I think the thing that has surprised me the most about field experiences this semester is that I really enjoy teaching the pre-k students. Coming into this program I thought that the youngest students I would want to teach would be in high school. I've now come to realize that is not the case. I honestly did not expect to enjoy teaching the little ones as much as I have, but the more I think about it the more I enjoy their activities and the experience of watching them discover art making and their surroundings for the first time.
It has also been a great learning experience to see the variety of ways art is being taught in this city. There is a great difference in attitudes, access to materials, physical space, and group dynamics that are really at the heart of every academic institution, formal and informal. I will be sure to keep this in mind when looking for internships in the next coming months. Though I am not planning on doing the K-12 certification, I think that knowing the dynamic of the system you are entering is important for keeping appropriate expectations of what can and cannot be accomplished in certain spaces.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Re: SAIL
I was with Malki at SAIL on Tuesday and I agree that the physical space makes it challenging. I am claustrophobic, so not a fan of small spaces to begin with, and the lack of windows and the sheer number of people in the room made it uncomfortable for me. I was impressed by the thought that the students had put into their inventions and the vast majority seemed to be taking a lot of care in painting and decorating them. The second class we worked with had just returned from getting free ice cream so their sugar high was definitely a factor in making the situation seem chaotic. This is my second time at SAIL, in this space, and I find that I have a difficult time separating my own physical discomfort with the space from what is going on in the classroom. I agree with Malki it seems like a normal, everyday art class. Some children are engaged, some are not, and there is a lot of noise and activity. I appreciate getting to experience different settings. I think it really makes me consider what environments I would feel comfortable in and be able to be an effective teacher in.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
SAIL Away!
Today was my first real visit to SAIL (we visited as a class once before). It was interesting. The kids were making inventions for their "invention convention". They really got into it and thought about what they were making. They were mostly painting today and finished up their projects which would be displayed. I had a hard time physically being in the classroom which is in a cramped basement and had poor ventilation so the fumes kind of got to me.
The truth is that the kids are not an easy group and the teacher handled them well, especially since a lot of them came in sugar high from free ice cream. She does border on the sarcastic at times and I think some of her harsher comments aren't helpful to the learning disabled/special ed student body she has. She also pretends to kick the kids but her daughter is in one of the classes and she actually kicked her in the behind. Not cool. The materials made it a little difficult to work with because the paint was clumpy and didn't squeeze out well.
To me, it was a normal art class. Nothing special, nothing that particularly exciting. They painted, they glued, they puttered around. There was a lot of chaos at clean up but no more than can be expected. So it was nice, just not impressive.
The truth is that the kids are not an easy group and the teacher handled them well, especially since a lot of them came in sugar high from free ice cream. She does border on the sarcastic at times and I think some of her harsher comments aren't helpful to the learning disabled/special ed student body she has. She also pretends to kick the kids but her daughter is in one of the classes and she actually kicked her in the behind. Not cool. The materials made it a little difficult to work with because the paint was clumpy and didn't squeeze out well.
To me, it was a normal art class. Nothing special, nothing that particularly exciting. They painted, they glued, they puttered around. There was a lot of chaos at clean up but no more than can be expected. So it was nice, just not impressive.
assigned reading response
The reading MaryAnn handed out last week detailed the different ways to begin a lesson. I think this reading was interesting but perhaps would have been more useful earlier in the semester. From it we can gain awareness of particular styles of teaching to be watching for. It would have made for interesting class discussion to bring up how the teachers at each respective site began their discussions and introductions of their lesson to the class. I think this introduction also effects the direction in which the lesson follows.
In the example, the teacher was encouraging his students to think it through out loud, then following up with the inclusion of the rest of the class and a follow up activity. When I was reading it seemed as if the two students involved in the discussion really began to understand the information, but when he called on another student, she had not grasped the concept as thoroughly. I got sidetracked thinking of the classroom dynamic that was following this discussion as well. Were the two students he involved faster learners than the rest, or had he chosen them because they tended to lose focus? If there is one thing that I have learned through these field experiences, it is that classroom dynamic plays a huge part in how a lesson can and is directed and delivered.
In the example, the teacher was encouraging his students to think it through out loud, then following up with the inclusion of the rest of the class and a follow up activity. When I was reading it seemed as if the two students involved in the discussion really began to understand the information, but when he called on another student, she had not grasped the concept as thoroughly. I got sidetracked thinking of the classroom dynamic that was following this discussion as well. Were the two students he involved faster learners than the rest, or had he chosen them because they tended to lose focus? If there is one thing that I have learned through these field experiences, it is that classroom dynamic plays a huge part in how a lesson can and is directed and delivered.
