General Art:
As class began students were instructed to take out a sheet of paper and write the title of a book. The title must be of a book that the student read that created strong images when reading. They were then asked to narrow down their concentration onto one scene that made an impression on the student. Imagine this scene: what it looks like - imagine color, action, etc. Then pick one emotion that describes the scene. After students were given an ample amount of time, Mr. H began a PowerPoint presentation focusing on what portrayed specific emotions. To introduce the topic, Mr. H reviewed "The Taxonomy of Art" that he covered earlier in the year. This includes Emotional, Formal, and Imitational art. The only one they had not covered in this course yet was emotional. To help students gain an understanding of why certain images invoked certain emotions, he created a PowerPoint that contained images that invoked a variety of emotions: this presentation contained The Scream by Edvard Munch, Winnie the Pooh, a Turner painting, and a Monet painting. Mr. H asked the students to talk about these images and why they felt the way they did while looking at them. What does the image do that makes you feel a certain way? As they began talking, Mr. H slowly prodded them in the right direction and asked them to explain their reasoning to the class. I thought this was a fantastic way to keep students involved in their learning and working with each other. They're learning to talk about art through gaining new vocabulary and processing what they see. Don't just look, but think and question. Nearly every student in the room made a point of participating in the discussion and all of the students seemed engaged in the activity for the entire period. I was very excited to watch and listen to them as they struggled to put art into words. Tomorrow they will learn about types of stages and begin designing theirs.
Eighth grade:
Students were continuing their cityscape scenes today. Most of them had finished the major architectural structures and were focusing on adding windows, street lights, and other details. Today was work time and a demonstration on methods to add chalk pastel. During work time I walked around commenting on student work and talking to them about what they incorporated in their images. I was able to talk with a group of boys today about comics and video games; I recognized some things they were referencing and once asked about it they opened up immediately. They began telling me about games, why they did what they did, and joking about funny things that happened.
I'm really starting to enjoy working with these students and I can tell that the majority of them are comfortable with my presence. I had a number of them start discussions with me today that hadn't before. It's sad to think that my time with them is wrapping up and I'm just starting to get to know them.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Day Five: Clay and Perspective
General Art:
These students were finishing etching into their clay slabs and moving on to cutting and constructing them into boxes. Mr. H demonstrated how to score and slip and the recommended process for building their containers. As class continued, Mr. H and I made rounds giving pointers to students or complimenting them on their progress and work. It's hoped that they will be able to finish these projects tomorrow.
These students are still generally a little standoffish, but there are a couple who don't seem uncomfortable with me around anymore. I'm finding that since I am there so seldom and don't have much contact time with each of them that they may be somewhat intimidated by me or anxious of me viewing their work. Some students are very self-conscious and may not enjoy having a stranger view and judge their work. Others may question my accountability and skill, thinking that I may not be qualified to give my opinion. One senior in particular avoids making eye-contact or entering into a conversation with me, I think she enjoys being an older more authoritative girl in her class than her peers and my presence may put a damper on that. I'm starting to really enjoy talking to a couple of the students in this class though, they have begun openly asking for my feedback and like to joke around with me throughout the hour. These seem like really good kids and there seems to be no struggle for power within the room.
Eight grade:
Yesterday, this class began a two-point perspective lesson; they were assigned nine boxes for the beginning of class today. As an extension of this lesson, students were asked to create a cityscape using the skills they learned yesterday. Mr. H drew an example on the board and showed student examples when finished. I really liked how Mr. H demonstrated how they should attempt and think about these drawings; he asked them what he should do and intentionally made mistakes during his demo, asking if it looked right. This immediately engaged his students, they were eager to correct and show their knowledge to the class. The students were then given paper and rulers to begin their own drawings. They obviously understood the basics of how two-point perspective worked, but struggled a little with putting boxes right next to each other or overlapping. Mr. H and I spent the hour helping students correct lines and explaining why it worked the way it did. I always compare this class to the general art class, I can't get over how differently these students interact with me. There are a couple of them that seem to enjoy asking me questions and getting my help so that they can tell me about themselves. They always seem so eager to learn and just want to be your friend. I was also surprised to see how weak cliques were in this school, I watched a group of girls interacting at the end of the hour, one of the four obviously didn't fit into their social group, as I watched I expected them to ignore her presence or at least begrudgingly include her. However, to my surprise, these girls willingly included her in their conversation without hesitation and they left the room with all of them talking. I wonder how much this has to do with the individuals and how much this has to do with the small class size. How different would this have been in a larger school, like the one I attended? They may not feel that have the option to pick and choose due to the lack of diversity.
