepared for the four classes we had but making sure that everything was set up for tomorrow - I will be taking over all of the classes (both 8th grade and one 7th) with the help of a substitute while my teacher is out for a day. Also, with the 3D class, we started a new lesson - one that we are team teaching and I will eventually be taking over. I finally got to see my teacher start a lesson, using art history discussion on Illuminated manuscripts to begin and then a variety of visuals (from a powerpoint that I made, to a book, or samples). We tag-teamed the intro, my teacher told me I could add whatever I wanted to the discussion and I think it really helped me ease into teaching them. They started by sketching letters today after the intro - doing at 3 versions, once they decide on a design they will use reposse techniques to transfer it to copper. Eventually, these will become the front cover of a book - I'm super excited! I really connect with this projec too because I did a similar one last placement with my 3rd graders, studying illuminated letters, and I have studied them through graphic design courses. We spent some of the class today discussing an example of illuminated manuscripts, The Book of Kells - which I have actually seen so I was able to add some personal experience to the discussion.
The 7th graders were working on their pen & ink trees again, they are about a day and 1/2 behind the even day class, but hopefully by Friday they will be caught up again. It amazing how much confidence plays into artistic success at this age. In elementary school they start out almost fearless but by the time they hit middle school they are so afraid of making mistakes or being unsuccessful - once they get past that though, they start making the most beautiful artwork. Some of the trees are amazing! I try to be really encouraging when I circulate around the classroom while they are working - offering constructive criticism and positive feedback - I think they are starting to realize that I'm not just "saying those things cause I have to."
The two 8th grade classes were finishing the construction of their accordian style books, which have covers made out of the marbled or paste paper they made last week. I think this project has been kind of the crafty side, but I also find that important to have in the art classroom in moderation. It helps students learn different techniques and it really allows all the students to be successful in the projects. The next project the students will be starting on is a mosaic - I think its really awesome that they get exposed to more than just drawing in art class - even if it does mean more work for the teachers haha. After their books were finished they started preparing their boards for mosaics, sanding and gesso-ing them. I made sure to get really hands on and pay close attention today during both 8th grade classes because I knew I would be teaching them solo tomorrow!
Before we left today, my teacher I doubled checked that all the plans were there and that all the supplies were out and ready to go tomorrow - luckily its an even day so I only have 3 classes, woo! This week has somewhat flown by and I can't believe its already week #3 at this placement. I will also teach the warm-up portion of my Kandinsky lesson tomorrow - students will listen to music and then listen and draw responses to music in preparation for an intro the non-objective art lesson.
Amusing point of the day: So my last 8th grade class has some boys in it that tend to sing/rap inappropriate songs - well I actually know some of these songs and have started calling them out on it. Their faces are priceless when I tell them that "Colt 45" by Afromand is not "OK" for in the artroom ... hehe, I'm not quite as square as they expected!
Thursday
Today was quite the adventure – my teacher was out for doctors’ appointments all day, so I was with a substitute, in other words I was teaching. I thought it would be good today to go ahead and step up as the teacher in the classroom, which was met with mixed reviews from the students. My teacher had left very detailed instructions for the substitute of what would be going on today (and gave me a copy as well) – which I followed successfully. Well, I’ll start from the very first thing this morning to fully explain this experience.
When I came in this morning, despite the request of my teacher to the custodian, the door was locked – I went down to the office and got the spare key to open up the room. I then reviewed the plan for the day and double-checked all of my materials and even had time to whip up a batch of coffee before the substitute and the students arrived.
The first class was 8th grade, 2nd period – the one that has the girls that are still not fully accepting of me – however, the class went surprisingly well! When they came in I got them settled and took attendance during announcements (its done on the computer – so cool because it even has the students’ pictures). Then I gave them an overview of what was on the agenda for today and got the “table bosses” to pass out supplies for finishing steps to the book making project. I gave them step-by-step instructions/demonstrations on how to finish their books and in no time at all, they were ready to start on the next project of the day. I then got them all set up to sand and gesso their boards, the substitute stepped in on the handing out of supplies as needed and did a little behavioral monitoring. After they finished with the boards, they got their reading/homework sheet which almost everyone had time to complete during class – then they had free time to draw in their sketchbooks and complete any other assignments. Despite the fact that I was kind of nervous about today, I felt pretty comfortable – and the one girl that gives me a hard time was surprisingly helpful too, she really just wants attention when it comes down to it. I think this is a class that I’ve definitely connected to, they are fairly playful but when you focus them they really get work done.
The next class was my group of 7th grade girls, which I hadn’t anticipated would be a problem … however, at this age they never fail to surprise you. I got them settle and did another overview when they came in – getting them started on their pen and ink tree drawings, which they were to finish today. Well, my table bosses for this class are two girls who have quite the attitude and are a little manipulative/social. One girl slyly started working on my teachers’ sample drawing instead of her own – but hers was no where to be found (curious) – I wasn’t really sure how to deal with it as the other girl at her table was corroborating her story, so I’ll talk with my teacher about it tomorrow. The other girls all worked hard during the time they were given, with just a little coercing to focus, many of them finished. Then I cut them off with 30 min. left in class to start a warm-up activity for the Kandinsky lesson they will begin fully next week. I played them a song and asked them to close their eyes and just listening – thinking about what the music might look like (color, line, shapes). Apparently middle school girls cannot handle that – it was like pulling teeth to finally get them to sit and close their eyes and listen for just 3 min. In the end I was successful though – then they drew to music the rest of the class using pencil and chalk pastel. This project will be very interesting because many of them are resisting the “letting go” this project requires to make non-objective art – they all want to draw something that looks like something. Slowly though, you could watch them start to get it!
The last class of the day (yay even days for only have 3 blocks of classes) was the most challenging – not only because of students but because of it being split by lunch. I have one girl in there, who I know what trying to be helpful, but kept correcting me in a very negative manner – the well Ms. So and so does it this way syndrome. My response to that is – well today we are doing it this way because I’m Ms. Adams and this is how I want it done! I had one male student that really gave me a run for my money – he’s much bigger than I am and let’s be honest here, he’s a punk problem kid. He walked into class pushing around one of my smaller guys and I told him that would not happen in here and then it started – the attitude. He then proceeded to be tardy to class – I was beginning to wish my teacher and I had gone over disciplinary actions more with me and had really driven home the fact that I was going to be their teacher too to the students! Despite all of that, I got the class settled down and started on their projects, finishing their books before lunch and then doing their mosaic boards afterwards, along with their reading and worksheet. Phew. Luckily after all that – I had planning period to clean up a bit, collect my thoughts and talk with the substitute some, reflecting a bit on the day and talking about teaching in general, the substitute was a former teacher and had lots of support and helpful things. I really felt like it was my classroom today though, which was pretty awesome, to realize that yes – I can handle this age group, its not easy, but with practice I think I’ll get it down. There were definite good points in the day too – hugs from some of my students, smiles and some of them even coming up just to say hi to me in the hallway – its those little things paired with watching a student get something and succeed that really make even the tough crazy days worth it. It makes me realize that, yeah I am actually teaching them something and am a part of their lives (whether they like it or not sometimes).
Friday
It was very good to have my teacher back in the classroom today - though I was able to handle things Thurs. , the 8th grade classes we have on odd days are a bit more challenging.
This week is an odd week, meaning lots of classes and only a little planning. I also will start teaching by the end of this week in the 7th grade classes and will start a team teaching lesson with the 3-D class on illuminated letters. Also, my teacher will be out this Thursday, so I will be somewhat taking over with the help of the substitute.
