Professional Qualities of a Dream Job

I would say that professional qualities of a dream job for me would include:

1. A supportive staff of teachers, administrators, department members, etc. I would hope to be in a community of educators that are focused on the students and their experiences while they are in school. I would hope to have an active, supportive team of administrators to support and back the educators within that school community.
   
2. The appropriate resources to teach the curriculum and beyond to students. If I were lucky enough to have a "dream job", resources and supplies wouldn't be an issue, so that I may be able to teach concepts, artists, techniques, etc. in many different ways. Going along with the supportive team of department members, I know that it is a wonderfully valuable resource to have other members in the Art Department that you can bounce ideas off of, to get ideas to jump off of, and so on.
   
3. Advanced and modern technology in the classroom.... aka SMART Board. In a perfect world, we would all have these SMART Boards to aid in our lessons, especially with all of the interactive websites and programs that are available to engage students into key concepts, vocabulary, demonstrations, and so on.
   
4. My own classroom. I have been spoiled now that I have been able to work in two beautiful classrooms. I know that many art educators teach from an art cart and I can't imagine how hard that would be to stay organized, prepped and so on. I am used to having materials layed out before hand, my prep completed in the morning before I start my day with the students, and I know it is due to the amount of space I have been given to work in. It makes the lesson run smoothly, gives students stations to work at, to store materials, and so on.
   
5. Opportunities to display my students' work in the community. I want to be an advocate for the arts as an educator. In my dream job, the arts would have the support of the community. I want to work with community businesses to set up art shows periodically throughout the school year.
   

www.kitingusa.com

Glenn Davison came to our elementary school and gave a presentation on how he builds and flies kites of all different sizes. They all were awesome but my Coop and I were drawn to his miniature ones. We are looking at making a lesson(s) for grades K-5 around this technique. I never would have thought of incorporating something like this into the classroom if he hadn't visited. You could theme the kites, tie them to certain cultures, and so on. Here's his website with examples, materials, workshops, etc.

A Brief Self-Introduction

I am a 2010 graduate of the University of Iowa. Over the course of my time in Iowa City, I became very passionate about Art and Art Education. I have had many opportunities and experiences that have increased my knowledge of teaching and working with children.
These include:

1. Forts and Hideouts Workshop- for children ages 5-8
2. Summer Camp in Okinawa, Japan- all day camp with children ages 5-10, centered around constant activities, field trips, games and art projects 5 days per week for 10 consistent weeks.
3. Classroom teaching experiences including Practicum in an Elementary setting, Methods in a High School setting for at risk teens, and Student Teaching in a Middle School and Elementary setting.
4. Volunteer experiences in the Elementary and High School art room settings.

Although I have had many experiences centered around Art Education that I feel have helped to prepare me for a teaching career, I know that I still have a lot to learn. I know that I will gain this knowledge through my experiences in my own classroom.

Clean Up Time Management-- Tricks or Treats -- Elementary Levels

I have found out in the past week that for all elementary levels, K-5, that something as simple as a singing toy can work wonders for classroom management. The holiday toys that sing and dance, holiday themed music, you name it, work wonders for motivating students to clean up and to work during class.

When it is time to clean up, I use an attention getter. In a quiet voice: "If you can hear me clap once....twice....three times...." etc. until students quiet down. This is usually just for grades K-3. Other grades I say "Freeze, freeze, freeze" and they stop and listen. I give instructions for clean up and they don't move until I say "Go". Once students have cleaned up, they are instructed to get into a quiet line while they wait for their teacher to come pick them up from class. On their way out of class I play one of the toys.... right now it's a dancing skeleton that sings some funny song and they dance as they file out of the room.

It is a much easier process to get students at the K-5 levels to clean up than middle school students. Who would have known.