These students were finishing etching into their clay slabs and moving on to cutting and constructing them into boxes. Mr. H demonstrated how to score and slip and the recommended process for building their containers. As class continued, Mr. H and I made rounds giving pointers to students or complimenting them on their progress and work. It's hoped that they will be able to finish these projects tomorrow.
These students are still generally a little standoffish, but there are a couple who don't seem uncomfortable with me around anymore. I'm finding that since I am there so seldom and don't have much contact time with each of them that they may be somewhat intimidated by me or anxious of me viewing their work. Some students are very self-conscious and may not enjoy having a stranger view and judge their work. Others may question my accountability and skill, thinking that I may not be qualified to give my opinion. One senior in particular avoids making eye-contact or entering into a conversation with me, I think she enjoys being an older more authoritative girl in her class than her peers and my presence may put a damper on that. I'm starting to really enjoy talking to a couple of the students in this class though, they have begun openly asking for my feedback and like to joke around with me throughout the hour. These seem like really good kids and there seems to be no struggle for power within the room.
Eight grade:
Yesterday, this class began a two-point perspective lesson; they were assigned nine boxes for the beginning of class today. As an extension of this lesson, students were asked to create a cityscape using the skills they learned yesterday. Mr. H drew an example on the board and showed student examples when finished. I really liked how Mr. H demonstrated how they should attempt and think about these drawings; he asked them what he should do and intentionally made mistakes during his demo, asking if it looked right. This immediately engaged his students, they were eager to correct and show their knowledge to the class. The students were then given paper and rulers to begin their own drawings. They obviously understood the basics of how two-point perspective worked, but struggled a little with putting boxes right next to each other or overlapping. Mr. H and I spent the hour helping students correct lines and explaining why it worked the way it did. I always compare this class to the general art class, I can't get over how differently these students interact with me. There are a couple of them that seem to enjoy asking me questions and getting my help so that they can tell me about themselves. They always seem so eager to learn and just want to be your friend. I was also surprised to see how weak cliques were in this school, I watched a group of girls interacting at the end of the hour, one of the four obviously didn't fit into their social group, as I watched I expected them to ignore her presence or at least begrudgingly include her. However, to my surprise, these girls willingly included her in their conversation without hesitation and they left the room with all of them talking. I wonder how much this has to do with the individuals and how much this has to do with the small class size. How different would this have been in a larger school, like the one I attended? They may not feel that have the option to pick and choose due to the lack of diversity.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Fourth day with Mr. H
General Art:
I am always surprised to see students enter the room and begin working without Mr. H having to address them. These students were continuing their box project that they were working on last Thursday. I spoke to a number of students and asked what they were etching into their clay. Many students were drawing their friends, pets, and sports team emblems, along with objects of personal significance. They were asked to finish etching by the end of the next class period.
Prep hour:
The physics teacher was absent today, so Mr. H and I monitored the class as the students worked on an assignment for the hour.
During this time Mr. H and I spoke about his lessons and how he had to restructure the art classes when he began working at this middle/high school. There originally was no prerequisite to take any course, meaning Mr. H was forced to review basic concepts in every course because there were always students who hadn't built up the necessary vocabulary/knowledge. He created an intro to art course to help establish behavior and introduce basic skills to students. Mr. H told me that as a new teacher you have a year to get to know the town and figure out purchasing supplies. He also really recommended that as a teacher you let students challenge each other and let them question. We also spoke about the integration of technology as a form of communication into education. We discussed the affects this had on students, both negative and positive. Mr. H then went on to tell me about a course that he created to teach students about history and the construction of imagery. Students are taught to think about the affects an image can have and social constructs through art history, cultural exploration, and science.