Tuesday
Today was thankfully an even day, meaning the classes are a little calmer and we got a much needed planning period. I spent time assisting the students during the lessons - I am starting to feel much more comfortable, and putting final touches on my Kandinsky lesson.
Wednesday
Today was a busy one - not only getting things prepared for the four classes we had but making sure that everything was set up for tomorrow - I will be taking over all of the classes (both 8th grade and one 7th) with the help of a substitute while my teacher is out for a day. Also, with the 3D class, we started a new lesson - one that we are team teaching and I will eventually be taking over. I finally got to see my teacher start a lesson, using art history discussion on Illuminated manuscripts to begin and then a variety of visuals (from a powerpoint that I made, to a book, or samples). We tag-teamed the intro, my teacher told me I could add whatever I wanted to the discussion and I think it really helped me ease into teaching them. They started by sketching letters today after the intro - doing at 3 versions, once they decide on a design they will use reposse techniques to transfer it to copper. Eventually, these will become the front cover of a book - I'm super excited! I really connect with this projec too because I did a similar one last placement with my 3rd graders, studying illuminated letters, and I have studied them through graphic design courses. We spent some of the class today discussing an example of illuminated manuscripts, The Book of Kells - which I have actually seen so I was able to add some personal experience to the discussion.
The 7th graders were working on their pen & ink trees again, they are about a day and 1/2 behind the even day class, but hopefully by Friday they will be caught up again. It amazing how much confidence plays into artistic success at this age. In elementary school they start out almost fearless but by the time they hit middle school they are so afraid of making mistakes or being unsuccessful - once they get past that though, they start making the most beautiful artwork. Some of the trees are amazing! I try to be really encouraging when I circulate around the classroom while they are working - offering constructive criticism and positive feedback - I think they are starting to realize that I'm not just "saying those things cause I have to."
The two 8th grade classes were finishing the construction of their accordian style books, which have covers made out of the marbled or paste paper they made last week. I think this project has been kind of the crafty side, but I also find that important to have in the art classroom in moderation. It helps students learn different techniques and it really allows all the students to be successful in the projects. The next project the students will be starting on is a mosaic - I think its really awesome that they get exposed to more than just drawing in art class - even if it does mean more work for the teachers haha. After their books were finished they started preparing their boards for mosaics, sanding and gesso-ing them. I made sure to get really hands on and pay close attention today during both 8th grade classes because I knew I would be teaching them solo tomorrow!
Before we left today, my teacher I doubled checked that all the plans were there and that all the supplies were out and ready to go tomorrow - luckily its an even day so I only have 3 classes, woo! This week has somewhat flown by and I can't believe its already week #3 at this placement. I will also teach the warm-up portion of my Kandinsky lesson tomorrow - students will listen to music and then listen and draw responses to music in preparation for an intro the non-objective art lesson.
Amusing point of the day: So my last 8th grade class has some boys in it that tend to sing/rap inappropriate songs - well I actually know some of these songs and have started calling them out on it. Their faces are priceless when I tell them that "Colt 45" by Afromand is not "OK" for in the artroom ... hehe, I'm not quite as square as they expected!
Thursday
Today was quite the adventure – my teacher was out for doctors’ appointments all day, so I was with a substitute, in other words I was teaching. I thought it would be good today to go ahead and step up as the teacher in the classroom, which was met with mixed reviews from the students. My teacher had left very detailed instructions for the substitute of what would be going on today (and gave me a copy as well) – which I followed successfully. Well, I’ll start from the very first thing this morning to fully explain this experience.
When I came in this morning, despite the request of my teacher to the custodian, the door was locked – I went down to the office and got the spare key to open up the room. I then reviewed the plan for the day and double-checked all of my materials and even had time to whip up a batch of coffee before the substitute and the students arrived.
The first class was 8th grade, 2nd period – the one that has the girls that are still not fully accepting of me – however, the class went surprisingly well! When they came in I got them settled and took attendance during announcements (its done on the computer – so cool because it even has the students’ pictures). Then I gave them an overview of what was on the agenda for today and got the “table bosses” to pass out supplies for finishing steps to the book making project. I gave them step-by-step instructions/demonstrations on how to finish their books and in no time at all, they were ready to start on the next project of the day. I then got them all set up to sand and gesso their boards, the substitute stepped in on the handing out of supplies as needed and did a little behavioral monitoring. After they finished with the boards, they got their reading/homework sheet which almost everyone had time to complete during class – then they had free time to draw in their sketchbooks and complete any other assignments. Despite the fact that I was kind of nervous about today, I felt pretty comfortable – and the one girl that gives me a hard time was surprisingly helpful too, she really just wants attention when it comes down to it. I think this is a class that I’ve definitely connected to, they are fairly playful but when you focus them they really get work done.
The next class was my group of 7th grade girls, which I hadn’t anticipated would be a problem … however, at this age they never fail to surprise you. I got them settle and did another overview when they came in – getting them started on their pen and ink tree drawings, which they were to finish today. Well, my table bosses for this class are two girls who have quite the attitude and are a little manipulative/social. One girl slyly started working on my teachers’ sample drawing instead of her own – but hers was no where to be found (curious) – I wasn’t really sure how to deal with it as the other girl at her table was corroborating her story, so I’ll talk with my teacher about it tomorrow. The other girls all worked hard during the time they were given, with just a little coercing to focus, many of them finished. Then I cut them off with 30 min. left in class to start a warm-up activity for the Kandinsky lesson they will begin fully next week. I played them a song and asked them to close their eyes and just listening – thinking about what the music might look like (color, line, shapes). Apparently middle school girls cannot handle that – it was like pulling teeth to finally get them to sit and close their eyes and listen for just 3 min. In the end I was successful though – then they drew to music the rest of the class using pencil and chalk pastel. This project will be very interesting because many of them are resisting the “letting go” this project requires to make non-objective art – they all want to draw something that looks like something. Slowly though, you could watch them start to get it!
The last class of the day (yay even days for only have 3 blocks of classes) was the most challenging – not only because of students but because of it being split by lunch. I have one girl in there, who I know what trying to be helpful, but kept correcting me in a very negative manner – the well Ms. So and so does it this way syndrome. My response to that is – well today we are doing it this way because I’m Ms. Adams and this is how I want it done! I had one male student that really gave me a run for my money – he’s much bigger than I am and let’s be honest here, he’s a punk problem kid. He walked into class pushing around one of my smaller guys and I told him that would not happen in here and then it started – the attitude. He then proceeded to be tardy to class – I was beginning to wish my teacher and I had gone over disciplinary actions more with me and had really driven home the fact that I was going to be their teacher too to the students! Despite all of that, I got the class settled down and started on their projects, finishing their books before lunch and then doing their mosaic boards afterwards, along with their reading and worksheet. Phew. Luckily after all that – I had planning period to clean up a bit, collect my thoughts and talk with the substitute some, reflecting a bit on the day and talking about teaching in general, the substitute was a former teacher and had lots of support and helpful things. I really felt like it was my classroom today though, which was pretty awesome, to realize that yes – I can handle this age group, its not easy, but with practice I think I’ll get it down. There were definite good points in the day too – hugs from some of my students, smiles and some of them even coming up just to say hi to me in the hallway – its those little things paired with watching a student get something and succeed that really make even the tough crazy days worth it. It makes me realize that, yeah I am actually teaching them something and am a part of their lives (whether they like it or not sometimes).
