My experience as a student teacher has been extremely eye-opening, inspiring, challenging, and amazing. I have learned so much when it comes to how a classroom is run, what it's like to be a teacher for 100% of the day, and all about my own teaching style, among other areas. I have been able to learn a lot about myself and how I work in the classroom as the teacher. It has been a great experience and a wonderful way for me to learn about my teaching and how to evaluate myself.
One experience that I learned a lot about my own teaching was during the teaching of Self-Portrait collages with my 7th grade classes. I had the opportunity to create my own lesson and teach it to the 7th graders and it was a great way to learn about how I write lessons and for the classes they are for. During the writing of my lesson I was able to differentiate and make changes from class to class. It was really nice to be able to teach one class and then follow up with the second 7th grade class after. By getting to teach each class back to back, it was a great way to change the way I presented information and could think of new ways to discuss material with each class. Being able to evaluate my own teaching of the first lesson helped me to be able to make changes for the second class. Each day, I was able to do this and use what I learned from each class to share with the other when I saw them next.
Through my self reflection I have been able to make the teaching of my collage lesson the best it could be. By asking questions and getting feedback from each class and my cooperating teacher, I have been able to grow as a teacher and know how to communicate the information in the most effective way.
I have learned a lot about my own teaching and have become a more reflective practitioner over my time as a student teacher. It has been a great experience and I have grown very much into a better and more reflective teacher because of my time in the Chippewa Falls and Menomonie Schools.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
How to make a difference in young people's lives
As an art teacher I find that I am blessed with the opportunity to make a difference in young people's lives every single day. Every second I spend in the classroom or preparing to be in the classroom I am building opportunities to strengthen and build bonds with my students. I have been given the chance to work on projects and ideas with children which offers them the time and freedom to be uniquely individual.
In this way, I am building a future for each of my students by facilitating in their development. By simply becoming that positive figure, that role model they can look up to and ask questions to, I can help them to feel much more secure and willing to learn and grow. This becomes my main goal of education. I wish to inspire my students to be creative and open, to think critically, and to broaden their minds to new and vast ideas. In this sense, i hope to open these doors so that my students feel comfortable and willing to try new things.
When I think of how to build on these relationships, I know I must get to know my students on a deeper level rather than just chatting in class. I hope to participate in extracurricular activities, coaching teams, and learning about my students' interests that lay outside of the education world. By being this inquisitive and interested mentor, I hope to gain a deeper connection with students. In this way, I can become a driving force in their growth and show them that anything is possible.
In this way, I am building a future for each of my students by facilitating in their development. By simply becoming that positive figure, that role model they can look up to and ask questions to, I can help them to feel much more secure and willing to learn and grow. This becomes my main goal of education. I wish to inspire my students to be creative and open, to think critically, and to broaden their minds to new and vast ideas. In this sense, i hope to open these doors so that my students feel comfortable and willing to try new things.
When I think of how to build on these relationships, I know I must get to know my students on a deeper level rather than just chatting in class. I hope to participate in extracurricular activities, coaching teams, and learning about my students' interests that lay outside of the education world. By being this inquisitive and interested mentor, I hope to gain a deeper connection with students. In this way, I can become a driving force in their growth and show them that anything is possible.
"Individuality of expression is the beginning and the end of art." -Wolfgang Von Gothe
To me, this quote means many things. It describes a very authentic view of art and the idea of how it is created and for whom. When I look at this quote it makes me feel as if art is never ending. And that is the truth. There will never be a time when art is no longer changing, growing, and being produced. No matter how much art is created, it will never be finished.
Art is the one thing that cannot be ended or destroyed. No matter what, there will always be a new idea to try, or a new way of looking at an old work of art. Ideas cannot be stopped, and likewise neither can art. This is possible because each mind is uniquely different and will always have original thoughts and ideas. To express one's thought is this movement toward new and uncharted territory.
Even though an idea may have been announced or thought of before, it will always be slightly new due to the variations of the mind. In this way, art cannot be ended. It will always have growth and continue to inspire each and every person in a new and interesting way.
Art is the one thing that cannot be ended or destroyed. No matter what, there will always be a new idea to try, or a new way of looking at an old work of art. Ideas cannot be stopped, and likewise neither can art. This is possible because each mind is uniquely different and will always have original thoughts and ideas. To express one's thought is this movement toward new and uncharted territory.