Mr. H is mostly concerned with validating student learning rather than focusing on art history or culture. He gives them the context or additional information when students need it.
He gives students three questions for each project: What does the artist do that new/innovative? Why/what are the influences? What is the root of the traditional work from their time?
This was a really great experience for me; speaking with Mr. H was very informative and made me really excited about becoming a teacher. I believe that he really understands the significance of teaching comprehensive art content to students and I really admire him for that.
3rd hour:
This week is WKCE testing; Mr. H and I spent the hour monitoring students working/talking in groups since this group did not have testing. We spent some time talking about ceramics and speaking with students.
Seventh grade:
This is the first and only time that I will be able to work with this class. These students were working on a bridge lesson with the art, reading, and technology teacher. In this class, students are responsible for designing a bridge using thin rectangles of colored paper and attempting to incorporate the elements of design. This class also prepared for parent/teacher conferences coming up by organizing some of their work and filling out a paper for their parents to look at. It was interesting to see a new class and I was able to work one on one with a student due to her absence when the project was introduced. This allowed me to become familiar with the expectations of the class and look through the PowerPoint with her.
I am always surprised to see students enter the room and begin working without Mr. H having to address them. These students were continuing their box project that they were working on last Thursday. I spoke to a number of students and asked what they were etching into their clay. Many students were drawing their friends, pets, and sports team emblems, along with objects of personal significance. They were asked to finish etching by the end of the next class period.
Prep hour:
The physics teacher was absent today, so Mr. H and I monitored the class as the students worked on an assignment for the hour.
During this time Mr. H and I spoke about his lessons and how he had to restructure the art classes when he began working at this middle/high school. There originally was no prerequisite to take any course, meaning Mr. H was forced to review basic concepts in every course because there were always students who hadn't built up the necessary vocabulary/knowledge. He created an intro to art course to help establish behavior and introduce basic skills to students. Mr. H told me that as a new teacher you have a year to get to know the town and figure out purchasing supplies. He also really recommended that as a teacher you let students challenge each other and let them question. We also spoke about the integration of technology as a form of communication into education. We discussed the affects this had on students, both negative and positive. Mr. H then went on to tell me about a course that he created to teach students about history and the construction of imagery. Students are taught to think about the affects an image can have and social constructs through art history, cultural exploration, and science.
Mr. H is mostly concerned with validating student learning rather than focusing on art history or culture. He gives them the context or additional information when students need it.
He gives students three questions for each project: What does the artist do that new/innovative? Why/what are the influences? What is the root of the traditional work from their time?
This was a really great experience for me; speaking with Mr. H was very informative and made me really excited about becoming a teacher. I believe that he really understands the significance of teaching comprehensive art content to students and I really admire him for that.
3rd hour:
This week is WKCE testing; Mr. H and I spent the hour monitoring students working/talking in groups since this group did not have testing. We spent some time talking about ceramics and speaking with students.
Seventh grade:
This is the first and only time that I will be able to work with this class. These students were working on a bridge lesson with the art, reading, and technology teacher. In this class, students are responsible for designing a bridge using thin rectangles of colored paper and attempting to incorporate the elements of design. This class also prepared for parent/teacher conferences coming up by organizing some of their work and filling out a paper for their parents to look at. It was interesting to see a new class and I was able to work one on one with a student due to her absence when the project was introduced. This allowed me to become familiar with the expectations of the class and look through the PowerPoint with her.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Day Three
General Art:
These students were assigned a small, long rectangular drawing to bring to class today. These drawings had to incorporate people, text, and symbols. They were then given a relatively large piece of clay to flatten out using a large slab roller. Mr. H told this class that tomorrow they would be transferring the image from their drawing to the clay slab, later they would cut the slab into four equally sized pieces, and finally they would assemble a hand build square jar. I thought this was a really great transitional project from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. They would learn some basic clay techniques like scoring and using slip to connect pieces, while still retaining some basic two-dimensional drawing skills. I think this will help them get used to the medium before they move on to a hand-building lesson.