Friday
It was very good to have my teacher back in the classroom today - though I was able to handle things Thurs. , the 8th grade classes we have on odd days are a bit more challenging.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Week # 2: Oh Middle Schoolers
Monday
It was an interesting day at school - there were a lot of kids absent due to either oversleeping (crazy daylight savings) or the latest bug going around. This meant classes were smaller, but somehow no less hectic. We had a transition day with both the 7th and 8th grade classes (it was an even day) - some people finishing one project and getting people started on the other. The 8th graders are moving on to creating different types of decorative paper, starting with paste paper, then later in the week marbled paper - these will be used in several different projects - creating a small sketch-type book, mixed paper collages, & etc. The 7th grade class was moving from drawing the stuffed animals to a brief drawing exercise for a science teacher to drawing trees (the next lesson). Both lessons went pretty well I think - though we did have our classes that are a little tamer (than the odd day classes). I actually ended up starting the paper lesson with the 2nd 8th grade class of the day - my teacher was helping students get going on finishing up their baskets, so I set up the materials and then just started instructing them - no sense in letting students waste class time waiting or sitting around (or misbehaving). I could immediately tell that my teacher was grateful/pleased that I stepped up and we decided afterwards that we would use the divide and conquer method with them again tomorrow. The only problem with the 8th grade lesson was the amount of clean-up that was left to the teacher & myself. My project for this week is to figure out how to minimize the amount of set up and clean up that we (the teachers) have to do and how to organize the project & the classroom so that students can take care of that part as well. I definitely want to train these kids to be more self- sufficient, hopefully in a calm manner ( haha, wishful thinking with this age group).
I found it interesting with the tree drawing lesson that my teacher started today that she used a similar method to the one I used when I was teaching trees to my first graders last 8 weeks. The idea of using a v to divide the tree branches apparently makes sense to all age groups and is something that they struggle with too. The way my teacher taught it was really encouraging to the students though - it let them realize that even if they didn't know how to draw them, they were going to learn - in a variety of different ways.
Now I need to go work on making lesson sheet templates and start on my Kandinsky lesson - its going to be a very busy week (including in school tornado drills, assemblies, and all sorts of other things)!
My teacher and I discussed with these new lessons the problem with excessive clean-up for us with the paper lesson.
Tuesday
I think I have discovered a possible solution to our excessive clean-up problem! During my last block today (which is our problem block) I had an idea to start a two person clean-up team, it would be a different two people every class. I told the students that in art class we're like a family, we do things together, we talk and share, we create a mess and then it needs to be cleaned up - and in a family, every member should help with chores - so each class two people (I would let them know) would be assisting with whatever clean-up we had. My teacher already has a set up plan (table bosses) who pass things out and sometimes gather things, but for more involved "teacher heavy" clean-up (aka the paper making) I think the "family style" clean-up plan may do the job. Another problem that my teacher and I realized, after having our back-to-back 8th grade classes, is with the intense clean-up at the end the students were having some down time that could be filled. So now we're trying to develop a lesson, based on a book that I have about colors (a kind of more grown up book with poetry about the personality of each color and great illustrations). Through some brainstorming tonight and some talking tomorrow, hopefully we'll be able to figure out a plan turning this into a filler activity that eventually turns into a project where the students create color personalities and illustrate them too!
Other than that, it was a busy odd day where I have started to establish myself more as an authority figure in the classroom - instead of just a passive observer. I have gotten to do a little bit of one-on-one instruction with some of the students during the lessons and some team teaching during the 8th grade lesson again today. Bit by bit I am getting more comfortable in the middle school setting/classroom - hopefully each day will be an improvement - it will definitely be interesting when I start teaching my lesson next week on drawing to music (focus on color and line) based on Kandinsky - I'm going to use some more modern music though (Sound Tribe Sector 9) and an experience of watching an artist paint to music at one of their concerts. I'm excited each day I work on it more - I'm hoping to have it all written up by tomorrow afternoon.
Also, we had a tornado drill during first block (3-d) art that took a fair chunk of time was a bit of a challenge since the school is currently under construction (and has been for the past 2 years!).
Wednesday
It's amazing that no matter how much you plan, there is always the unexpected or that last little detail. Today was a divide and conquer sort of day, full of lots of clean up! We learned from the day before and I took people who had been absent and needed to do paste paper and my teacher took the folks doing marbled paper. Then we floated around helping folks with each project and trying to keep the mess under control. During my first block class of 8th graders, where the girl who has kind of a personality conflict with me decided she was going to keep feeling me out some more and testing my limits - I think she's starting to see how I operate though. Although when I was helping her with her marbled paper, she informed me that I needed to loosen up, that I was very uptight. I responded that my teacher was stricter at the beginning of the year before she knew them and then she eased up - I operate the same way.
Thursday
crazy busy! lots of paper making & tree drawing, oh yeah and the 3-D class working on mosaics. We are having some personality conflicts in the 7th grade class, students asking to be moved around in seating and some butting of heads/tattling/fighting. My teacher finally put her foot down after rearranging the seating some, she stated that the behavior would not be acceptable in the art class. I think we'll still be dealing with some of it, but at a much lower level.
Friday
So school let out at 1:00 due to inclement weather - I forgot that we get snow in the middle of March! This adjusted the plans for the day ... and the attention spans of the students.
It was an interesting day at school - there were a lot of kids absent due to either oversleeping (crazy daylight savings) or the latest bug going around. This meant classes were smaller, but somehow no less hectic. We had a transition day with both the 7th and 8th grade classes (it was an even day) - some people finishing one project and getting people started on the other. The 8th graders are moving on to creating different types of decorative paper, starting with paste paper, then later in the week marbled paper - these will be used in several different projects - creating a small sketch-type book, mixed paper collages, & etc. The 7th grade class was moving from drawing the stuffed animals to a brief drawing exercise for a science teacher to drawing trees (the next lesson). Both lessons went pretty well I think - though we did have our classes that are a little tamer (than the odd day classes). I actually ended up starting the paper lesson with the 2nd 8th grade class of the day - my teacher was helping students get going on finishing up their baskets, so I set up the materials and then just started instructing them - no sense in letting students waste class time waiting or sitting around (or misbehaving). I could immediately tell that my teacher was grateful/pleased that I stepped up and we decided afterwards that we would use the divide and conquer method with them again tomorrow. The only problem with the 8th grade lesson was the amount of clean-up that was left to the teacher & myself. My project for this week is to figure out how to minimize the amount of set up and clean up that we (the teachers) have to do and how to organize the project & the classroom so that students can take care of that part as well. I definitely want to train these kids to be more self- sufficient, hopefully in a calm manner ( haha, wishful thinking with this age group).
I found it interesting with the tree drawing lesson that my teacher started today that she used a similar method to the one I used when I was teaching trees to my first graders last 8 weeks. The idea of using a v to divide the tree branches apparently makes sense to all age groups and is something that they struggle with too. The way my teacher taught it was really encouraging to the students though - it let them realize that even if they didn't know how to draw them, they were going to learn - in a variety of different ways.
Now I need to go work on making lesson sheet templates and start on my Kandinsky lesson - its going to be a very busy week (including in school tornado drills, assemblies, and all sorts of other things)!
My teacher and I discussed with these new lessons the problem with excessive clean-up for us with the paper lesson.
Tuesday
I think I have discovered a possible solution to our excessive clean-up problem! During my last block today (which is our problem block) I had an idea to start a two person clean-up team, it would be a different two people every class. I told the students that in art class we're like a family, we do things together, we talk and share, we create a mess and then it needs to be cleaned up - and in a family, every member should help with chores - so each class two people (I would let them know) would be assisting with whatever clean-up we had. My teacher already has a set up plan (table bosses) who pass things out and sometimes gather things, but for more involved "teacher heavy" clean-up (aka the paper making) I think the "family style" clean-up plan may do the job. Another problem that my teacher and I realized, after having our back-to-back 8th grade classes, is with the intense clean-up at the end the students were having some down time that could be filled. So now we're trying to develop a lesson, based on a book that I have about colors (a kind of more grown up book with poetry about the personality of each color and great illustrations). Through some brainstorming tonight and some talking tomorrow, hopefully we'll be able to figure out a plan turning this into a filler activity that eventually turns into a project where the students create color personalities and illustrate them too!
