Dream Job

It is hard to tell what my dream job would look like. I really enjoyed working with Becky Kobos at Coralville Central elementary for my practicum. It's hard to tell though what was her and what was the job itself and environment. I liked how the classes were small and the environment and scenes outside felt like we were close to nature. Basic elements of a dream job would include necessary benefits like health insurance etc and decent pay. I haven't put a whole lot of thought into my dream job since I don't think it makes a huge difference where I work or what it is like since it's more what I am willing to put into it that counts. Any job can be enjoyable if I put my whole heart into it and keep the kids first priority. It would be nice to have supportive and friendly people to work with and a principle who is not intimidating but supportive also. Next to that, I could possibly dream up some amazing environment where everything was absolutely perfect but what would that really benefit me in the long run? I think a great job would be one that challenges me in many ways and ends up making me a better person all around. The harder the kids and the co-workers, the more I would be challenged in the struggle of learning how to love, and the more I would benefit in the end.

Being a Successful Teacher

A successful teacher is one whom all students respect. The students enjoy going to the class and learning from that teacher. The teacher is nice but at the same time cares enough about the students to discipline them. The students know the teacher is sincere and cares about them and so they don't mind it when they are hard on them. This requires respect. A successful teacher is one who has earned their student's respect by being consistently kind. They don't have bad days and then good days but are reliable.
Secondly a successful teacher is one who is knowledgable and passionate about their subject matter. They have complete control of their classroom and are organized and prepared so students always have something to do. A successful teacher succeeds at educating and bettering students lives overall. They are the teachers that students always remember. They also aren't afraid to challenge students and they have the ability to bring the best out in them.

Support

For my first year of teaching, I expect support to come from fellow first year teachers. Also, support could come from the principle or other experienced teachers. If there is another art teacher in the school, then they would be an obvious form of support. Fellow first year teachers who have many of the same struggles and questions I have would be a good form of emotional support. They are going through the same things as me and would be helpful to communicate with. Other experienced teachers would be obvious forms of support since they have lots of knowledge they could share about classroom management and most importantly about the specific students. If I'm having trouble with a specific student, it would be nice to have a relationship with other teachers who could provide me more information about that student, like if they are having issues at home that I need to be aware of etc. A mentor is also someone who will provide necessary support as a first year teacher.

Technology

Example of cool digital art by Ryan Rhoades

I have used technology to enhance my teaching somewhat but I would like to learn more ways to incorporate it into the classroom. It has mainly been a tool in forming PowerPoint presentations before beginning a lesson. This worked well the high schoolers and it got them really excited to begin their painting project. I have used the computer lab once for a project with elementary in which they had to find images for a collage. I know many teachers have smart boards and these could be highly beneficial in the art room. I have also used Photoshop a little bit with the high schoolers to help them darken up some photo's for a print project and they really enjoyed that. Technology really excites me because I like to think where it will take teaching in the future. Some people think of it as this evil thing that is making our lives more impersonal, which could be true to some extent, but I like to look of it more positively, that it is opening new doors of opportunity. More specifically speaking, in my future classroom I would like to make use of programs like Photoshop for photography or any of the adobe products for that matter. Some of the digital art I have seen out there amazes me. It would be cool to teach a whole class on digital art alone! I have been able to use Adobe workshop and create amazing projects in no time at all. I would also like to see my students excited about technology and able to use a wide variety of programs in art.

Problem Solving

I think problem solving is so important in getting students to create original work. In the book Ordinary to Extraordinary, the author got his students to create amazing final projects by creating lessons that involved rigorous problem solving. I think the more you can get your students to take part in the process, the better their work is going to become! During student teaching, to get my students to be critical thinkers and problem solvers I added detailed criteria to the lessons that made them think about themes and ideas related to their work. Instead of just telling them to paint anything, I gave them a problem to solve. For example, for our painting project I taught the high school students about focal points and how they strengthen a composition. I then gave each student an index card with a small window cut in it and told them to use it as a "magnifying glass" to find a section of a magazine image that was interesting and involved a focal point. I then had them cut out the small magazine piece and use a copier to blow the image up so they could paint it. Making the students problem solve resulted in them creating highly abstract and interesting paintings. Another example of one way I got my students to problem solve was in elementary with our collage project. Instead of telling them to pick anything to collage, I gave them a card with a word on it and told them to find three images that related to that theme. By giving my students a "problem," no matter how small, made them think about the process and always resulted in more interesting final products.

