Notan Design Examples and Teaching!

 Teacher Examples (Above) and Student Examples (Below)

 I am explaining the expectations for sketches and discussing how students can utilize this in developing ideas for their Notan Design. (Day one of lesson.)

 Reviewing vocabulary; including: Negative space, positive space, symmetry, asymmetry, and balance. (Day one of lesson.)

Discussing student choices in sketches and answering questions about project. (Day one of lesson.)

Essay Reflections

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Mr. H's Reasons to Teach
 

During prep-time, I decided to ask 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 attended a program to become a trauma surgeon for a while, but soon switched to science education because of how he felt about the importance of education. However, Mr. H did not pursue art education immediately, he started in science education. 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. She used art to protect her child from the violence of the world that surrounded him. Mr. H told me that he believes that art, religion, and science are how we explain and express our existence and that teaching is the most important thing you can do with your life. This was his draw to art education; he couldn’t say no to changing lives and pursuing art, a pursuit that would never end.

I empathized with Mr. H’s situation as a child and found his mother’s way of protecting him a beautiful way of doing so. I was drawn to the arts at a young age as well, but pursued it on my own accord rather than as a distraction from danger. I too have come to believe that art, science, and religion are all interconnected and inseparable. As humans we search for meaning and must turn to something for answers. I have chosen art as my endless pursuit and revel in the excitement of having the opportunity to teach others about it’s beauty and necessity in the world.

Assessment of Art

Before grading the lesson we taught to an eighth grade class, Mr. H spoke to us about how he handles the grading of his projects. He told us that he often creates rubrics that are very simple and concise; his rubrics generally have three points available per category and students are given back clear feedback. Mr. H adjusts his methods per specific project when necessary. We also went over grading for the Notan Design Lesson; Mr. H graded a couple projects with us before we left for the day. Nora and I finished grading the following weekend together, using the projects that we graded as a team as examples of expectations to remain as consistent as possible. We were also shown the basic functions of skyward to familiarize us with the layout.

It really helped to grade a couple projects with Mr. H; it is difficult for us to gauge where students should be at developmentally considering how little experience Nora and I have had recently with students of this age. It was nice to have these projects to help us understand the context in which these grades fall and to assist us in ensuring consistency as we worked through the pile of student artwork. Students were required to turn in answers to closure questions, sketches, their final notan design, and their completed self-assessment. Nora and I took all of this into consideration when we graded students and used the combination of all of this information to reflect on the teaching of our lesson and how we may choose to assess future lessons. Teaching and assessing this lesson made me enthusiastic about my future - working with students and teaching them about the world of art.

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Defining Classroom Rules

            Near the beginning of my practicum experience 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. I asked Mr. H about the posting of rules and he stated that students are expected to have an understanding of proper etiquette in their classrooms by this age and should understand social rules and the general expectations within a classroom. He also said that students who needed reminding of rules would be worked with separately on resolving their struggles with the environment. The only rules students received were on the syllabus and would only be discussed if there were a discipline issue.

            I completely agree with the method that my cooperating teacher used to handle classroom rules; I feel that it is unnecessary to post rules for students of this age. Middle and High School students should already understand what is appropriate behavior in this environment so they are prepared for further education, a career, and adulthood in general. These necessary social skills should have been developed through elementary education and their home life by the time they reach this class. I like how Mr. H doesn’t completely ignore addressing rules as a whole, he states them in the syllabus and reviews them at the beginning of the year then expects students to apply them. Rules will not be posted or addressed later on in life; this is a nice way to transition to adulthood.

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Suggestion for a New Teacher

I asked Mr. H what advice he would give a new teacher; he thought about it for a while and then said that the best advice he was ever given was: teach your students how to survive in the world, use art as a tool. Mr. H told me that he was placed at a school with a high percentage of students that were emotionally disturbed and that he struggled to teach them the content because of their inability to relax and work in their environment. The teacher he was working with gave him this advice after a particularly stressful day; these students needed to learn how to live in this environment before they could begin to absorb content. What a fantastic way to express a core element of education, how can they use what you teach them if they can't make it fit in their lives?

I have spent a lot of time thinking about this conversation, I immediately made connections to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Students cannot be expected to learn content if their basic needs are not met, they will be wrapped up in what is the most immediate need in their eyes and they cannot be blamed for this. As teachers we need to not only teach content, but we need to ensure that our students are emotionally and mentally prepared to learn from us. There are so many needs that we may have to fulfill to ensure that our students are prepared. There is so much more to teaching than just using banking education, these are complicated human beings that all have different needs and we need to fight to provide support and education for them. Every student, every class, and every year will be different.