Other than that, it was a busy odd day where I have started to establish myself more as an authority figure in the classroom - instead of just a passive observer. I have gotten to do a little bit of one-on-one instruction with some of the students during the lessons and some team teaching during the 8th grade lesson again today. Bit by bit I am getting more comfortable in the middle school setting/classroom - hopefully each day will be an improvement - it will definitely be interesting when I start teaching my lesson next week on drawing to music (focus on color and line) based on Kandinsky - I'm going to use some more modern music though (Sound Tribe Sector 9) and an experience of watching an artist paint to music at one of their concerts. I'm excited each day I work on it more - I'm hoping to have it all written up by tomorrow afternoon.
Also, we had a tornado drill during first block (3-d) art that took a fair chunk of time was a bit of a challenge since the school is currently under construction (and has been for the past 2 years!).
Wednesday
It's amazing that no matter how much you plan, there is always the unexpected or that last little detail. Today was a divide and conquer sort of day, full of lots of clean up! We learned from the day before and I took people who had been absent and needed to do paste paper and my teacher took the folks doing marbled paper. Then we floated around helping folks with each project and trying to keep the mess under control. During my first block class of 8th graders, where the girl who has kind of a personality conflict with me decided she was going to keep feeling me out some more and testing my limits - I think she's starting to see how I operate though. Although when I was helping her with her marbled paper, she informed me that I needed to loosen up, that I was very uptight. I responded that my teacher was stricter at the beginning of the year before she knew them and then she eased up - I operate the same way.
Thursday
crazy busy! lots of paper making & tree drawing, oh yeah and the 3-D class working on mosaics. We are having some personality conflicts in the 7th grade class, students asking to be moved around in seating and some butting of heads/tattling/fighting. My teacher finally put her foot down after rearranging the seating some, she stated that the behavior would not be acceptable in the art class. I think we'll still be dealing with some of it, but at a much lower level.
Friday
So school let out at 1:00 due to inclement weather - I forgot that we get snow in the middle of March! This adjusted the plans for the day ... and the attention spans of the students.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Week # 1: The new kid in school ...
Monday
I started at my new placement today at a middle school just one block from the elementary school where I just spent the last 8 weeks. However, even though the schools are physically close - I can already tell the experience will be quite different! I'm still fighting off the gra-doo that I got at the end of last week, so that gave me morning a bit of a rocky start and made the day more exhausting that I'm sure it really was. The middle school is on an alternating block schedule - 90 minute classes, 4 blocks a day, alternating even & odd. Today was an odd day - which is apparently the long day of back to back classes with only a 25 minute break for lunch - pretty intense. In total, we have two 7th grade art classes, four 8th grade art classes, and one 3-D art class - the 7th & 8th grade classes are year round and the 3-D is just one semester.
The difference between middle schoolers and elementary students is incredible - very different topics of socialization, behavioral problems, and of course suddenly most of them are bigger than I am! I can already tell that this is definitely going to be a challenge - especially the last block of 8th graders on odd days - there are two boys in there that have definite attitude! I'll be very interested to see how tomorrow goes ...
Tuesday
If its not snow, its SOLs that adjust the school schedule! Today we had no first block class because the 8th graders had the first part of their writing SOL; they came in long enough for attendance and a chance for me to give myself a quick introduction - then off they went for testing. While the 8th graders tested, my teacher and I had some down time and also some assigned hall duty - this finally gave us a chance to pow-wow about lesson ideas, plans for the coming weeks and just get to know each other better. I'm really starting to like my teaching a lot, not only does she have 29 years of experience as a middle school art teacher but she and I are actually very similar in mindset - I think we're going to get along just fine! The rest of the day we had our regular even day schedule - a 7th grade class and then an 8th grade class ... then planning! The idea of having a whole 90 minutes of planning blows my mind.
I was able to work more closely with the students today, since I knew what projects they would be doing. The 7th graders we have on even days are actually a class of all girls, which should prove to be interesting - I feel like I've started bonding with them some already. They worked on a value study exercise and then stuffed animal drawing using charcoal for both. I did the value exercise with them, even helping some of the girls around me as needed. Then I circulated with my teacher while they were working on their drawings, interacting with the students and helping them with their drawings as well. The 8th graders were working on their baskets again - and since I learned how to do the basket weaving steps yesterday I was able to help prepare and help students with the lesson. It was really fun to help the kids solve the problems they were running into with their baskets - working one-on-one and in a group. I was busy all class! The principal (who I had met while my teacher and I were on hall duty) came into the class to check out what they were working on - I'm glad the administrators seem so invested in the school! During planning last block, my teacher and I spent time going over paper work, talking about lesson ideas and developing a plan - I'll take over 7th grade, not next week, but week 3. I'm getting really excited about working with middle schoolers - I've got a lot of great ideas and I feel like so much more time to work them on the projects. I think the biggest difference (aside from size and age) so far is the fact that I'll actually get to build a relationship with my classes since I only have 170 kids as opposed to a whole school. I might actually learn names!
Wednesday
After a bright and early meeting with my supervisor and teacher, it was another SOL testing day, this time for 6th-8th grades. We ran on a two hour delay schedule, which meant my teacher and I had no classes until 11:30 - we started with out 2nd block (7th graders). Each class was only 50 minutes today, allowing students just enough time to set up, do some work and then clean up - it was like being back at the elementary school again - quick, quick. In the free time of the morning, I spent time with my teacher learning where everything was in the room (and the two huge supply closets!) and delving into her extensive collection of lesson plans and other resources. I will definitely be copying a lot of her materials before I leave! After exploring those materials, we talked about what the next project for the classes would be (8th grade & 3-D). She decided we would do paste paper and marbled paper with the 8th graders, including creating an image with a variety of papers and the 3-D class would do illuminated letter copper repousses. The paper making will also help with future lessons on book making that I hope to teach to the 8th graders while I'm there. I think deciding on which lesson I teach while I'm there will be very tricky because I have come up with tons of ideas so far (even more after looking through my teachers resources today). Time, available materials, and the classes themselves will be the deciding factors on what gets taught.
I feel like I'm still in limbo with how to interact/manage this new age group. I feel like I can definately relate to them - through movies, music, experiences and the like, but need to really set a presence as an authority figure too. I think the 8th graders are starting to respect me some in that roll, but I can already tell I'm going to have some difficulty with some of the girls in each class. I've been watching my teacher for clues, but her best advice was just to win them over and then try to stand firm. We'll see how it goes!
Thursday
Today was another "even" day - translate into 8th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, planning period. I continued helping with the basket weaving project with the 8th graders - I've surprised myself with how quickly I was able to catch on to the process! I did the project today with my 7th graders - I even brought in my own stuffed animal to draw, a monkey, they loved it - as it was a class of all girls. I ended up working at a table of 3 girls that tend to be a little needy and a little rowdy, it was quite the experience. I'm starting to win them over I think, plus I think there is something to letting your students see your work and see you work - it validates you as an artist and somewhat of an authority in their eyes. It also gave me a work on which to demonstrate techniques/suggestions for the drawing the student were working on - I really don't like to do things on students art work. I want them to solve the problems themselves, I'm just there to help inspire, bring them back to focus and guide them in their art education.