Professional Development

As a teacher, I will make it my aim to be a continual learner. Even though I'm in the position of "teacher," I realize that my own passion for learning is what will make the students want to learn, and I also know that they will teach me some things! When it comes to professional development in terms of getting my masters or other degrees, this is anther aspect of being a continual learner. Knowledge of subject matter has been said to be one of the factors in successful classroom management. As a teacher, I want to bring a passion for art to the classroom which involves seeking ways to expand my knowledge of the subject matter. I can see how getting a masters, especially if the school I worked at funded it, would be a highly beneficial and rewarding endeavor.

The Power of Visual Media

For my extra blog I wanted to continue the discussion of the last blog concerning making an impact in the community. As I was writing I began to get really excited just thinking about the impact of art and it's role in the community and in the world we live in. Just think how powerful a single image is? The eye is the gateway to the soul; and what we look at immediately enters our minds and hearts, with our without our consent. To impact communities, we must impact the visual landscape. Many times it is the eye more than the other senses that makes all the difference. Just imagine this scenario... You are walking down the street and you smell cinnamon roles. You then hear someone calling out about them. You are hungry at the time and the smell is intoxicating. The sound of the vender selling them causes your mouth to water a little. Your thinking, I want one of those, but you are in a hurry and know you don't have time to stop. Your are thinking about all the things you have to get done today and also know you are running tight on cash. You ignore the smell and sound, until, suddenly, you come upon a huge sign right in front of your eyes of a giant cinnamon role! The image is no doubt photoshopped, the icing is way too perfect and creamy, but YOU'RE sold!! You turn into the shop and get yourself a role. This is a silly example, but it goes to show just how powerful visual media is. Anyone in advertising will agree with this. It's like shopping. If I don't have the money, I don't look, because I know that when I see something I love and can't live without, I have to buy it. I get really excited thinking about this since it is encouraging as an artist to realize that your art, and your students art, really CAN impact the world. Our television, film, media and clothing all contain art. DM News Magazine says that "each of us sees more ads alone in one year than people of 50 years ago saw in an entire lifetime." Just think how we could impact our school and communities by flooding them with beautiful art that speaks about hope and social change? If the statement "a picture is worth a thousand words" is true, we can speak volumes by being an advocate for the arts!

Art Teacher as Art Ed Advocate

Throughout my experience at Regina, I have helped Mr. Demory in a number of "art's advocacy" projects. These include assisting students in creating a mural of Christ feeding sheep at the Ash Wednesday prayer service on hunger, helping back art work for the Tipton art show, and watching Mr. Demory paint a large book for the Iowa City Community Book project. The mural was a paint by number project where students worked on it during the prayer service so everyone could see it being created. The final result was awesome! Talk about advocating for the arts because at the end everyone stood up and gave Mr. Demory, the art teacher!, a standing ovation. The art show in Tipton was also a great success in which one of our students got first place in drawing and another got third in painting. For the book project, Mr. Demory is painting scenes from Moby Dick on a large fiberglass book that will get displayed in Iowa City. Students can watch him as he is working on the book and also get to see the work downtown once it's complete.

Personally, I think the more involved someone is in their community the better. Matthew 5:13 says that "you are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its saltiness how can it be made salty again?" Salt adds flavor to food and also works to preserve things. Art can add flavor to the community by beautifying it and work to preserve the moral integrity of a community by sending critical messages of hope and social justice awareness. As an art teacher, I will make it my aim to be that salt and light that reaches out beyond the classroom into the community. I know that if we don't maintain a heart to reach out, it is all too easy to lose one's effectiveness and go into "survival mode." I know all too well from my own life how easy it is to lose this selfless heart! The whole problem with the world is selfishness. I love the quote that the students used for the hunger prayer service that stated: "what you get makes a living, but what you give makes a life." This is so true!! Having a heart to give is so important! I think there is fear that comes against those brave hearts that makes us only get a little bit involved in things. We are afraid of the cost, or of not making an impact or of rejection. But I have to ask that if we, as teachers, don't work to preserve our communities and art's role within them, who will?