Prep-hour:
During today's prep time I shadowed Ms. J in chemistry. Mr. H recommended that since there wasn't anything for me to do for prep today, that I watch a student teacher who is doing a phenomenal job of asserting herself and connecting with the students. These students were working on "Chemistry shields", which was a project that required them to pick an element and research to create/decorate a large cardboard shield. Students were required to include on their shield the structure, history, properties, and uses of the element of their choosing. I enjoyed watching Ms. J work with her students; she was energetic, interested, and supportive when interacting with her students. They were on task and reacted well to her critiques as she circulated the room. The students seemed comfortable approaching her to ask questions and respected her presence in the room.
Eighth grade:
This group was continuing a bowl that they had started yesterday. The lesson was a continuation from the last one, they were asked to create another focal point on their clay project, but this time it was a three-dimensional object. I asked the students about what they were thinking about or drawing inspiration from, many of them stated that they were creating images similar to other graphic, hard-edged projects from the beginning of the semester.
I thought it was interesting to listen to these students talk throughout the hour; they were all very interested in football and it seemed that almost all of them were aware of numerous teams and their stats/players. It seems that sports are a big part of the community within this school; I don't remember sports being such a topic of interest when I was their age.
These students were assigned a small, long rectangular drawing to bring to class today. These drawings had to incorporate people, text, and symbols. They were then given a relatively large piece of clay to flatten out using a large slab roller. Mr. H told this class that tomorrow they would be transferring the image from their drawing to the clay slab, later they would cut the slab into four equally sized pieces, and finally they would assemble a hand build square jar. I thought this was a really great transitional project from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. They would learn some basic clay techniques like scoring and using slip to connect pieces, while still retaining some basic two-dimensional drawing skills. I think this will help them get used to the medium before they move on to a hand-building lesson.
Prep-hour:
During today's prep time I shadowed Ms. J in chemistry. Mr. H recommended that since there wasn't anything for me to do for prep today, that I watch a student teacher who is doing a phenomenal job of asserting herself and connecting with the students. These students were working on "Chemistry shields", which was a project that required them to pick an element and research to create/decorate a large cardboard shield. Students were required to include on their shield the structure, history, properties, and uses of the element of their choosing. I enjoyed watching Ms. J work with her students; she was energetic, interested, and supportive when interacting with her students. They were on task and reacted well to her critiques as she circulated the room. The students seemed comfortable approaching her to ask questions and respected her presence in the room.
Eighth grade:
This group was continuing a bowl that they had started yesterday. The lesson was a continuation from the last one, they were asked to create another focal point on their clay project, but this time it was a three-dimensional object. I asked the students about what they were thinking about or drawing inspiration from, many of them stated that they were creating images similar to other graphic, hard-edged projects from the beginning of the semester.
I thought it was interesting to listen to these students talk throughout the hour; they were all very interested in football and it seemed that almost all of them were aware of numerous teams and their stats/players. It seems that sports are a big part of the community within this school; I don't remember sports being such a topic of interest when I was their age.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Day Two Experiences
Today was my second day in Mr. H's art classroom; another positive experience to build off of.
General Art Class:
As students entered the room they immediately began working without Mr. H prompting them. It had been a couple days since I'd seen these students and they were on to their third still-life drawing. The prompt was to take a line still-life drawing and add patterns to the objects to create a sense of space/depth. There was a large variety of both completion and skill within the class's work. I really enjoyed interacting with the students and discussing how they felt about this project and which drawing was their favorite/why. It's interesting to compare how these students interact with me compared to the eighth grade students. I've found that many of the middle school students desire a high degree of attention from both Mr. H and I, whereas with the high school students I always have to approach them to start a discussion and they generally seem reluctant to be engaged. I'm hoping that as they get used to my presence and I continue to start conversations that in turn they will attempt to engage in conversations with me.
Nearing the end of the class these students received their first two drawings with grades attached. Mr. H then addressed the class by critiquing the class' overall effort and how a number of students spent too much time talking during class. He then spoke very positively about certain aspects of specific drawings and how exciting it is to see strong value changes in some of their work. This transitioned well into encouraging students to put in extra effort tonight so that their final drawing would be their best. I believe that Mr. H does a great job of balancing critique and encouragement when addressing the class as a whole and the students individually; I hope to imitate the success of his methods in the future.