Even though an idea may have been announced or thought of before, it will always be slightly new due to the variations of the mind. In this way, art cannot be ended. It will always have growth and continue to inspire each and every person in a new and interesting way.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Paul Weber: Principal
Mr. Weber was an amazing speaker. I felt like I got way more out of the discussion than I originally thought I would. He was very professional and had a good way of bringing the discussion to us in a formal yet welcoming way. I felt like I really learned a lot and am glad we had the opportunity to have him in our class.
His discussion of how to prepare for an interview was very helpful. Most of us know you should have a portfolio and work samples, but he gave us some really good feedback as to what exactly we should be thinking about and what to bring to an interview. His tips and hints will greatly help in the future when I begin interviewing. I also felt that he was very honest with us and gave us the chance to really know what to expect when interview time comes.
Discussing the concept of benefits and salaries was also very beneficial to me. I feel like I had a pretty god idea about a teaching salary and how it worked in the current education system, but his discussion really helped me to understand it much further. I learned a lot about how the administration works and more about coaching in the future as a teacher which is something I am greatly interested in.
Having Mr. Weber talk to us has been a great opportunity for me to understand a lot more about the education work field and what to expect when I am a part of it. I felt he was our most influential and beneficial speaker yet!
His discussion of how to prepare for an interview was very helpful. Most of us know you should have a portfolio and work samples, but he gave us some really good feedback as to what exactly we should be thinking about and what to bring to an interview. His tips and hints will greatly help in the future when I begin interviewing. I also felt that he was very honest with us and gave us the chance to really know what to expect when interview time comes.
Discussing the concept of benefits and salaries was also very beneficial to me. I feel like I had a pretty god idea about a teaching salary and how it worked in the current education system, but his discussion really helped me to understand it much further. I learned a lot about how the administration works and more about coaching in the future as a teacher which is something I am greatly interested in.
Having Mr. Weber talk to us has been a great opportunity for me to understand a lot more about the education work field and what to expect when I am a part of it. I felt he was our most influential and beneficial speaker yet!
Ways to Stretch an Art Room Budget
There are many ways in which an art teacher can stretch the designated budget for an art classroom. It comes down to being thrifty, spending wisely, and finding resources that cost little to nothing!
Being thrifty doesn't necessarily being cheap. Good quality items don't need to be sacrificed for thrifty shopping. By finding supplies in unlikely places such as garage sales, thrift stores, and secondhand stores, art materials can be bought for cheap and still be in near-to-new quality. Finding a great deal on art supplies can be a big boost to your classroom budget.
Spending wisely also greatly affects the budget of an art room. Shopping in big Box stores often lead to higher prices for name brand materials, when equally good off brand products might be available from other retailers. Paper for example is fairly cheap, but when buying in bulk can lead to a hefty sum. Instead of shopping through a big box store who is the middle man, go directly to a paper factory and buy in bulk there. More often than not you will get a handsome amount of paper in many different colors, types, and sizes much cheaper directly than through another vendor.
And in an even more economical fashion, it is always great to save some money by using your resources. Find all of your available resources to material that might not be seen directly as art materials,but can be used in such ways. My mother for example eats a lot of lean cuisine meals and the containers work great for little cutouts, beads, buttons, and other little craft supplies. Egg cartons are great recycled materials that work for paint trays. Looking at the materials you already use in your everyday life can easily be used in the art room. Going around to all of the other classroom teachers and asking for any old crayons or colored pencils left behind can become a collection bucket and used in the art room.
It's all about being smart and knowing how to use your materials and wen needing new materials, the different avenues of getting them. An art room budget doesn't have to be a nightmare when you are thrifty and a savvy shopper.
Being thrifty doesn't necessarily being cheap. Good quality items don't need to be sacrificed for thrifty shopping. By finding supplies in unlikely places such as garage sales, thrift stores, and secondhand stores, art materials can be bought for cheap and still be in near-to-new quality. Finding a great deal on art supplies can be a big boost to your classroom budget.
Spending wisely also greatly affects the budget of an art room. Shopping in big Box stores often lead to higher prices for name brand materials, when equally good off brand products might be available from other retailers. Paper for example is fairly cheap, but when buying in bulk can lead to a hefty sum. Instead of shopping through a big box store who is the middle man, go directly to a paper factory and buy in bulk there. More often than not you will get a handsome amount of paper in many different colors, types, and sizes much cheaper directly than through another vendor.