The Importance of Assessment in Art Ed

Assessment in art education is a topic that holds allot of controversy. I personally have struggled with the idea of grading art work since it is so subjective compared to math or science where you there is only one right answer. Do I grade the work by ability alone or by work ethic? What if someone works really hard and shows strong improvement but is not naturally gifted as some artists are? I am really interested to know how they grade art in other countries such as Korea. I imagine that they have a more disciplined approach which hinges upon the notion that art is a skill that can be learned just like math or science if one works hard enough. I say this because I have been amazed at the skill level of the Korean students in all our classes. When discussing this one of the students I learned that they begin learning in elementary school what we in America don't learn until high school. Ideally, I would love to see that same approach and belief system implemented in America. I strongly believe that art can be learned, although it is true that it comes easier for some than others depending on the functioning of the brain, left or right brain strength. It is a difficult subject to address indeed. What I have to conclude from my own experience student teaching is that grading must be based on a number of factors, hard work and effort being the central factors. The finished work is a combination of hard work, learned skill and natural talent. A less talented student can get an A by working hard and showing some improvement. I think grades are important in motivating some students to work, who would not care otherwise.

Subject Knowledge

The impact that subject knowledge has on teaching is like a beautiful house full of valuable treasure. Proverbs 24: 21 says that "by wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Enthusiasm for one's subject matter and learning in general will bring about a search for more knowledge in this area. The lessons that have always gone the best for me personally are those that I put lots of time into learning about. Being well prepared with knowledge increases my own confidence in teaching the subject matter and allows me to be enthusiastic instead of nervous about how they will receive it. One of my favorite lesson planning websites is Incredible Art Department (http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/high/highlessons.html). It is the only one I have found that has unique lesson plans that are interesting and detailed. The lesson plans on this page were definitely crafted with passion and enthusiasm. Another book I like is "From Ordinary to Extraordinary" by Ken Vieth.

Rules in the Classroom

Respect is definitely number one for rules that create a positive learning environment. Students must respect themselves and one another for learning to occur. This means that abusive language is not permitted since it breaks down community. I've never thought I would really use rules, when I've considered myself teaching, but now that I've been doing my student teaching, I think they would be more helpful than hurtful. I don't see myself being super strict about them, but making sure kids are aware of what's acceptable and what is not. Especially for the elementary kids, simple rules like not being able to get out of their seats will make a huge difference and are therefore absolutely necessary. It is a little bit more tricky with highschool kids. I know for sure that I am going to be a stickler about making kids clean up after themselves. It takes up other classes time when I have to clean up from the last class to begin the next classes project. There is no reason why highschool kids can't clean up their own work. To create my own positive learning environment I plan to have a well organized classroom that is clean and inviting. I think atmosphere can make a huge difference. Painting the walls and room is something I look foreword to in teaching. Also, music can work to calm kids down. If you keep a calm atmosphere and are well organized and prepared, allot of disciplinary problems cease to exist. Also, caring for the kids is number one in stopping discipline problems. Research has shown that genuine care prevents misbehavior more than anything else. Also, kids usually start misbehaving when they are bored. If I keep them engaged, I think I will have to focus less on rules and more on making art. Setting rules for safety's sake is definitely necessary with certain art materials, but I'm still not sure, if I teach high school, that I would make a list of rules or not. I'll have to ask Mr. Demory about this now to see what he does...

Feb 8th Blog: Diverse Learners

Honestly, I have not put a tremendous amount of time into this since Regina, unlike City High etc, is less diverse. I have one African American student and four Korean students but the rest are American. I do suppose though I have thought about this in terms of artistic ability. Some students are farther along than others in this area. To accommodate for this, I'll spend some extra time assisting those students who are struggling and try my best to encourage them in their work. All the projects I have chosen involve students picking their own images to work with, and this creates opportunity for variation in skill level. More advanced students can pick more difficult images, or do another image if they finish their first project. I also make sure to teach simple skills like color theory and focal point, etc, even though some students may already have this knowledge, to make sure everyone is on the same playing field.