Prep-hour:
During this time Mr. H told me about the next project for a class that he was teaching later in the day; he was focusing heavily on teaching his students the principles of design during this next lesson. Mr. H told me about this interdisciplinary lesson and how he would be working with other teachers to really engage the students. The students would be learning about bridges in their art, tech, and reading courses simultaneously. I thought this would be a really great way to get students to focus and hopefully get them interested in one subject from a number of angles.
I also asked Mr. H why he chose to become an art teacher. He told me that originally he had been interested in becoming a doctor and had actually originally attended a program to become a trauma surgeon, but switched to science education because of how he felt about teaching. After working as a science teacher for over a decade he decided to obtain an art education degree because of his passion for the arts. His parents, wife, siblings, and many of his friends were artists and art had been a big part of his life since he was young. Mr. H told me that he grew up in a bad part of a large city that exposed many individuals to drugs and alcohol. His mother bought him supplies to keep him busy and away from the negative environment outside. He believes that art, religion, and science are how we explain and express our existence and that teaching is the most important this you can do with your life. This was his draw to art education.
Eighth grade:
These students were finishing their clay tile project that they had been learning to wedge clay for last Thursday. The students were asked to create a focal point in their tile and were given a number of tools to use. It was interesting to see the variety of complexity and successful execution within the student's work. If they finished early they were allowed to work with another ball of clay for the rest of the period since they were starting a new project the next day. A number of the students in this class have begun asking me for help with their work and are interested in talking with me during the hour. I've begun to feel very welcome in this classroom's atmosphere.
General Art Class:
As students entered the room they immediately began working without Mr. H prompting them. It had been a couple days since I'd seen these students and they were on to their third still-life drawing. The prompt was to take a line still-life drawing and add patterns to the objects to create a sense of space/depth. There was a large variety of both completion and skill within the class's work. I really enjoyed interacting with the students and discussing how they felt about this project and which drawing was their favorite/why. It's interesting to compare how these students interact with me compared to the eighth grade students. I've found that many of the middle school students desire a high degree of attention from both Mr. H and I, whereas with the high school students I always have to approach them to start a discussion and they generally seem reluctant to be engaged. I'm hoping that as they get used to my presence and I continue to start conversations that in turn they will attempt to engage in conversations with me.
Nearing the end of the class these students received their first two drawings with grades attached. Mr. H then addressed the class by critiquing the class' overall effort and how a number of students spent too much time talking during class. He then spoke very positively about certain aspects of specific drawings and how exciting it is to see strong value changes in some of their work. This transitioned well into encouraging students to put in extra effort tonight so that their final drawing would be their best. I believe that Mr. H does a great job of balancing critique and encouragement when addressing the class as a whole and the students individually; I hope to imitate the success of his methods in the future.
Prep-hour:
During this time Mr. H told me about the next project for a class that he was teaching later in the day; he was focusing heavily on teaching his students the principles of design during this next lesson. Mr. H told me about this interdisciplinary lesson and how he would be working with other teachers to really engage the students. The students would be learning about bridges in their art, tech, and reading courses simultaneously. I thought this would be a really great way to get students to focus and hopefully get them interested in one subject from a number of angles.
I also asked Mr. H why he chose to become an art teacher. He told me that originally he had been interested in becoming a doctor and had actually originally attended a program to become a trauma surgeon, but switched to science education because of how he felt about teaching. After working as a science teacher for over a decade he decided to obtain an art education degree because of his passion for the arts. His parents, wife, siblings, and many of his friends were artists and art had been a big part of his life since he was young. Mr. H told me that he grew up in a bad part of a large city that exposed many individuals to drugs and alcohol. His mother bought him supplies to keep him busy and away from the negative environment outside. He believes that art, religion, and science are how we explain and express our existence and that teaching is the most important this you can do with your life. This was his draw to art education.
Eighth grade:
These students were finishing their clay tile project that they had been learning to wedge clay for last Thursday. The students were asked to create a focal point in their tile and were given a number of tools to use. It was interesting to see the variety of complexity and successful execution within the student's work. If they finished early they were allowed to work with another ball of clay for the rest of the period since they were starting a new project the next day. A number of the students in this class have begun asking me for help with their work and are interested in talking with me during the hour. I've begun to feel very welcome in this classroom's atmosphere.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
First day of Middle/High School Art!