Day Twelve: Last day! Manga and Story-Boarding

General Art:
This period was dedicated to introducing the next assignment students would  be starting the following day. Mr. H began by asking students if they were familiar with Manga and Anime, the majority were. He then spoke about how he will only introduce a culture/history/person if he can reduce it to three questions: 1)What was the change that occurred? (What made them revolutionary?) 2) What is their influence? (Why did they do what they did?) 3) What is the tradition they kept? (not too radical). He really focused on the progression/development of single panel comics to full anime by connecting the influences from Japan to the US and back. He showed examples to students and asked them to focus on their life as students, make something that you connect with. The US animated industry focuses on the heroic/what sells, they should focus on what they connect to, event if it would draw only a small crowd. Students were given time to come up a five sentence story that they would turn into a Manga in their own style. He showed images of comics and talked about breaking up the space and creating dynamic images. Students seemed excited as they spoke at the end of the hour about their ideas.
I think this sounds like such a fun project for this age group; what a great way to connect the students through their experiences as students together. Mr. H also asked students to raise their hands if they have been to an art museum in the class (1) and then he asked them to raise their hands if they have seen anything animated within the last month (every student). He told them that he wants to make sure they are familiar with their pop culture, what is truly relevant to them rather than just the fine arts.

Prep hour:
During this time Nora, Mr. H, and I reviewed his notes on our lesson and discussed what we would learn as we gained experience teaching. Mr. H was full of compliments and encouragement even while he was critiquing things we could have done differently. Speaking with him made me really excited about becoming a teacher; I only wish I'd be in the classroom again sooner! I was also excited to speak with him about student teaching; he would like to request both Nora and I to work with since we will be student teaching during different semesters. This is so great! I loved working with Mr. H over the last couple weeks and I feel like I've learned a great deal during this time.
We also went over grading for the Notan Design Lesson; Mr. H graded a couple projects with us and Nora and I will finish grading this weekend. He also showed us the basic functions of skyward before his next class began.
 I asked Mr. H what advice he would give a new teacher; he thought about it for a while and then said that the best advice he was ever given was: teach your students how to survive in the world, use art as a tool. What a fantastic way to express the core of education, how can they use what you teach them if they can't make it fit in their lives?

Eighth Grade:
This class began learning about story-boarding today. Mr. H introduced different views that are important in story boarding and gave great verbal stories that incorporated effective shots. He did a great job of helping students imagine scenes and how they would depict them. Students were shown many examples of story-boards and discussed what they were seeing.

It was really sad saying goodbye to Mr. H; I learned so much from my time in his class. I hope that I will be able to student teach with him, he is a great teacher and I think I would fit well into this setting.

Day Eleven: Finishing the Notan Design Lesson

Eighth Grade:
Today, Nora and I finished teaching our Notan Design lesson to the eighth grade class. The students had continued their lessons with Mr. H on Friday and were expected to be finishing up in class today. Before the class began Nora and I worked quickly with Mr. H to come up with a small project for students to start today, since many were nearing the end of our lesson, according to Mr. H. Mr. H informed us that these students recently learned about analogous and complimentary colors, so he thought it would be a great idea for students to build off of our lesson with this knowledge to create another small Notan, now that they understand how it works. We started the class by splitting students up into pairs to critique and contemplate scoring based on the self-assessment forms they received last week. Due to the new lesson/filler that we were introducing to the class, we decided to  introduce our closure question near the beginning of class, because it felt like an appropriate way to start. Our questions was, "If you could go back and do something differently, what would it be and why?" This allowed students to think about their design and what would be an improvement for their 4x4 in. color Notan creations. We also reminded students of what was all due at the beginning of the next hour and collected the work from students that were done and gave further instruction to students who needed it. We then gave the students work time, Nora and I circulated the room answering questions, giving suggestions, and reinforcing students. The class seemed a little less under our control today, I think it was because it was a Monday and some students were getting frustrated with cutting and gluing paper due to other projects Mr. H has worked with them on. Some of the students were turning out fantastic projects though, it was so exciting to see how successful and intricate some of their work was. I really look forward to reading through their answers, self-assessments, and getting the chance to really sit down and look at their final products. As class wrapped up, Nora and I flipped through the closure questions to make sure that students were able to answer all of them before class and pointed out the items that are due tomorrow. Mr. H then took over to remind students of what they were doing tomorrow and take back control of the room.

Day Ten: Stages and Day Two of Notan Design Lesson

General Art: Continuing stage design

I feel like this class keeps becoming more open to me; I was very excited about working with them today and felt really invested in their work. I asked many of the students what they selected as books, gave positive feedback, and suggested additions of methods for them to use. I was able to joke around with students and talk to them about books and music, I think some of these students are starting to really like me. They no longer shy away from me or answer me with short replies. Students were telling me about their school play, their family, and anything else they could think of related to their books. The only problem is I only have one more day with them! There are some really great kids in this class who have come up with very creative ways to design a scene and portray emotion. It’s going to be sad saying goodbye, knowing that we have just begun to build a relationship.

Prep-hour:

During this time I spoke to Mr. H about rules; he does not post rules in his class. I had noticed this within the first couple of days that I was present in his room. Mr. H said that he expected his students at this age to understand social rules and the general expectations within a classroom. The only rules students received were on the syllabus and would only be discussed if there were a discipline issue.