Resources for the Elementary Art Room

1. The Art Teacher's Book of Lists - Helen D. Hume
2. Drawing in 3-D with Mark Kisler - Mark Kisler
3. Andy Warhol 1928-1987 - Prestel
4. Children and Painting - Cathy Weisman Tapal
5. Instant Architecture - Eleanor Lynn Nesmith
6. Instant Art History From Cave Art to Pop Art - Walter Robinson
7. History of Art For Young People - H.W. Janson and Anthony F. Janson
8. Hooked on Painting - Brooke
9. Hooked on Drawing - Brooke
10. Art Smart! - Susan Rodriguez
11. Multicultural Art Activities Kit - Dwila Bloom
12. Mathematics -Art Connections - SRA/McGraw Hill
13. How to Draw and Paint People - Angela Gair
14. Paint Adventures - Kathy Savage-Hubbard and Rose C. Speicher

Teaching Objective

As I began to write my teaching objective, I thought back to the ultimate goals I have for the classroom that I share with the schools I am working in. I know that as I go further into a teaching career, my list of teaching objectives will expand and grow. I came up with the following:

1. Students display and have attained a good understanding of vocabulary pertaining to techniques, artists, and materials in the art room. This knowledge of vocabulary is attained because of its usage in introductions, durations, and conclusions of all projects.
2. Art advocacy. Students will gain an understanding of what it is to create and/or appreciate art that is created individually based, community based, etc. Art work produced by students will be displayed throughout the community.
3. Students will have an understanding of the cultural and historical ties to projects assigned, art work displayed in class, techniques, etc.
4. Students will be familiar with a wide variety of mediums.
5. Students will be able to reflect on their own artwork and art work from other eras and cultures.
   

Monet's Garden---Lesson on Impressionism

Monet Garden—Sponge Painting

4^th Grade Level

Project: Students will be introduced to the art of Impressionism. Students will explore and discuss the elements of art that are displayed in Monet’s paintings. We will begin by brainstorming ideas of man-made objects in gardens (i.e. bird baths, benches, pathways, fences, gates, etc.). All student work is required to have a path and fence; the students have to choice to include extra objects if so desired. Students will draw their stencils based on proportion of the object in the scene to the size of the paper (example shown and discussed in class) and then will cut out the stencils. Students will then apply the stencils to the paper with a removable glue stick. The next step is to start sponge painting. Students will use sponges attached to clothespins to apply paint to their paper. Q-tips will be used to depict smaller objects, such as flowers and birds. Once the paint has been applied to the paper, the stencils will be removed to reveal the negative spaces. Students then may to in and add details such as flowers and birds to the garden once removed. An example will be shown in class and details such as the placement of objects and shadows will be discussed. Students will be working with blue, yellow, green and red paint. Blues will be used to create shadows in the garden, yellows to create subtle highlights, and so on once the initial painting is completed. The concept to Impressionism will be discussed with class before the beginning of the project, and continuously emphasized throughout the duration of the project. This will help students to keep from getting too distracted by how they believe things should appear, and more focused on the art concept and what this type of approach does for the artist’s work, how it affects the audience and the overall mood of the piece.

Students will be able to:

· Demonstrate skillful and appropriate use of tools and materials

· Understand and identify the illusion of depth in artwork and architecture

· Produce works of art using a rich mixture of materials and techniques

· Discuss the effect color palettes have on works of art

· Discuss and understand the concept of Impressionism and the works created by artists during this period

Aesthetics/ Concepts/ Reflection

· Identify the elements (line, shape/form, color, texture, and space) in a work of art

· Discuss the built environment in aesthetic terms

· Understand and identify the illusion of depth in art works: overlapping, placement, size, color and detail

· Know and be able to use the appropriate vocabulary

· Identify Positive and Negative space in art work

· Use repetition and contrast to create movement and/or unity

Cultural/Historical

· Identify the work of various landscape artists

Production

· Use texture, shape/form, line and color in a work of art

· Demonstrate skillful use of tools and materials

· Demonstrate knowledge and ability in the purposeful use of a variety of media and materials

Materials

· 9 x 12” Canvas paper

· Acrylic paints: red, blue, yellow, green

· Sponges

· Clothespins

· Manila paper

· 10 x 13” No-fade construction paper (variety of colors)

· Scissors

· Q-tips

· Removable glue sticks

Vocabulary

· Contrast

· Distortion

· Landscape

· Positive and Negative

· Space

· Style

· Technique

· Two-dimensional

· Art Museum

· Canvas

Procedure

Day 1: Introduction to work of Impressionists

· Power Point displaying works of Monet and other artists famous for Impressionism

· Discuss characteristics of Impressionism with students

o Compare and contrast works of Realism and Impressionism—differences in styles, techniques, moods, etc.