This morning was my first time assisting in the art room. I was assigned a small school located in a beautiful area with an interesting and passionate art teacher. Over the next couple of weeks I will be assisting middle and high school art classes twice a week. Overall, I would say that my experiences today were very positive and I am really looking forward to next week.
General Art (High school):
As the students entered the room and began interacting with Mr. H it was obvious that students admired him and enjoyed their daily encounters. They were able to talk casually about their other classes and activities out of school. A number of students were speaking excitedly with Mr. H about a school sporting event that would occur later that day that he assisted coaching for.
Once the bell had rung Mr. H asked his students to take their seat and quickly engaged students by asking them questions about their work. This involved some minor critiques that he urged students to participate in before they were expected to continue working. Mr. H was very supportive of his student's work and gave constructive criticism to those that needed it.
Students were continuing a previously introduced lesson plan today. I introduced myself to the class and proceeded to get to know the class. I asked a couple of students what the requirements were for this assignment and was told that they were assigned to create a series of large scale still life line drawings. Each of these drawings will then be worked on differently, the students that were the farthest ahead had completed a drawing that used five different shading techniques and were on to their accented intersections piece.
Throughout the period I spoke with students and watched Mr. H interact with his students to gain an understanding of the dynamics of his class. It was nice to see that he was able to joke with his students and use this to his advantage when students were off task. There was never a time that I saw him appear angry or feel that it was necessary to verbally reprimand students. If a student was off task he would joke with them and then transition into a constructive criticism of their work to get them interested in the task at hand.
I spent some time getting to know the environment; it is fairly obvious that Mr. H is a favorite of his students. I saw numerous drawings dedicated to him and a very positive attitude within his class. While looking around the room I specifically looked for a rules poster, which in the end I was unable to find. The students seem to be expected to have an understanding of proper etiquette in their classrooms and did not need reminding of what they could or couldn't do in this room.
Whenever a student asked to go to their locker or to the bathroom Mr. H would allow them to leave; I believe he gives them this freedom because he has high expectations for their productivity and unwavering deadlines that students are aware of. At this age students need to learn to plan accordingly and if they don't finish within the class time students are expected to find time at home or otherwise. There was also a student who took home their drawing and forgot to bring it back; she then asked to work on other homework. Mr H's response: During art class you need to be either making art or cleaning up after art. For the remainder of class she was assigned to cleaning some of the throwing wheels and ceramics area.
As I made my way through the room I asked students how they felt about this lesson:
Student 1: Not excited about drawing and was looking forward to the approaching end of this lesson. He was more excited about working with clay in the near future.
Student 2 & 3: Really enjoy drawing and like this project.
Homeroom:
Classroom is empty. I prepared next project for students with the assistance of two students from another room.
I was also able to talk with Mr. H about his own art practice and some of his history. He spoke of his family and that he had over a decade of teaching science before he turned to art education. Mr. H told me that he was a practicing potter and that he spent some time with Warren Mackenzie recently. I was very excited to hear this because I am pursuing ceramics as my emphasis for my studio major and just purchased my first ceramic work, a beautiful bowl by Warren Mackenzie from the American Pottery Festival.
Eighth grade:
As students filed into the room they pulled out their projects that were due today. From what I saw they appeared to be small geometric paintings focusing on color. Once seated they were asked to pull out a sheet of paper, write their name, and answer the questions that were written on the board. These questions were built to assist the student in reflecting on the project and so that they are aware of what grade they earned and why. This makes the students more responsible for their final work. Once finished they taped the paper to the back of the project and handed it in.
We then introduced the next lesson. Students were asked to grab a ball of clay from a table and a large piece of paper to cover their desk. Mr. H started by explaining the health hazards of clay dust being in the air. He explained that clay settles in your lungs after attaching to mucus and will remain there for the rest of your life if you allow too much of it in the air. We then continued on to how to properly wedge clay. Mr. H asked me to demonstrate how I wedge clay for the class and afterwards he directed his students to spend the remainder of their time preparing their clay for the next class. Ten minutes before the bell rang students were asked to wrap their clay in a bag to place in their bin and throw away the paper that they were wedging on.
