Reflective Journal
Prompt 1
The first lesson we did with the students was introducing sketchbooks. They each got a manilla folder and were able to paint it with tempera colors and gold acrylic. This was a great thing to do with the students because they were getting so much instruction in the other classes art was a much needed break. I created my folder which will contain the drawing I am given by students. I used the extra paint from the table covers to create a print. It incorporates my love for printmaking and the messy hands of elementary students. It also doubled as cleaning the wet paint off the tables before the next set of students. This also reflects how crazy the start of the semester was for the school and the art schedule.
Prompt 2
The anvil represents the forming of relationships which is something I need to always keep in mind throughout my career. It will keep me motivated to keep doing what I am doing and remind me why I choose this career field.
The road infinity sign represents the constant change and learning I am traveling on in the art room and the school I am working at. Being open to this change and not letting it frustrate me to much is importation.
The art pallet acts like a reminder that art is what I love. It is also why I am teaching it to others who love and enjoy it. Art is the method which I teach communication, observation and creative skills that students need for a successful future.
Prompt 3
How do you see your position from being a student to a student teacher?
- I feel like I am finally learning from the students verses from a teacher. Being put in charge of classes really forces you to think like a teacher not so much as a students. I forces you to learn from what you are doing and how the students are reaction to it.
How do you shift between teaching and learning in your student teaching?
- I don't think I shift at all. I think teaching and learning happen at the same time. While I am instruction and something happens I have to adapt my teaching to accommodate that. Though teaching I am learning things I never could have learned in the classroom.
How do you make your teacher presence evident in the classroom?
- I am there for the kids not for myself. If they have questions I am more then happy to answer them. I love helping them when they are struggling with something and they know that. I greet them before class and say goodbye after class. I am there because of them.
Young me as a student passing on the love of art to future me who will teach my passion to the next generation.
Prompt 4
This embroidery piece was done in one of the photo classes I'm teaching. It is an abstract clock. The real time management piece of it was taking time to sit and do it while the class was working and stopping when they needed my help.
How would you define efficient time management?
- Efficient time management is getting things done when they need to be and being able to balance several activities at once.
How can efficient time management help your teaching and students’ learning?
-Having time management in teaching is crucial. You have to be able to have plan for every class before they arrive. Students will be able to tell if you don't have it together and you will lose the classrooms attention. Students will also learn form you. If you demonstrate good time management they will see that and realize that is needed to be successful in life.
How do you manage your time so that you can create a balance for all parties in your life?
-I get first things done first, meaning things that are due sooner need to be done first. Doing this makes it easy to prioritize and make a plan of attack. I also life off of lists. I have to write it done in order to remember and I put things in order of importance.
Prompt 5
Why is professional development important for becoming an art educator?
- In the world of art there are so many avenues someone can take like painting, printmaking, drawing, photography etc. When you become an art teacher, especially for elementary, knowing a majority of these mediums will only strengthen your teaching. It also includes creating a community of art teacher who you can bounce ideas off of and share struggles and successes.
When I was at Rockrimmon Elementary School I was able to attend one of the professional development days with other art teachers in the district. We were taught a fun lesson using clay. We made clay balls with texture that can be rolled around in sand. Students can make them at the beginning of the year and use them as a meta moment. (A quiet reflection moment that will calm them and bring them back to the subject). The art teachers also shared projects they did with students and wanted other teachers to share their idea.
This photo is of me prepping for a printmaking lesson in art 2. I have to get the requirement and the subject of what I am teaching finished first before I start on my example piece so I can be sure I am showing the same things that I am teaching.
Prompt 6
What perspectives/strategies/practices did you learn from the first placement that revised/enhanced/transformed your previous perspectives or assumptions about teaching and learning?
-I have always wanted to teach high school but after spending some time at the elementary level that completely changed. They have this desire to learn and no fear when it comes to their creativity. I also had the benefit of being there at the beginning of the year. I was able to observe all the of strategies that were used to create a routine.
What changes have you made or adjusted to adapt to the new placement?
-I have had to get used to he fact that excitement for a new lesson is something you really have to work for. High school students are also more self-conscious about their art. However they are at a higher skill level and can comprehend more advanced ideas and topics and that has been fun to push.
Prompt 7
I think some elements to create a predictable, caring and positive learning environment are communication, mutual respect and building relationships. Building relationships starts day one in the classroom and never goes away. When students feel they can be themselves and they trust you that is when the true learning happens. A great way to build relationships is showing them respect and in turn they will show that respect back. If you are constantly yelling and not allowing them to have a voice in the classroom they will soon do the same to you. Communication ties back to respect. When you talk to fifth graders it is very different than how to talk to kindergarten. This goes into explaining projects and the process of those projects. You want to meet students at their level of communication.
Respecting diversity is a great thing to model for your students and they will see that to you everyone matters and no one is better then the others. When we were teaching self portraits to fifth graders we brought up volunteers to talk about how you would draw the hair. We brought boys, girls, Asian, Caucasian and African American students to model how different hair looks and how you can draw that.
Looking back at my past reflections I noticed my confidence grown though the placements and as I gained more experience and was put in new situations.
During my teaching I taught the Agate lesson and I didn't have the students write qualities of there stones in there sketchbook like I have done in the past. I noticed more students struggled with keep those stone qualities in their creature. When I do that lesson again I will be sure to keep that step in.
When I had to quickly come up with a lesson for first grade I decided to cover the table with paper and have them work on collaboration drawings. However, because they are one of the youngest in the school their collaboration skills were below what I was expecting. When I do it again I will have them work on partner drawings like I did with the kindergartners.
Teaching is like juggling. Teachers have to juggle so many things without letting things slip. They balance student needs, collaboration with colleagues, communication with parents, lesson planning, assessment, standards, student feedback, instruction, self-care and so many others.