· Introduce new project to students

o Expectations

o Requirements

o Time line of work to be done

o Show students an example of finished product

o Discuss where materials are located

· Discuss what makes a garden

o Man-made objects in a garden

o How to make stencils/what makes a stencil--silhouettes

· Students begin to make stencils

Day 2: Students continue/finish stencils

· Apply stencils to paper before sponge painting

· Demo for students how to paint with sponges—dabbing vs. painting

o How to use colors—shadows and highlights/stencils/how to make flowers and smaller objects with Q-tips

o Start to lay out landscape with paint

· Students work

Day 3: Reiterate--foreground, background, how to achieve depth

· Students work on landscape paintings

· Clean-up: Paintings on drying racks/paint brushes washed out/ materials put away in designated areas

Day 3: Students finish up paintings

· Show students how to finish their final product

o Matting on paper that compliments their painting

o Names

o Tags on art work

Day 4: Extra day to finish if needed

Resources

1. http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/elem/Pam-monet.htm

2. http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/c19th/impressionism.htm

3. http://hubpages.com/slide/Impressionism/3946572

4. http://www.gettingtoknow.com/MonetAct.htm

5. http://www.gettingtoknow.com/videos.htm

So Far I've_______, but would still like to ________.

So far I've succeeded in planning long range and created two original units for my first placement . I've have seen them through from beginning to end, have graded, reflected with students and felt the reward and relief of my own lessons actually being a success and not a crash and burn sort of experience. I was able to conquer the last minute doubt that I had in my mind that I didn't know how to lead a lesson to large groups of students. I retaught myself how to be successful at art forms that I haven't practiced in years. I gained confidence and gained inspiration and motivation to do this with new mediums and lessons that I have not yet tried.

I would still like to challenge myself to think of new lessons, to try mediums that I have not yet explored, and to not get too comfortable with what I already know how to do. I think that I still have a lot to learn and will continue to do so for many years to come. I know now that I can be comfortable with the reality that sometimes I will have to reteach myself how to work with some mediums. That it is ok to try lessons that will take much time for me to learn before I introduce them to my students. That it is ok to think outside of the box, and I am capable of learning and teaching new and exciting lessons to classrooms of students.

Saying Goodbye to My First Placement

In some ways, I am excited and ready to move on to a new school. I am looking forward to observing a new teaching approach, classroom management style, learning about available resources and to meeting new students. In other ways though, I have established relationships, set a routine, know all of the supplies and their location, and have become very comfortable working in this middle school environment. In most ways, I don't want to leave at all. I would love a job in an environment like this, one that is so focused on education and that has high expectations for students no matter what the subject.

I didn't know what to expect before I started my first placement experience. I was nervous because I didn't know exactly how much responsibility I would be given as the student teacher. I already felt jet lagged and burnt out from returning just a day before the start date from Okinawa, Japan. It was there that I worked 10 hour days every day of the work week for two and a half months with children as a camp counselor, and traveled every minute during weekends, leaving little time for rest. I didn't know how I would even begin to function enough to lead a classroom. But I did. And I was given a lot, A LOT of responsibility through out my entire experience from week 2 on. I am happy to say that I feel that I successfully rose to the occasion and completely forgot about the burnt out and jet lagged feeling.

Something that I dealt with quite a bit during my experience that I did not expect was parents. I'm not talking about Parent Night and Parent Teacher Conferences, I expected that sort of thing. What I didn't expect were parents who are defensive from the get go, who obviously just want to find out why their child isn't doing well in class, but don't go about asking in the calmest way. What I didn't expect was the demand of answering emails, telephone calls, etc. on top of grading, prep upon prep, while staying late and coming in early so kids can get help one on one and catch up, and coming in even earlier and staying later than them to get ready and organized for the next days. By now, I understand that this is the job. It is not simply cookie cutter and easy, nor should it necessarily be this way. It is because it isn't this way that I appreciate the job and the work that goes into education that much more. I feel that I got a worthy first experience dealing with things that they don't necessarily teach you in college. It was a tough, challenging, full of insight, wonderful, exciting, stressful, humorous and all of the above all at once. And I only am getting a taste of it. But I know that I want more and I want to continue to be an art teacher. I know I'm going to miss it when it's gone, and can't wait until I find my own position as an art teacher.

Communicating With Parents

I don't know if anyone else has had to deal personally with parent issues yet, but I have gotten a good taste of it and thought I would share this article. It's broken down into the important issues and was helpful.