Lesson Day two:

This was another exciting day! Mr. H was out of the room for a parent-teacher conference during the majority of the prep hour and missed the first couple minutes of class. Nora and I began shortly after the bell rang and started with a recap of what students learned the day before. We split the students into small groups of three to four and gave each group a word to define. (Symmetry, asymmetry, balance, negative space, and positive space.) We asked them to write the word and define it in their own words together and present it to the class. The students did a great job of coming up with definitions and I tried to connect the definitions they gave with images that we looked at yesterday. Nora then gave a demo on how to use the exacto knives and how students should flip the pieces and paste them. We gave a few suggestions on methods that might help them create well-crafted designs. Students began working on cutting their designs out and pasting them on their large sheets of white paper. As Nora and I rotated through the room we were asked a couple questions that we addressed to the class. It was exciting to see how the information we gave them was leading to understanding and successful designs. Some students were getting excited about how their projects and other student’s work were looking. Mr. H decided to extend the project through Monday because he was pleased with how their work was looking and wanted to make sure their projects turned out well. Nora and I will be returning to the class to finish up the lesson on Monday and see how their work as paid off. To finish class we asked another closure questions, “What did you gain inspiration from for your design?”

Day Nine: Notan Lesson day one - 11/7

Notan Design!

My partner, Nora, and I began our lesson today with the Eighth grade class. Notan design focuses on utilizing elements of design to create either a symmetrical or asymmetrical image. (I will add photos of my examples and student work soon.) The students are given a 6x6 in. black square that they cut shapes from and rotate the pieces as if they were on a door hinge to explore positive and negative space. This will be glued down to large white paper.

Lesson Day one:

Nora and I began the class with a PowerPoint presentation that we hoped would engage the students through questioning and participation. Students were a little resistant and possibly a little intimidated by the change of dynamics within the class; Nora and I haven’t spent an incredible amount of time with them and have not been a significant part of any lesson up to this point. We struggled a little to get students to participate, but we reacted positively to comments and tried to appear open.  In the PowerPoint were images of Notan design, including history and examples of symmetry, asymmetry, positive space, negative space, and balance. We also defined student expectations and due dates. We explained our expectations for sketches and showed an example. Nora and I then passed out both papers along with a self-assessment form for students to complete after finishing the project. Students were given the remainder of the period to sketch while Nora and I circulated through the room answering questions. As closure we asked the students what Notan design is and asked them to write their answers in their art notebooks. Students were assigned to have three sketches finished and their favorite one drawn out on their black paper for tomorrow.

I was so excited about teaching today that I almost started to cry when we finished for the day. This was not expected; I just really loved teaching the kids and working to engage them through questioning. It was thrilling to answer their questions and work with them individually on their designs. I was so excited about making myself seem accessible and approachable to the students; the last thing I want is for them to feel like they can’t ask me a question or talk with me about their work. This was an incredibly exciting and eye-opening day. I feel like I learned so much from this initial experience.

Day Eight: Stage Construction and Adding Color

General Art:
As usual, this class immediately went to work without being prompted by Mr. H. As I walked around the room I became aware of just how different students were interpreting the prompt and how far some students were in comparison with others. The students spent the hour constructing and decorating their stages to their liking. Mr. H acted as facilitator today through assisting students with questions and commenting on their work. There was little that either of us really needed to assist students with in retrospect; we talked about student projects and organized the room while remaining accessible for students. This class went smoothly, most students made significant progress and there were no issues within the room.

Prep-hour:
Mr. H and I spent more time discussing student lessons and how to engage their minds and encourage reflection while teaching them about a new culture/art history. I really look forward to this hour and find this time to be very encouraging as a prospective teacher. I learn such different things from directly working with students verses talking with Mr. H about teaching. I think the combination of both is what makes this observation experience so enlightening and fulfilling.

Eighth Grade:
This class continued their two-point perspective drawings; the majority of students were finishing up their addition of color (chalk-pastels) and were preparing to outline their buildings with a fine-tip marker. Mr. H emphasized that students need to layer colors, create focal points, and make sides of buildings distinctly different. For those that were finished, Mr. H allowed students to attempt to write their name using two-point perspective. This was the first day that Mr. H had to discipline students while I was present; one girl rubbed her chalk-covered fingers on another girl's face, at the time Mr. H and I were discussing art history and were brought back to the class by their hysteric laughter. Mr. H chose to re-arrange seating due to the frequency of their off-task/distracting behavior. The two girls were separated and at the beginning of each class are expected to move their desks in to corners to avoid distracting others.

Day seven: Construction of Stages

General Art:
Students began constructing their stages today. Mr. H began class with a demonstration on techniques students can use to cut cardboard to create curves or flaps. Mr. H asked me to watch for student use of the exacto knives to help him prevent student injury through misuse. I enjoyed walking around viewing their work in progress, there was an interesting variety of styles and sizes within the class. I'm excited to see their work continue to progress through the next week. It was also nice to see students taking note of the work around them, they were complimenting other student's work and using these new ideas to change their designs slightly.

Sadly, there was more testing through the 8th grade class, so I was unable to work with them today.

Day six: Stage Design and Continued Perspective

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.