On the downside of things, I already have a student that has kinda of taken against me. She's apparently E.D., has an IEP, and a history of difficulty with female authority - probably due to experiences in the past and at home. She told me teacher today though that she thought I was bossy - my teacher then relayed this to me with the above information. I asked her what to do about it and she said not to worry, that she probably saw me as a threat, as competition almost for attention from my teacher (they have built a strong connection). I hope it doesn't evolve into a larger problem, especially when I start teaching - I realize that I'll just have to try to establish my own connection with her.
Friday
Today was another whirlwind of a day - especially since it was the odd day group! They have been setting up this rewards thing all week - an inflatable party for any student who sold certain numbers of magazines (they got wristband of different colors to designate how long they got to spend in the party) - this of course was mildly disruptive to the classes throughout the day. There was also an 8th grade ice cream party last block for all the students for using the SOL strategies - since we had an 8th grade class last block we got to go (good: we got a mini break and ice cream, bad: the kids got sugar and missed out on basket weaving time). I also got to meet our "high school helper" - as my teacher calls her - we have a student that comes over from the neighboring high school on an internship type program twice a week to help in the art classroom. She is quite delightful, works well with the students, and helps us prepare and clean up the materials! She is with us every odd day of classes, last block - which is perfect since the last block has some of the trouble students. Speaking of which I put my foot down for the first time in there (which my teacher applauded me for later) - one student was having trouble focusing on his work (which is a usual occurance) and in turn, disrupting the rest of the class. I finally after three tries (I always give students 3 chances to correct their behavior), I pulled him aside and had a talk with him stating that I would not put up with his current behavior and if it continued there would be consequences, then I gave him a task to assist in clean up. And even though I had repremanded him, he still cheerfully said good-bye and have a good week-end at the end of class - I'm hoping we have an understanding. I am also working on my relationship with the student that had complained about me - I make an effort to say hello specifically (but casually) to her every time I see her and I think that with in class interactions will start to make a difference - she'll see I'm not such a bossy monster after all!
I started at my new placement today at a middle school just one block from the elementary school where I just spent the last 8 weeks. However, even though the schools are physically close - I can already tell the experience will be quite different! I'm still fighting off the gra-doo that I got at the end of last week, so that gave me morning a bit of a rocky start and made the day more exhausting that I'm sure it really was. The middle school is on an alternating block schedule - 90 minute classes, 4 blocks a day, alternating even & odd. Today was an odd day - which is apparently the long day of back to back classes with only a 25 minute break for lunch - pretty intense. In total, we have two 7th grade art classes, four 8th grade art classes, and one 3-D art class - the 7th & 8th grade classes are year round and the 3-D is just one semester.
The difference between middle schoolers and elementary students is incredible - very different topics of socialization, behavioral problems, and of course suddenly most of them are bigger than I am! I can already tell that this is definitely going to be a challenge - especially the last block of 8th graders on odd days - there are two boys in there that have definite attitude! I'll be very interested to see how tomorrow goes ...
Tuesday
If its not snow, its SOLs that adjust the school schedule! Today we had no first block class because the 8th graders had the first part of their writing SOL; they came in long enough for attendance and a chance for me to give myself a quick introduction - then off they went for testing. While the 8th graders tested, my teacher and I had some down time and also some assigned hall duty - this finally gave us a chance to pow-wow about lesson ideas, plans for the coming weeks and just get to know each other better. I'm really starting to like my teaching a lot, not only does she have 29 years of experience as a middle school art teacher but she and I are actually very similar in mindset - I think we're going to get along just fine! The rest of the day we had our regular even day schedule - a 7th grade class and then an 8th grade class ... then planning! The idea of having a whole 90 minutes of planning blows my mind.
I was able to work more closely with the students today, since I knew what projects they would be doing. The 7th graders we have on even days are actually a class of all girls, which should prove to be interesting - I feel like I've started bonding with them some already. They worked on a value study exercise and then stuffed animal drawing using charcoal for both. I did the value exercise with them, even helping some of the girls around me as needed. Then I circulated with my teacher while they were working on their drawings, interacting with the students and helping them with their drawings as well. The 8th graders were working on their baskets again - and since I learned how to do the basket weaving steps yesterday I was able to help prepare and help students with the lesson. It was really fun to help the kids solve the problems they were running into with their baskets - working one-on-one and in a group. I was busy all class! The principal (who I had met while my teacher and I were on hall duty) came into the class to check out what they were working on - I'm glad the administrators seem so invested in the school! During planning last block, my teacher and I spent time going over paper work, talking about lesson ideas and developing a plan - I'll take over 7th grade, not next week, but week 3. I'm getting really excited about working with middle schoolers - I've got a lot of great ideas and I feel like so much more time to work them on the projects. I think the biggest difference (aside from size and age) so far is the fact that I'll actually get to build a relationship with my classes since I only have 170 kids as opposed to a whole school. I might actually learn names!
Wednesday
After a bright and early meeting with my supervisor and teacher, it was another SOL testing day, this time for 6th-8th grades. We ran on a two hour delay schedule, which meant my teacher and I had no classes until 11:30 - we started with out 2nd block (7th graders). Each class was only 50 minutes today, allowing students just enough time to set up, do some work and then clean up - it was like being back at the elementary school again - quick, quick. In the free time of the morning, I spent time with my teacher learning where everything was in the room (and the two huge supply closets!) and delving into her extensive collection of lesson plans and other resources. I will definitely be copying a lot of her materials before I leave! After exploring those materials, we talked about what the next project for the classes would be (8th grade & 3-D). She decided we would do paste paper and marbled paper with the 8th graders, including creating an image with a variety of papers and the 3-D class would do illuminated letter copper repousses. The paper making will also help with future lessons on book making that I hope to teach to the 8th graders while I'm there. I think deciding on which lesson I teach while I'm there will be very tricky because I have come up with tons of ideas so far (even more after looking through my teachers resources today). Time, available materials, and the classes themselves will be the deciding factors on what gets taught.
I feel like I'm still in limbo with how to interact/manage this new age group. I feel like I can definately relate to them - through movies, music, experiences and the like, but need to really set a presence as an authority figure too. I think the 8th graders are starting to respect me some in that roll, but I can already tell I'm going to have some difficulty with some of the girls in each class. I've been watching my teacher for clues, but her best advice was just to win them over and then try to stand firm. We'll see how it goes!
Thursday
Today was another "even" day - translate into 8th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade, planning period. I continued helping with the basket weaving project with the 8th graders - I've surprised myself with how quickly I was able to catch on to the process! I did the project today with my 7th graders - I even brought in my own stuffed animal to draw, a monkey, they loved it - as it was a class of all girls. I ended up working at a table of 3 girls that tend to be a little needy and a little rowdy, it was quite the experience. I'm starting to win them over I think, plus I think there is something to letting your students see your work and see you work - it validates you as an artist and somewhat of an authority in their eyes. It also gave me a work on which to demonstrate techniques/suggestions for the drawing the student were working on - I really don't like to do things on students art work. I want them to solve the problems themselves, I'm just there to help inspire, bring them back to focus and guide them in their art education.
On the downside of things, I already have a student that has kinda of taken against me. She's apparently E.D., has an IEP, and a history of difficulty with female authority - probably due to experiences in the past and at home. She told me teacher today though that she thought I was bossy - my teacher then relayed this to me with the above information. I asked her what to do about it and she said not to worry, that she probably saw me as a threat, as competition almost for attention from my teacher (they have built a strong connection). I hope it doesn't evolve into a larger problem, especially when I start teaching - I realize that I'll just have to try to establish my own connection with her.