Class Rules

I have found that the most essential classroom rule for me is clean up. If I don't keep an eye on my students, they will slip scraps under things just so they don't have to walk them to the trash can. I am currently doing a lesson on batik and bookmaking and I had to lay down serious ground rules for how to treat a classroom with the materials that we are using. Because they are eighth graders, I had originally assumed that they would know how to do this. Everyday when I cue that it is time for clean up, I go over exactly what needs to be cleaned up and how. If my students don't clean up properly as they are expected to in the art room, I spend twice the amount of time cleaning up after them, cutting into my prep periods for other classes. I find that with sixth grade, they know to clean up and take a seat until things are checked and they are dismissed from class. With my seventh graders, they have a little more tendency to not want to stop working and to continue until they run out of time to clean up and are eager to go to their next class. Yet, when I get on them to clean up they do and they will stay in the classroom, near their tables. My eighth graders are the hardest to get to clean up. Suddenly at the end of class I have a new student named "somebody" and they always get blamed when no one wants to claim a mess.
As far as other rules in the class go, my students get for the most part and I don't have any huge issue with any of them. They know that when I'm waiting quietly at the front of the class that I won't tell them to quiet down, they need to do it on their own. At first I would try to speak over them but I have found that it works better if they remind each other to be quiet when they see me waiting. They quiet down quicker this way. We have discussed this before, so they know to quiet down quickly. When explaining rules to them in the beginning of the year, I told them that I am there to teach them, and it is their job to come to class ready to work. If they come to class noisy they are wasting their own time because the lesson will not begin until they have settled down. They are eager to get to work on their projects so this is never really an issue.

I don't expect the students to be completely quiet during art class as long as they are working. We have an understanding that as long as they are getting the work done that they need to in class, they can talk quietly amongst their tables. However, when I am helping students throughout the classroom, I should not be able to hear any one discussion. If I do, I tell them that I'm hearing too much talking for the amount of work that needs to be done by our set deadline. I also give them mini deadlines to keep them on track so I often refer to these.

To me however, as stated before, cleaning up after themselves is the number one issue and rule in my class. I can handle chatter, I can handle letting them quiet themselves down, I can come in early and stay late to help any student with work they need help on.... any other rule I don't necessary find hard for students to follow. But when it comes to cleaning up, that it the first thing I enforce everyday in the art room. I suppose that the more experience I get with working in the art room the better it will get. Expectations of my classroom will be passed down and I feel like right now as the student teacher I'm being tested a little bit. But if there is one rule that needs to be in the art room it is accountability for your own mess.

Resources

During my first placement experience, I have found that teachers can turn to one another for ideas for entire projects, jumping off points for projects, classroom management and so on. The team of teachers I am working with look to one another for project ideas, and willingly exchange new ideas that they think of, come across as they research, and so on. This is a great resource because you although you are jumping off from someone else's idea, you can tweak project ideas to make your own. The project may even evolve in to something completely different.

I have also found, as I'm sure everyone has, that internet sites are an incredible resource for teachers. In my school, we are unable to use YouTube videos. This site is blocked to protect students from getting on and searching for inappropriate or harmful subjects, but my teachers and I found a way that we could still show our demos using You Tube. I have heard of a couple of different sites, such as TubeSocks and ImTooYouTube. These sites allow you to download videos at home and show them at school. I find that it is a really valuable resource for my lessons, because the students not only see me doing a demo in front of them, but also are able to see videos of other techniques. A lot of the videos I have found help to explain how lessons relate to other cultures and so on. I definitely would recommend looking into it if you haven't already stumbled across it.

The Art Department meetings have been focused around the use of SMART Boards. What I think is so neat about SMART Boards is that you can use the sites through the program, Notebook, to supplement your lessons. I thought that you had to buy the SMART Board in order to be able to access these, but I was told yesterday at the meeting that you can download the Notebook program and use it with a LCD projector. Some of the sites, like one that was shown yesterday explaining perspective, could really be valuable for lessons and would help to break down information and concepts for students into easier understanding.

I have been lucky enough to have resources passed down to me from the teachers I am working with. Artists, books, videos, websites, templates, rubric ideas, assessments, project ideas, you name it. I have binders full of information that I know I will use in my own classroom in the future. I think that beyond this however, you can use almost anything as a resource if you are creative enough. Just flipping through magazines, or paying attention to what you observe when you are outside of school can spark an idea for a project.