I'm very excited about how well my first experience was in this school and look forward to next week.
General Art (High school):
As the students entered the room and began interacting with Mr. H it was obvious that students admired him and enjoyed their daily encounters. They were able to talk casually about their other classes and activities out of school. A number of students were speaking excitedly with Mr. H about a school sporting event that would occur later that day that he assisted coaching for.
Once the bell had rung Mr. H asked his students to take their seat and quickly engaged students by asking them questions about their work. This involved some minor critiques that he urged students to participate in before they were expected to continue working. Mr. H was very supportive of his student's work and gave constructive criticism to those that needed it.
Students were continuing a previously introduced lesson plan today. I introduced myself to the class and proceeded to get to know the class. I asked a couple of students what the requirements were for this assignment and was told that they were assigned to create a series of large scale still life line drawings. Each of these drawings will then be worked on differently, the students that were the farthest ahead had completed a drawing that used five different shading techniques and were on to their accented intersections piece.
Throughout the period I spoke with students and watched Mr. H interact with his students to gain an understanding of the dynamics of his class. It was nice to see that he was able to joke with his students and use this to his advantage when students were off task. There was never a time that I saw him appear angry or feel that it was necessary to verbally reprimand students. If a student was off task he would joke with them and then transition into a constructive criticism of their work to get them interested in the task at hand.
I spent some time getting to know the environment; it is fairly obvious that Mr. H is a favorite of his students. I saw numerous drawings dedicated to him and a very positive attitude within his class. While looking around the room I specifically looked for a rules poster, which in the end I was unable to find. The students seem to be expected to have an understanding of proper etiquette in their classrooms and did not need reminding of what they could or couldn't do in this room.
Whenever a student asked to go to their locker or to the bathroom Mr. H would allow them to leave; I believe he gives them this freedom because he has high expectations for their productivity and unwavering deadlines that students are aware of. At this age students need to learn to plan accordingly and if they don't finish within the class time students are expected to find time at home or otherwise. There was also a student who took home their drawing and forgot to bring it back; she then asked to work on other homework. Mr H's response: During art class you need to be either making art or cleaning up after art. For the remainder of class she was assigned to cleaning some of the throwing wheels and ceramics area.
As I made my way through the room I asked students how they felt about this lesson:
Student 1: Not excited about drawing and was looking forward to the approaching end of this lesson. He was more excited about working with clay in the near future.
Student 2 & 3: Really enjoy drawing and like this project.
Homeroom:
Classroom is empty. I prepared next project for students with the assistance of two students from another room.
I was also able to talk with Mr. H about his own art practice and some of his history. He spoke of his family and that he had over a decade of teaching science before he turned to art education. Mr. H told me that he was a practicing potter and that he spent some time with Warren Mackenzie recently. I was very excited to hear this because I am pursuing ceramics as my emphasis for my studio major and just purchased my first ceramic work, a beautiful bowl by Warren Mackenzie from the American Pottery Festival.
Eighth grade:
As students filed into the room they pulled out their projects that were due today. From what I saw they appeared to be small geometric paintings focusing on color. Once seated they were asked to pull out a sheet of paper, write their name, and answer the questions that were written on the board. These questions were built to assist the student in reflecting on the project and so that they are aware of what grade they earned and why. This makes the students more responsible for their final work. Once finished they taped the paper to the back of the project and handed it in.
We then introduced the next lesson. Students were asked to grab a ball of clay from a table and a large piece of paper to cover their desk. Mr. H started by explaining the health hazards of clay dust being in the air. He explained that clay settles in your lungs after attaching to mucus and will remain there for the rest of your life if you allow too much of it in the air. We then continued on to how to properly wedge clay. Mr. H asked me to demonstrate how I wedge clay for the class and afterwards he directed his students to spend the remainder of their time preparing their clay for the next class. Ten minutes before the bell rang students were asked to wrap their clay in a bag to place in their bin and throw away the paper that they were wedging on.
I'm very excited about how well my first experience was in this school and look forward to next week.
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