Feb 1st Blog

Thinking back to influential classes I have taken, it was always the classes where it was more the teacher's connection with the students, rather than the teaching style, that made the class successful. Just the arrangement of expectations alone didn't have as big an impact on me overall but when the two went together, I was really impacted. I can think back to middle school and my English teacher Mr. Priest. He always had really interesting projects and would also set the expectations by showing lots of examples and spending a day just going over the projects themselves before we began. His enthusiasm in the projects and the time he put into explaining them made a big difference. It was also evident that he wanted you to succeed, so he did the most he could to make that happen by setting clear guidelines. He also had great relationships with the students and took an interest in them individually, always keeping a great sense of humor.

At my placement, a strong sense of community can be felt in the classroom and it is obvious my teacher really cares about the students. He takes interest in their personal lives and always has a good time with them in class. He holds his students to high expectations by taking time to know them individually and know what they are capable of. He can get the kids to work but also not be overbearing or demanding. In my own teaching, I have learned a few things about setting up clear guidelines. I noticed one student in our 7th period, which is late in the day, was having a hard time working. He did not seem to care too much about finishing his project but when I showed him the rubric and mentioned that time spent working was a big part of his grade, his work ethic improved tremendously. I just mentioned it to him as a fact, so he would be aware that his behavior would affect his grade, and now he works for most of the period. Some students need different incentives to get them motivated but I noticed that all of them need and appreciate, especially in art, clear guidelines with detailed instruction and examples of work. For my painting class, I always do a demo before each major step of the painting, like under-painting etc. and this helps them allot.

Due Jan. 25th

I find a couple things daunting about finishing student teaching and graduating from college. First of all, becoming financially independent is going to be a big change. Lots of new responsibility is going to come along with that such as taxes, bills, budgets etc. I'm probably the most concerned about the job search since it is basically all my responsibility. Unlike taking a college course where it's all laid out for you, I'm responsible myself for doing all the research and conducting interviews. I'm somewhat clear that I want to move to Nashville but I'm not sure about where specifically. I realize I just need to do some research about the area and begin to narrow the search down. It has sort of felt like a big black cloud has been in front of me concerning moving and finding a job and becoming financially independent, but just being able to write this down and think about it is making it seem much less daunting already. There is so much involved in conducting interviews and all that, that I feel like it would be easy to miss something important. Also, I really want to make the most out of the student teaching experience and all the support that we have at the University before I go off on my own. There is so much here learn and I just don't want to miss anything. Starting a new job and basically a new life in a new place where I don't know anyone seems like allot to experience all at once. This is not to mention the fact that when I do get a job, I'm going to be cutting the purse strings with my parents. The most daunting thing in all this is simply that these things are all going to be happening at once. Although it could be completely overwhelming, I'm actually really excited about the transition, not to mention being able to learn and grow in a new place. Being supported by my parents all my life has been nice, but it is also somewhat like I have been living in a fairy land. The transition will be really great and will definitely grow my faith, which is important to me.

The pivotal event that made me decide to be a teacher was when I volunteered with students in South Africa teaching art at an elementary school. I basically developed a strong love for the students there and realized that they were affected by my presence. My most memorable time during this trip was when, during some down time, I drew a portrait of one of the more quiet and shy students and then hung it on the board. He was just beaming the rest of the day because his picture was on the board. You could tell that small gesture really made him feel special and the drawing actually turned out really well. It was this experience that made me realize, along with other similar experiences with kids, that I wanted to teach art.

My wardrobe has already taken a big turn during student teaching. This is actually one of my favorite parts about teaching, haha, dressing like a professional. It seriously does something to you when you wear Clarks, blouses and blazers instead of jeans and t-shirts, the regular college attire! I would like to thank Express for my success as a student teacher. No, I'm just kidding...but I do own more black pants and blouses now than I have before.