And in an even more economical fashion, it is always great to save some money by using your resources. Find all of your available resources to material that might not be seen directly as art materials,but can be used in such ways. My mother for example eats a lot of lean cuisine meals and the containers work great for little cutouts, beads, buttons, and other little craft supplies. Egg cartons are great recycled materials that work for paint trays. Looking at the materials you already use in your everyday life can easily be used in the art room. Going around to all of the other classroom teachers and asking for any old crayons or colored pencils left behind can become a collection bucket and used in the art room.
It's all about being smart and knowing how to use your materials and wen needing new materials, the different avenues of getting them. An art room budget doesn't have to be a nightmare when you are thrifty and a savvy shopper.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Ramona Carrier: Teacher Presenter
Ramona was an awesome presenter to bring into class. She was very knowledgeable about Special Education and was able to help answer some of my questions. She was personable and easy to talk to. However I felt that a lot of the conversations we had went off on really specific tangents that really didn't relate to the class in general, and were more for personal benefit from some of my classmates.
Ramona did a good job of trying to answer all questions, but sometimes it seemed to skew off too far from her planned presentation, leaving most of the class with unanswered questions or lacking in some areas of information.
She did however have some great information to give to us in handouts and website information. I felt that I learned a lot from doing the simulation and will use much of what I learned in my own teaching and classroom to make sure I am aiding in the learning of all my students. Many of the websites seem very up-to-date and will be useful in the atrium. I was happy to have her come in and take with us and I do feel like I was able to get some good information, even though there were times when it went off track.
Ramona did a good job of trying to answer all questions, but sometimes it seemed to skew off too far from her planned presentation, leaving most of the class with unanswered questions or lacking in some areas of information.
She did however have some great information to give to us in handouts and website information. I felt that I learned a lot from doing the simulation and will use much of what I learned in my own teaching and classroom to make sure I am aiding in the learning of all my students. Many of the websites seem very up-to-date and will be useful in the atrium. I was happy to have her come in and take with us and I do feel like I was able to get some good information, even though there were times when it went off track.
Monday, October 26, 2015
Three Reasons Assessments are Important in Art Education
Assessment can be a difficult task for many teachers, especially in the Art room when many people find art to be for fun, rather than as an important building block in education. But assessment is extremely important in all fields of education, even the Art room.
One big importance is through assessments, teachers can evaluate many learning traits and abilities of students. A lot of the time students may be struggling in a general education class and teachers may not know why. Through many different types of assessments in the Art room, teachers can learn on a deeper level of what the student may be going through. It is a way to see what a child is feeling and why they may be struggling with a certain topic.
Many of these assessments are also important for the student themselves. It is a stepping stone for them to learn better communication skills through critiques, group discussion, and self-assessment. Instead of just taking a test, art assessments give the student more control of their own learning and understanding.
One final reason assessment is important in the Art room is that it proves that Art is important in general. Art is a vessel in which creating and learning blend together. It is extremely important for students to understand that they have a voice and can express themselves through art. It validates the creation and process the students go through and makes them feel as if they have really accomplished something they can be proud of. Knowing that their work is being graded and assessed, they will know to put pride in it and really strive for excellence. I feel that if it was just a pat on the back then students wouldn't be willing to really put their hearts into their work, which is extremely important for learning and growth.
That is why I will assess my students in a variety of ways.
One big importance is through assessments, teachers can evaluate many learning traits and abilities of students. A lot of the time students may be struggling in a general education class and teachers may not know why. Through many different types of assessments in the Art room, teachers can learn on a deeper level of what the student may be going through. It is a way to see what a child is feeling and why they may be struggling with a certain topic.
Many of these assessments are also important for the student themselves. It is a stepping stone for them to learn better communication skills through critiques, group discussion, and self-assessment. Instead of just taking a test, art assessments give the student more control of their own learning and understanding.
One final reason assessment is important in the Art room is that it proves that Art is important in general. Art is a vessel in which creating and learning blend together. It is extremely important for students to understand that they have a voice and can express themselves through art. It validates the creation and process the students go through and makes them feel as if they have really accomplished something they can be proud of. Knowing that their work is being graded and assessed, they will know to put pride in it and really strive for excellence. I feel that if it was just a pat on the back then students wouldn't be willing to really put their hearts into their work, which is extremely important for learning and growth.
That is why I will assess my students in a variety of ways.
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