Friday
Today was another whirlwind of a day - especially since it was the odd day group! They have been setting up this rewards thing all week - an inflatable party for any student who sold certain numbers of magazines (they got wristband of different colors to designate how long they got to spend in the party) - this of course was mildly disruptive to the classes throughout the day. There was also an 8th grade ice cream party last block for all the students for using the SOL strategies - since we had an 8th grade class last block we got to go (good: we got a mini break and ice cream, bad: the kids got sugar and missed out on basket weaving time). I also got to meet our "high school helper" - as my teacher calls her - we have a student that comes over from the neighboring high school on an internship type program twice a week to help in the art classroom. She is quite delightful, works well with the students, and helps us prepare and clean up the materials! She is with us every odd day of classes, last block - which is perfect since the last block has some of the trouble students. Speaking of which I put my foot down for the first time in there (which my teacher applauded me for later) - one student was having trouble focusing on his work (which is a usual occurance) and in turn, disrupting the rest of the class. I finally after three tries (I always give students 3 chances to correct their behavior), I pulled him aside and had a talk with him stating that I would not put up with his current behavior and if it continued there would be consequences, then I gave him a task to assist in clean up. And even though I had repremanded him, he still cheerfully said good-bye and have a good week-end at the end of class - I'm hoping we have an understanding. I am also working on my relationship with the student that had complained about me - I make an effort to say hello specifically (but casually) to her every time I see her and I think that with in class interactions will start to make a difference - she'll see I'm not such a bossy monster after all!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Week # 8: The Elementary Finale'
Monday
another snow day.
Tuesday
After yet another snow day, today was a reorganize and re group day. I have started handing classes back over to my teacher - she took the Kindergarteners and pre - K, though I was still assisting. We did two lessons based on the work of Wassily Kandinsky (sp.?) - the Kindergarteners studied the concentric circle paintings (using pattern, shape and color mixing) and the pre-K did drawing lines to music (which have water-color shapes added to them next week). I continued my lessons with the 1st through 3rd graders that we had, getting to the almost last parts of each of them - unfortunately due to snow days, I will not get to see the end of them with any classes. I'm glad that my next placement is just down the street, so maybe I can check back in on her on the final products (plus over the past 8 weeks, she has not only become a mentor but a great friend).
I am still making revisions to many of lessons:
The first graders have changed - for time sake - from using paint to color their seasonal lanscapes (studying monochromatic, tint, and shade) to using a crayon resist. I tried having them color parts of their landscape today using crayon, but unfortunately regular crayons don't blend for tints and shades so much. My teacher suggested changing to oil pastels instead so they could use blending of black and white in their landscapes. Also they will just color the tree (trunk, brances, leaves, etc.) and not the ground or sky - those things will be watercolored in the next class period.
The second graders will do their patterns (skipping pencil) in sharpie, again for time's sake. I know this means they could possibly make mistakes, but in Ancient Egypt they used stone and couldn't erase that either. This will allow them to finish their patterns and glue tracing in one class period, so that the lesson can continue to progress. There are many other things that I would change in this lesson given more time and materials.
The third graders needed more clarification on the idea of creating an outline for their letter, so I'm going to try a different approach tomorrow - maybe delving into the idea of block letters and bubble letters and how those are the outline of the actual letter. Also, in looking through my favorite graphic design book today, my teacher and I came across an image of illuminated letter - the outside done in orange and the inside done in blue - making a very striking picture with complementary colors. I think when they start coloring their letters, I will have them consider that as an option. I'll finish my sample tomorrow morning during planning so that I can figure out what works best and so they have a reference.
I have definitely learned the value of doing a project all the way through before actually teaching it, it helps eliminate process gliches before you drag the class down a wrong path. I also feel like its o-k to make mistakes teaching a lesson, kids are very forgiving - especially the little ones.
Thursday - the final day.
My last day was like any other day, busy and full of many different tasks. During our first planning period, my teacher and I went over paperwork, lesson plan adjustments, and any other final items that needed to be addressed. I then proceeded to teach all of the classes - except for our SPED (team taught) and 5th grade (my teacher taught). There was an added challenge to the day though - as the art teacher, my teacher had been asked to assist in the school plate fundraiser by having each class paint a plate - so we had to call the students during class back one by one to use their finger/thumb prints to make a design on the plates. My teacher and I had spent some of our planning time coming up with themes for the plates of each grade and testing out the finger/thumb printing method need to create everything from birds to seahorses. Unfortunately, next week when she continues doing the plates with each class, my teacher will have to stop instruction of the lessons to do so because there won't be an extra person in the classroom teaching - major bummer.
Also, throughout this past week I had several students make me works of art as going away presents, which was very thoughtful - I also got many good-bye hugs as well. However, there were students who I think were happy to see me go - those were the students that had not behaved in my class and had to "managed" - though I even had one of those students give me a good-bye hug. Its those small gestures of thanks, watching a student finally getting a concept, the final product of a successful project - those things make teaching really valuable.
I really enjoyed this placement, which surprised me because I always thought that the elementary level wouldn't so much be my thing. That age group is really incredible because they are like little sponges, eager to please and succeed more often than not, and especially in the earlier grades, extremely creative because it has not been stiffled by a variety of influences. (For example, Kindergarteners creating portraits with blue hair!). With just some instruction and guidance, every student is able to create something totally unique and have experiences that are not found in the classrooms as much these days due to SOLs restricting creative time to focus on content.
After this 8 weeks, as fragmented as it was from snow days, I feel I will go into my next placement with more ease - although I will have to change my mindset - phrases like "freeze please" as classroom management may not go over as well! haha.
Middle school begins Monday ...
another snow day.
Tuesday
After yet another snow day, today was a reorganize and re group day. I have started handing classes back over to my teacher - she took the Kindergarteners and pre - K, though I was still assisting. We did two lessons based on the work of Wassily Kandinsky (sp.?) - the Kindergarteners studied the concentric circle paintings (using pattern, shape and color mixing) and the pre-K did drawing lines to music (which have water-color shapes added to them next week). I continued my lessons with the 1st through 3rd graders that we had, getting to the almost last parts of each of them - unfortunately due to snow days, I will not get to see the end of them with any classes. I'm glad that my next placement is just down the street, so maybe I can check back in on her on the final products (plus over the past 8 weeks, she has not only become a mentor but a great friend).
I am still making revisions to many of lessons:
The first graders have changed - for time sake - from using paint to color their seasonal lanscapes (studying monochromatic, tint, and shade) to using a crayon resist. I tried having them color parts of their landscape today using crayon, but unfortunately regular crayons don't blend for tints and shades so much. My teacher suggested changing to oil pastels instead so they could use blending of black and white in their landscapes. Also they will just color the tree (trunk, brances, leaves, etc.) and not the ground or sky - those things will be watercolored in the next class period.
The second graders will do their patterns (skipping pencil) in sharpie, again for time's sake. I know this means they could possibly make mistakes, but in Ancient Egypt they used stone and couldn't erase that either. This will allow them to finish their patterns and glue tracing in one class period, so that the lesson can continue to progress. There are many other things that I would change in this lesson given more time and materials.
The third graders needed more clarification on the idea of creating an outline for their letter, so I'm going to try a different approach tomorrow - maybe delving into the idea of block letters and bubble letters and how those are the outline of the actual letter. Also, in looking through my favorite graphic design book today, my teacher and I came across an image of illuminated letter - the outside done in orange and the inside done in blue - making a very striking picture with complementary colors. I think when they start coloring their letters, I will have them consider that as an option. I'll finish my sample tomorrow morning during planning so that I can figure out what works best and so they have a reference.