Art Therapy Project

This sounds like a great project :

www.portraitsofhope.org

Batik and Bookmaking

Project: Students will be combine two different techniques into one project. They will begin by batiking two pieces of muslin (11x11) apiece. Sketches will be completed a head of time before starting the batik process to ensure that students have a clear plan before they begin to apply wax and ink. The expectations for their batik are to include pattern, to recreate, not reproduce traditional or cliché symbols that we see everywhere (flowers, suns, stars, etc.) , and to make these symbols their own. They will be pushed to go outside of their comfort zone and will be required to use geometric shapes to recreate these designs. The students will go through the process of batik 3 times to apply 3 inks in order to understand the way in which the wax and dye process works. Once batik is complete, students will attach their batik cloth to doubled pieces of mat boards to create covers for books. That will be the next step of the project. Students will go through the process of bookmaking with me in order to successfully create a finished product. Once we have completed the project, we will complete an assessment and reflection about the process, it’s history, and the tools that are required to complete the projects.

Reflection- Students will be able to:
• Recognize the different types of textures and fibers in the composition of fabric/paper
• Recognize the different techniques of dyeing and resist
• Identify the unique characteristics of craft areas
• Expand visual vocabularies for increased perception of and response to crafts
Goals-Students will be able to:
• Identify how crafts have been utilized by various cultures and how these reflect the values and beliefs of these cultures
• Identify the various purposes and types of crafts in American and World cultures
• Identify how crafts are used in everyday life as functional and/or decorative objects
• Create with fibers (batik)
• Create crafts using a variety of forming and surface treatment techniques (batik and bookmaking)

Day 1: Students will be introduced into the first portion of the project- batik.
-Transition from printmaking into batik
-Talk about the elements of art with students and how they apply to this assignment
-Give a cultural connection to the project- Share information with them about the history of batik
-Tell them how batik and bookmaking will be related in this project
-Hand out the sketch paper for their designs
-Expectations for sketches: Geometric Designs, Not reproducing a cliché or traditional symbol but making it their own, Pattern
-Vocabulary

Day 2: Reiterate to students about the relation from relief to batik (Elements of design)
-Students work on sketches to break out of the traditional symbols
- Do a class example to show what I’m looking for (Do examples of how to create designs we’ve seen on the internet, how I would change a flower, sun, etc.)
-Reiterate the expectations for the assignment

Day 3: Do a demo over batik for the students
-Talk about safety measures with irons, hot wax, how to cover surfaces, etc.
-Show students two steps of the dyeing process/waxing process/ironing process
-Students continue to work on sketches
-Label their sketches in sections based on the color of ink and in what order they will be waxing/inking

Day 4: Do another demo with students to refresh memories before beginning to batik.
-Safety
-Necessary materials/Locations of needed materials
-Process
-How to use their sketches/plans to successfully achieve their images.
-Talk to students about how to store their pieces to dry at the end of class.
Students will receive their fabric pieces if ready.
-Patterns must be okayed by me before they receive these
-Drawing patterns on fabric with pencil.
-Students must have their sketches and plans out next to them while working so they have a clear direction

Day 5: Reiterate rules of class while batiking and safety measures
-Students batik- they should be first outlining their designs before beginning dyeing
-Available around the room for help and to answer any questions about the process.
-Remind them that this should be more of a quieter and slower environment t o prevent any accidents

Day 6: Students continue to work on batik, they should all be on this process by now.
-Reiterate:
-Safety
-Materials
-Storage

Day 7: Students continue to batik. If done with batik, talk to the students about our next step in the project: bookmaking.
-If some students are ready for this step, do a small demo for them while others work to get them started.
-Show them how to glue together mat boards to create our covers
-How to apply glue to the covers to attach our fabric to the covers

Day 8: Do a demo for the class showing the next steps of the project- moving into bookmaking
-How to attach the mat boards together to create stronger covers
-How to attach the batik to the mat covers
-How to apply the glue correctly so it doesn’t leave lines in the batik

Day 9: Demo how to finish applying the fabric to the covers
-Show students how to cut the fabric so that it folds over nicely to create corners
-Students work on applying both pieces of fabrics to covers/gluing, cutting corners, etc.
-Around the room to help students finish this step