Last class at WSVA
My time with Jude was interesting, and I liked the fact that he is a working artist. This lets me know that it is possible to be an artist and make a living. Again the only issue I had was the lack of curriculum structure within the class. The goals setting should be a bit higher, but of course taking into consideration the student's disabilities. I really like SAIL/WSVA. I'm sure there are some ups as well as downs like any workplace, but overall the people seem very pleasant and what their doing for these kids is a great thing.
Eddy
Eddy
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
ARTiculate @ WVSA
Today I spent my last day at WVSA with Jude. Today there was a couple students there that we had never met. Some of the students continued to work on the theme for the new show in the gallery "Beauty as in the eye of the beholder". 2 students worked on commissioned work and the rest were working on fish and other sea creatures. They were working on those by drawing them out and then projecting them onto . . . some kind of cloth, I forgot what it was, and drawing them large. They were going to then paint them and piece them together to make a mural in the staircase that leads down to Jude's basement.
Like every other week the students worked well by themselves with just little guidance and pointers from Jude. They worked diligently and Jude had a lot of time to talk with us about this and that. I enjoyed talking with him about all kinds of things and appreciated his rare perspective, I'm sure the others did too.
For my next rotation I will be doing my choice sight which is classes with the Arts League that are held in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA. I look forward to it and will start later this week.
Chapter 8-I apologize for consistently writing too much.
The classroom that I visited today was a real life example of the impact of teacher presence, and instructional variety can have on a class. These two elements alone were postive contributions to student behavior and engagement with the lesson (today anyway). I can only imagine what would happen if a teacher asked interesting questions, rewarded students, and encouraged their involvement in discussion.
I don't think that great teachers are necessarily born, but practiced and developed through trial and error. This article offers valueable teaching tools and suggests some constructive ways to observe the classroom so that we can become effective instructors. However, I agree with Roger that students/teachers then need to practice the theories set out and studied from books.
I will reiterate what I wrote in my most recent reflection. I think the teachers presence is a huge part of setting the climate within the classroom. Body language accounts for something like 80 percent of all communication. That means 20% is acutally what is said. The rest of our communication is how it is said, body posture, facial expression, and energy level.
In my opinion, the foundation of the classroom is a teacher with a stable, engaging presence. Emotional needs play a large role in how people at any age choose to interact. By setting a tone and establishing the classroom as a place of inclusion, and valuing student contribution, students may be more likely to participate, to take risks, and to learn. Some positive things that I observe teacher doing are not talking to fast, articulating words and thoughts, being aware of the tone of voice, and taking time to be and feel grounded and centered in their own bodies.
This is the foundation of the classroom, and it requires the teacher to be able to cultivate alot of awareness. But in order to do the things this article suggests, a teacher has to be aware of many things. A teacher must be able to identify student needs, to observe student behavior, to listen to students, and to be aware of themselves. Being a teacher is demanding and in order to actualize the ideas of educational theorists, the teacher has to be steady, and they have to build a toolbox of ways to repond to the fluctuations of human needs and the varieties that they may come in.
Creating a variety of activies, asking probes and questions, finding different rewards and reinforces, apply to that toolbox, but, again, a teachers ability to do these things may depend on practice and be strengthened by the tone the teacher sets.
I don't think that great teachers are necessarily born, but practiced and developed through trial and error. This article offers valueable teaching tools and suggests some constructive ways to observe the classroom so that we can become effective instructors. However, I agree with Roger that students/teachers then need to practice the theories set out and studied from books.
I will reiterate what I wrote in my most recent reflection. I think the teachers presence is a huge part of setting the climate within the classroom. Body language accounts for something like 80 percent of all communication. That means 20% is acutally what is said. The rest of our communication is how it is said, body posture, facial expression, and energy level.
In my opinion, the foundation of the classroom is a teacher with a stable, engaging presence. Emotional needs play a large role in how people at any age choose to interact. By setting a tone and establishing the classroom as a place of inclusion, and valuing student contribution, students may be more likely to participate, to take risks, and to learn. Some positive things that I observe teacher doing are not talking to fast, articulating words and thoughts, being aware of the tone of voice, and taking time to be and feel grounded and centered in their own bodies.
This is the foundation of the classroom, and it requires the teacher to be able to cultivate alot of awareness. But in order to do the things this article suggests, a teacher has to be aware of many things. A teacher must be able to identify student needs, to observe student behavior, to listen to students, and to be aware of themselves. Being a teacher is demanding and in order to actualize the ideas of educational theorists, the teacher has to be steady, and they have to build a toolbox of ways to repond to the fluctuations of human needs and the varieties that they may come in.
Creating a variety of activies, asking probes and questions, finding different rewards and reinforces, apply to that toolbox, but, again, a teachers ability to do these things may depend on practice and be strengthened by the tone the teacher sets.
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