I have definitely learned the value of doing a project all the way through before actually teaching it, it helps eliminate process gliches before you drag the class down a wrong path. I also feel like its o-k to make mistakes teaching a lesson, kids are very forgiving - especially the little ones.
Wednesday
The 2nd to last day of my elementary experience - how has it gone so fast. Today was another day full of adjustments. Our normal planning period in first period in the morning was switched to tomorrow morning and we had the Thurs. morning 4th grade class today (they have a field trip tomorrow). They finished their collages and started brainstorming/sketching for their next project. Since my teacher and I still can't get the monoprinting to a successful stage - something with the acetate/tempra paint/paper combination just does not transfer as clearly as we would like - so we are exploring other options for the background to the linocut reduction prints of aboriginal animals. The students were however, able to sketch out a possible pattern to use for the monoprint/background and animals they would want to use for their linocut.
The first grade lesson went much better today using the oil pastels, though the class I had was struggling with listening and some of them colored more than they were suppose to ... but i guess that is a frequent occurrance with the younger students?
The kindergarteners finished their Matisse pictures - and unfortunately I had forgotten to prep the 8.5x11 sheets of construction paper before class, so I gave them each 11x17 sheets instead - this ended up as a happy accident - they had a lot more room to include their person and all the shapes. I can't wait to hang them up in the hallway tomorrow morning!
I was observed today for my 2nd grade lesson and had to use some serious classroom management to keep them on task - at the end of my lesson my teacher asked the students how they felt when they tried to talk to an adult and that person wouldn't listen - their response was frustrated. She then asked them to think about how their talking made me feel today - it was like boom, they got it AND apologized. I'm going to keep that speech in mind for my classroom management. One of the keys to reaching a class that is loosing focus/being disrespectful is finding a way to relate to them/get them to relate to you!
My third grade lesson was interrupted by a fire drill today, which was unfortunate because they were not able to get as far on their illuminated letters. On the upside though, since I was finishing with my supervisor, going over my final observation - I got to see my teacher introduce the lesson and see how she would approach it. She mentioned the opening scene of Shrek to make the students think back to where they may have seen illuminated letters before - it really clicked with them.
Thursday - the final day.
My last day was like any other day, busy and full of many different tasks. During our first planning period, my teacher and I went over paperwork, lesson plan adjustments, and any other final items that needed to be addressed. I then proceeded to teach all of the classes - except for our SPED (team taught) and 5th grade (my teacher taught). There was an added challenge to the day though - as the art teacher, my teacher had been asked to assist in the school plate fundraiser by having each class paint a plate - so we had to call the students during class back one by one to use their finger/thumb prints to make a design on the plates. My teacher and I had spent some of our planning time coming up with themes for the plates of each grade and testing out the finger/thumb printing method need to create everything from birds to seahorses. Unfortunately, next week when she continues doing the plates with each class, my teacher will have to stop instruction of the lessons to do so because there won't be an extra person in the classroom teaching - major bummer.
Also, throughout this past week I had several students make me works of art as going away presents, which was very thoughtful - I also got many good-bye hugs as well. However, there were students who I think were happy to see me go - those were the students that had not behaved in my class and had to "managed" - though I even had one of those students give me a good-bye hug. Its those small gestures of thanks, watching a student finally getting a concept, the final product of a successful project - those things make teaching really valuable.
I really enjoyed this placement, which surprised me because I always thought that the elementary level wouldn't so much be my thing. That age group is really incredible because they are like little sponges, eager to please and succeed more often than not, and especially in the earlier grades, extremely creative because it has not been stiffled by a variety of influences. (For example, Kindergarteners creating portraits with blue hair!). With just some instruction and guidance, every student is able to create something totally unique and have experiences that are not found in the classrooms as much these days due to SOLs restricting creative time to focus on content.
After this 8 weeks, as fragmented as it was from snow days, I feel I will go into my next placement with more ease - although I will have to change my mindset - phrases like "freeze please" as classroom management may not go over as well! haha.
Middle school begins Monday ...
Monday, February 19, 2007
Week #7: Back to school, back to school ...
Monday
Today was intense and felt very discombobulated. After only teaching one day last week - a week ago, I feel like my lessons are becoming very disjointed and I'm loosing my momentum. With only 8 days left in this placement, all the lessons that I have planned and started teaching will not be finished before I leave - while the days off have been nice, the situation the weather has presented is not optimal. My teacher will now actually have to finish most of my lessons, at least the ones that I started two weeks ago - craziness.
I think the lessons today went well enough, all of the Monday classes are on day two of my new lessons, except for 4th grade who is just starting a new project. Unfortunately, because we were out for so long, I was somewhat disconnected from my lessons and did not feel as prepared as I had preffered. Also, the students were celebrating Valentines Day today - so they were a little hopped up on sugar and massively chatty/unfocused on school. Special.
I will be making several changes to my lessons, in their seond part - especially the kindergarten lesson. I really struggle to work with the lower elementary grade levels. I have a hard time slowing down and at the same time going fast enough to keep their short attention spans.
Tuesday
The classes of Tuesday are so special ... especially my 2nd graders. I was amazingly frustrated after leaving school today as I felt I had a hard time keeping my students focused and myself organized. I made the adjustments to my lessons that my teacher and I discussed yesterday - which helped a lot. For my kindergarten Matisse paper cutting lesson, each student only got one color (a half sheet at that) to create the shapes so that they would use all of the paper on their projects (just like Matisse did). Unfortunately, something that I can't seem to master is getting them to use less glue! In my first grade class, I had them redo their trees using the letter V and then monitored their progress during the copying portion more closely. I feel that I really struggle to teach one student in my first grade class, he has special needs, but since my school encourages inclusion - they don't tell us which students are special needs, and instead we get to figure out ourselves. I try to help him and give him a little extra attention - but its such conflict to help one student or the whole class - I really struggle with it. With my 3rd grade class, I tried a different approach to explaining the letter forms they were to explore for their illuminated letters. Instead of explaining the letters forms with positive and negative space, I demonstrated how to form the outline of a letter so there would be space to add their illuminations inside their letter and outside - the newspaper collage backgrounds look great though!
The pre-K lesson today went really well though - a little wild and messy (we definitely should have put them in smocks), but the end product looked fantastic. We discussed circles and what objects were circles and then did found object prints with just black and white paint on their tissue paper collages.
I can't believe that I only have seven days left in my elementary placement - I keep wondering if I could have done something differently with my lesson plans to make them more easily modified for school cancellations - such is life. Of course now I start coming up with all these lessons for elementary that I could have explored too ...
Wednesday
Today was much better than yesterday! I came in and was able to prepare all of the needed materials for the day during our morning planning and experiment more with my mono-printing sample, it finally works! Our Weds. (and Thurs.) classes are about 2 weeks behind our other classes due to snow days - so I had to unfortunately try to speed up my lessons to get them a little further along. Most of the classes were able to work really well/focus and get through the material they needed to ... however, I had very difficult Kindergarten and 2nd grade classes today. In my Kindergarten class there are 3 very autistic students, one can be either just energetic or really disruptive, another talks constantly, and the third is quiet, but needs constan assistance. My teacher even said today that after I leave for my next placement, she is going to have to do some thinking on how to handle the class and the special needs of the students without someone else in the classroom. I really feel like I am improving my classroom management skills drastically though in these challenging situations - my teacher and I actually discussed that today during our second planning (after the Kindergarten class). After my day yesterday, I was feeling very insufficient in controlling the class - but she said she never felt like I wasn't in control and had handled all of the misbehaviour very well (which is why she hadn't stepped in at all, even yesterday when I almost had to send a student to the office after disrupting the class repeatedly and being asked to stop 3 times).