Day 10: -Demo for students how to cut and attach the spine of the book
-How to attach these spines to the covers so it appears professional and clean
-No rough edges
-Clean cuts
-Glue applied correctly so it isn’t seeping out of the edges
-Be around the room to help students with questions about this step of the process

Day 11: Demo how to measure on my pages for sewing them together
-Measure even amounts of space
-Give them measurements
-Show them how to make the holes in the pages
-Talk about safety when doing this
-How to use the tools correctly in order be safe
-Be around the room to help students with questions about this step of the process

Day 12: Demo how to sew the pages together
-Safety
-How to thread the needle
-Pattern to sew in to create a strong and successful hold with pages
-Students work on this for remainder of class/Around to help students work on this step

Day 13: Students continue to sew their pages
-Reiterate:
-Safety
-How to thread the needle
-Pattern of sewing

Day 14: Demo for students how to complete the book
-Joining the pages and covers
-Covering the inside of the covers with decorative paper
-Trimming the pages to have even edges
-How a finished product should look

Day 15: Reiterate information from the demo the day 14
-Students work in class to finish

Day 16: Students continue to work and finish their books to turn in a completed product

Day 17: Do assessments and reflection with students
-Need to be completed and turned in with the assignment

Contour Lesson

Contour Line Drawing

6^th Grade Art

Project: Students will be introduced into the concept of contour line drawing by completing a series of silhouette and internal contour line exercises. During this time, students will be introduced to the project, which is based around a hobby of their own. Students will be asked to complete the assignment of bringing in objects that relate to one another within the definition of their hobbies. We will then use the knowledge from our exercises to individually draw these objects. Once the students have successfully drawn each of their objects, they will use light tables to assemble a composition as it would look in a still life drawing. I will talk to students about the importance of depth and placement within a composition. They will use this information to apply it to their own projects and once they have arranged their objects, they will trace them onto charcoal paper with pencil. The pencil lines will be outlined with thin sharpie markers including variations in thickness to give their objects character. The still life will be completed in a secondary color template.

Students will be able to:

· Increase their observation skills and develop hand-eye coordination

· Understand the unique qualities of two and three dimensional works of art

· Utilize art vocabulary to discuss and evaluate their artwork

· Think critically and creatively and problem solve to produce original works of art

Goal: Students will understand the different processes used in the brain to create different types of art. They will understand the importance of line, shape, depth and placement of objects within a composition. Students will also practice and successfully utilize the rule of contour line drawing in order to create their compositions.

Materials:

Pencils

Thin sharpie markers

Colored pencils

Charcoal paper

Procedure

Day 1: Introduction to the new project

-Transition from perspective into contour

-Talk to students about the difference in sides of brain used with each project

-Show students link to the Spinning Lady (Talk with them about clockwise being right brained and counter clockwise being left brained)

-Show examples of contour drawings

-RULE: Eye and pencil move at the same rate. EMPHASIZE THIS. Reiterate continuously!

-Vocabulary

Day 2: Reiterate the RULE of contour line (have rule written large for them to see and posted on the board for reference)

-Talk about what a contour line is/ what a silhouette is (ask students this first to have participation and to see where their understanding is at)

-Show contour line video (10-20 min.)

-Do a demo for students at the front of the room:

-Large white paper

-Thick sharpie markers

-Start with silhouette and then move on to internal contour

-Explain to students what is happening as I draw

-Reiterate RULE to students as I am working, show them HOW to use the rule when drawing (example of how to do it will break down the confusion)

*Talk to students about the basis of their assignment. Explain to them how to chose objects according to their chosen subject: “You Favorite Hobby” (Give them the skating example)

ASSIGNMENT for DAY 6: Bring in 6 objects representing your favorite hobby—5 pts.

-Objects must vary in size and difficulty

-Students will be able to get rid of ONE object that they aren’t satisfied with

after they have drawn all of them

-Assignment will include 5 objects that they have successfully drawn as contour drawings before composing their still lives.

Day 3: Have students work in their sketchbooks to do exercises pertaining to silhouettes and internal contours.

-Students will do 5-minute intervals of contour drawings

-Have a mixture of more complicated and less complicated objects

-Once 5-minutes is up, rotate objects, give them a minute to rest and then do another 5-minute contour drawing

Day 4: Students continue with these exercises… Change the objects and make sure they vary in difficulty

Day 5: Students continue with these exercises.

Day 6: ASSIGNMENT DUE: 5 points.

-Check for everyone’s assignments. Give bags and markers to each student to store their objects in and to label with their names.

-Have bins for students to store these in everyday after class.

-Reiterate the rule and purpose of the assignment/contour line drawings.

-Students will begin to work on their first object in their composition. Must successfully draw object as a contour line drawing before allowed to move on to the next object.

-Talk to students about importance of relation in size of objects and how they should be aware and keeping that in their own drawings.

Day 7: Students continue to work.

-Reiterate the RULE.

Day 8: Students continue to work.

-RULE

Day 9: Students continue to work.

Day 10: Students begin to work on light tables and compose their still lives on to charcoal paper.

-Remind them once again about things to consider when putting together a still life and the importance of depth, layering, placement and composition.

-Students trace with pencil and then outline with marker.

Day 11: Students work on light tables if needed and then continue with finishing the still life.

-Do a demo for students about:

-how to draw in a smooth, consistent line

-how to vary the thickness of line to give still life character

Day 12: Students continue to work on this.

-Reiterate rules to them about line (smooth, consistent, variation in thickness)

Day 13: Give students a demo about how to color in a secondary template.

-How to vary my colors to create variation and interest within the drawing.

Day 14: Students continue to work. All students should be coloring at this point.

Day 15: Begin to talk to students about wrapping up their projects.

-Choosing colored paper for mounting that enhances their work.

-Mounting

-Where to place tags, where to sign (bottom right of still life…not too big, not too little)

Day 16: Student assessments/ packets/ turning in complete projects.

Day 17: Extra day if needed

What class rules are essential to a positive teaching/learning experience?

I have found that my classroom management has improved since I have broken everything down in to steps and have clear rules and expectations posted around the room. Because I am working in an art room, if I don't have clear expectations and rules about the cleanup on top of the actual lesson, it can throw off other classes and my day as well. I have learned from my cooperating teacher that when I want something done right I have to enforce that rule and can't let anything slide in the classroom. This does not only apply for clean up, but also applies during demonstrations, work time, and the amount of effort and quality that is expected of students by myself, my coop, and the district. Clear and concise classroom rules are essential to a positive teaching and learning experience. I have found out along the way during my weeks here that I need to repeat and reiterate every last detail, even ones that I may think that they would already know. I have learned that I need to be above and beyond prepared and organized both physically in my room but also mentally so that all rules are being followed. I need to actively be present in the classroom to make sure that my classroom management is being followed and that their work is following the expectations of higher positions than my own.

Journal 1; Sept. 2

Journal #1

9/2/2010

Today is my second day of student teaching. I am part way through the day and am making lists of what I need to prepare for tomorrow. What I am beginning to enjoy about this experience is how organized it is making me. Every detail needs to be planned out for me at this point…. back up ideas, approaches to how to do a demo, where and when I will put out the supplies I need for each class. I am constantly writing notes and reminders to myself in several different places. I find myself thinking, so this is what it is like to be organized. I am an Art Education major, art, making part of me innately unorganized and the other half, education, needing to be organized at all times. I am making the transition from student to professional and I am happy to see the changes it is making within me. For example, the organization I was talking about. Another example, how much more confident I am in using the tools from my education classes in a real classroom. I naturally am a quiet person, but when I am in a teacher’s role, I am not hesitant to boost my voice level, to give instruction, to give my opinions and advice to students.

My cooperating teacher gives me helpful and welcomed feedback at the end of each teaching session. At this point, I am teaching for two periods straight, having a break, and then taking on another two periods in a row. So each day we have a brief meeting after each block, go over strengths, what I did well and what I could work on. I was happy to hear her feed back about my classroom management. As a teacher, I want to be taken seriously and do not want the students to think that I am here to befriend them. There is a certain mix between discipline and fun, and at this point I am still trying to keep things more serious so the students get used to working with me as a teacher. The last thing I want to do is ruin that by not taking my own position seriously. I believe that at some point when you have established a base relationship with your students, you can begin to incorporate humor into the classroom. Some classes will receive this well and still be able to work and successfully complete assignments. Other classes will not be able to handle this and will get off of track. Right now I am still establishing that base relationship. I know with a couple of my classes that I am unable to let up the reins, and that is all right, I just switch up my classroom management as it fits each class.