I've decided I really enjoy the upper level elementary more than the lower, especially 3rd graders - the class I had today followed directions, worked quietly (talking among their tables), and really enjoyed the projects. I also sat with the 5th graders today - moving from table to table, doing the project with them and chatting with them during class (my teacher doing the same). They are much more apt to just hang out and do work - glad to have the opportunity to socialize and be treated somwhat like they are grown-up. Unfortunately because of the snow days, I will not get to take over teaching the 5th graders at all - but my teacher and I are going to team teach the introduction to the Tona mask lesson.
Thursday
There is such a drastic difference from our Weds. schedule to our Thurs. schedule - we had 7 classes today, as opposed to 5 classes! However, I feel the day went very smoothly and I really am starting to feel at home being in charge of the classes - unfortunately next week I have to give them all back and move on to my next placement. I have come to realize that organization, preparation, planning, and the abilitiy to adapt/evolve lessons & plans are the keys to teaching elementary art. This morning when I came in I gathered and laid out all my materials for the day so when I had classes back to back, I wouldn't be scrambling to be prepared. The first class I had was 4th grade and I was actually able to almost completely catch them up to the other 4th grade classes. I think that I'm also improving my instructional skills - I can give directions in such a way so that they are followed better - part of the key is "what you will need to do," instead of "what I want you to do."
Currently I'm struggling with the execution of the lesson that the 4th graders are doing next - I want to do monoprinting of patterns to become the background of their aboriginal (austrialian style) animal art. However, they style of mono printing I want to do usually requires glass/plexiglass - which we don't have so we've been trying to use acetate in the trials/ samples with no luck so far. Its a huge challenge that the art teacher faces when trying to adapt lesson ideas to available materials, but I plan to keep working on it so I can do the printing lesson with the students next week before I leave. I'm really bummed that because of the adjusted schledule due to snow that I won't see my own lessons finish or see the ones my teacher is going to start after mine - they sound so cool! However, since my next placement is literally just down the street I'll definitely have to check back in with my teacher!
Today was intense and felt very discombobulated. After only teaching one day last week - a week ago, I feel like my lessons are becoming very disjointed and I'm loosing my momentum. With only 8 days left in this placement, all the lessons that I have planned and started teaching will not be finished before I leave - while the days off have been nice, the situation the weather has presented is not optimal. My teacher will now actually have to finish most of my lessons, at least the ones that I started two weeks ago - craziness.
I think the lessons today went well enough, all of the Monday classes are on day two of my new lessons, except for 4th grade who is just starting a new project. Unfortunately, because we were out for so long, I was somewhat disconnected from my lessons and did not feel as prepared as I had preffered. Also, the students were celebrating Valentines Day today - so they were a little hopped up on sugar and massively chatty/unfocused on school. Special.
I will be making several changes to my lessons, in their seond part - especially the kindergarten lesson. I really struggle to work with the lower elementary grade levels. I have a hard time slowing down and at the same time going fast enough to keep their short attention spans.
Tuesday
The classes of Tuesday are so special ... especially my 2nd graders. I was amazingly frustrated after leaving school today as I felt I had a hard time keeping my students focused and myself organized. I made the adjustments to my lessons that my teacher and I discussed yesterday - which helped a lot. For my kindergarten Matisse paper cutting lesson, each student only got one color (a half sheet at that) to create the shapes so that they would use all of the paper on their projects (just like Matisse did). Unfortunately, something that I can't seem to master is getting them to use less glue! In my first grade class, I had them redo their trees using the letter V and then monitored their progress during the copying portion more closely. I feel that I really struggle to teach one student in my first grade class, he has special needs, but since my school encourages inclusion - they don't tell us which students are special needs, and instead we get to figure out ourselves. I try to help him and give him a little extra attention - but its such conflict to help one student or the whole class - I really struggle with it. With my 3rd grade class, I tried a different approach to explaining the letter forms they were to explore for their illuminated letters. Instead of explaining the letters forms with positive and negative space, I demonstrated how to form the outline of a letter so there would be space to add their illuminations inside their letter and outside - the newspaper collage backgrounds look great though!
The pre-K lesson today went really well though - a little wild and messy (we definitely should have put them in smocks), but the end product looked fantastic. We discussed circles and what objects were circles and then did found object prints with just black and white paint on their tissue paper collages.
I can't believe that I only have seven days left in my elementary placement - I keep wondering if I could have done something differently with my lesson plans to make them more easily modified for school cancellations - such is life. Of course now I start coming up with all these lessons for elementary that I could have explored too ...
Wednesday
Today was much better than yesterday! I came in and was able to prepare all of the needed materials for the day during our morning planning and experiment more with my mono-printing sample, it finally works! Our Weds. (and Thurs.) classes are about 2 weeks behind our other classes due to snow days - so I had to unfortunately try to speed up my lessons to get them a little further along. Most of the classes were able to work really well/focus and get through the material they needed to ... however, I had very difficult Kindergarten and 2nd grade classes today. In my Kindergarten class there are 3 very autistic students, one can be either just energetic or really disruptive, another talks constantly, and the third is quiet, but needs constan assistance. My teacher even said today that after I leave for my next placement, she is going to have to do some thinking on how to handle the class and the special needs of the students without someone else in the classroom. I really feel like I am improving my classroom management skills drastically though in these challenging situations - my teacher and I actually discussed that today during our second planning (after the Kindergarten class). After my day yesterday, I was feeling very insufficient in controlling the class - but she said she never felt like I wasn't in control and had handled all of the misbehaviour very well (which is why she hadn't stepped in at all, even yesterday when I almost had to send a student to the office after disrupting the class repeatedly and being asked to stop 3 times).
I've decided I really enjoy the upper level elementary more than the lower, especially 3rd graders - the class I had today followed directions, worked quietly (talking among their tables), and really enjoyed the projects. I also sat with the 5th graders today - moving from table to table, doing the project with them and chatting with them during class (my teacher doing the same). They are much more apt to just hang out and do work - glad to have the opportunity to socialize and be treated somwhat like they are grown-up. Unfortunately because of the snow days, I will not get to take over teaching the 5th graders at all - but my teacher and I are going to team teach the introduction to the Tona mask lesson.
Thursday
There is such a drastic difference from our Weds. schedule to our Thurs. schedule - we had 7 classes today, as opposed to 5 classes! However, I feel the day went very smoothly and I really am starting to feel at home being in charge of the classes - unfortunately next week I have to give them all back and move on to my next placement. I have come to realize that organization, preparation, planning, and the abilitiy to adapt/evolve lessons & plans are the keys to teaching elementary art. This morning when I came in I gathered and laid out all my materials for the day so when I had classes back to back, I wouldn't be scrambling to be prepared. The first class I had was 4th grade and I was actually able to almost completely catch them up to the other 4th grade classes. I think that I'm also improving my instructional skills - I can give directions in such a way so that they are followed better - part of the key is "what you will need to do," instead of "what I want you to do."
Currently I'm struggling with the execution of the lesson that the 4th graders are doing next - I want to do monoprinting of patterns to become the background of their aboriginal (austrialian style) animal art. However, they style of mono printing I want to do usually requires glass/plexiglass - which we don't have so we've been trying to use acetate in the trials/ samples with no luck so far. Its a huge challenge that the art teacher faces when trying to adapt lesson ideas to available materials, but I plan to keep working on it so I can do the printing lesson with the students next week before I leave. I'm really bummed that because of the adjusted schledule due to snow that I won't see my own lessons finish or see the ones my teacher is going to start after mine - they sound so cool! However, since my next placement is literally just down the street I'll definitely have to check back in with my teacher!
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