Influences & Expectations

When I think back to influential classes that I have taken, I remember feeling the need to try my best because of how much expectations were stressed by my teachers. I felt this way because the expectations were presented to me in a way that left the responsibility to meet these expectations in my hands. The expectations were set up in a way that would not allow for student excuses. I see this in my cooperating teacher's classroom. There are no room for excuses from students because everyday she covers the expectations, goes over the rules of the art form from which we are currently working with, does as many demos are needed, and does not let misbehavior just slide by. Now that the classroom has been passed on to me for the remaining weeks of my 8 here, I am trying my best to uphold the expectations that she has in place as I lead classes. Everyday, as the students file in, they know to get their folders from their cabinets, take a seat, and when they see me standing at the front silent, they quiet down. Right now we are working on cityscapes from either a worm or bird's eyes view, one point perspective in the round. Everyday we go over the rules of perspective. Everyday I ask in the beginning of class if anyone needs a demo. Everyday I tell them that I will be checking their folders after they leave class to check on their progress and everyday I do. The students are aware that their effort and the way they use their class time is taken into account when I am grading their projects. Still, they often talk more than they should, and I remind them to work as they talk quietly, but still, they know that they are responsible for the outcome of their work and their grade. For example, I am doing a coloring demo tomorrow to progress onto the next stage of the project. Many of the students who are holding themselves responsible in class are up to speed and are ready to move on, but the students who are not using their time wisely are now spending their mornings or afternoons with me to catch up on their work. Now that they see that it is an expectation that I am continuing, the rules have not changed, and that they my expectations are in place so that they will not be able to just slide by onto the next step, I do not expect that we will have many students talking as much but using their time in class instead. The rules that I am continuing with all of my classes are ones that my coop already has in place in her classroom. The classroom management and expectations that she upholds in her classes reflect the same beliefs I have as a student teacher. I think that when the responsibility falls on the student after the teacher has presented them with the tools needed to succeed, the student will take on that responsibility when the expectation is upheld by the teacher.

Reflection on Finishing College/ Student Teaching Dress

Reflect on these questions:

What do you find most daunting about finishing student teaching and graduating from college?

What was the pivotal event that made you decide to become a teacher and enter your teacher preparation program? Employers almost always ask a question similar to this.

In what ways will you wardrobe change during student teaching and as a teaching professional?

If you could add any article of clothing to your professional wardrobe, what would it be?

What I find to be the most daunting about finishing student teaching and graduating from college is the reality of possibly not finding a job and being in limbo for a while. I am so anxious and excited to find a job, especially now that I am teaching in full swing at my student teaching placement. I have so many resources that I have already been offered by my coops and I know I will accumulate more, that I am just excited to put them to use in lesson plans. I am afraid that I will loose some of the experience and confidence that I will have built up during student teaching if a long period of time goes by before finding a job.

Another thing that I know I will miss but don't necessarily find daunting is that right now, I have a cooperating teacher floating in and out of the classroom to give me advice after class. She gives me tips when I have questions about behavior management, lessons, supplies, etc. It is a valuable resource to have. I know that I will come up with other ways to work through issues in the classroom, however. For example, I know that it will be in my nature to continue to journal about my days, reflect on my students' behaviors and so on, in order to stay in tuned with how my classroom is running.

What made me want to become an art teacher is the experiences that I have had with my past art teachers. The most effective teachers that I have had in the past have had a passion for the subject that they could not hide. Their passion for the subject shown through the work that they created and through their expectations for students' work. I knew that I wanted to pursue a job having to do with art, and I knew that I wanted to be able to share what I had learned with others. I have always respected the way that an effective teacher can reach out to a classroom full of kids, so I believe these factors combined are what inspired me to pursue a career in Art Education.

I believe that in terms of dress, my wardrobe will not change all that much than what it is now. At this moment, I feel like I am dressing up more than necessary because it makes me feel more confident and professional. I dress to be able to work in the art room and to be able to present myself well. If I could add one staple item into my wardrobe for the future in the classroom, I would purchase a new apron to wear while working so I do not ruin the work clothes that I have and also so that when I finish with one class, I do not have to wear its remains around the rest of day on my clothes.