Today was the first day working with my 5th graders and teaching my own lesson plan. It was very nerve racking, but I think it went pretty well. The best part about it was that the students all seemed super excited about doing the project we picked and were really anxious to get started. Our project is a Watercolor lesson inspired by Georgia O'Keefe. We are using many different watercolor techniques to paint large Georgia O'Keefe inspired flowers.
First I discussed the lesson in the anticipatory set and asked the students questions about what they know about Georgia and watercolors. I was very surprised to see that almost half of the class knew who Georgia was and that she painted flowers. They also had some different ideas on how they could use the paints. As we discussed the different techniques of watercoloring, I moved into the charts that they would be making. The students were so excited. I asked if they liked to do experiments and they all raised their hands and got really excited. So that made me really happy to know they were interested in the project.
My partner then started the demo on how to begin the charts. We did a step by step demo so the students could work with us. My partner did the main demonstration at the front of the room, while I walked around and helped the students as they went along. The students needed to mark out, with a ruler, lines to make a grid of boxes on their paper. Each box would have a different technique in it, so they were to have 12 boxes on their sheet. It was a little sad actually to see how many students didn't know how to use the ruler. They just had to mark out 4 inches and 9 inches and many of them struggled with this, so the demonstration took a little longer than we thought. But we got everyone all set and began putting tape over the lines and making boxes. That took about the whole class period along with the anticipatory set. We had the students clean up their charts and put them in their cubbies and that was it for the day. I can't wait to start working on the techniques at the next class time.
I felt that I did a pretty good job of trying to engage the students and get them interested in the lesson. It was kind of hard to ask questions specifically, because I don't know exactly what the students have already covered and what they haven't. Also not knowing everyones name yet makes it a bit difficult. Hopefully once I start learning names and where they are artistically it will become easier to ask questions and discuss their work. Almost all of the students seem really excited about the project, so I am ready to start getting into the painting soon!
Before my lesson began I was able to ask Mrs. M about how she plans her lessons. She showed me her calendar and all of her briefly written lesson plans. She said she has to change lesson plans so much due to time and students' needs that she doesn't write full lesson plans out. She writes her basic objectives and ideas and just goes with it. Her curriculum is based off of what the previous teacher left and she just adds onto and edits those lessons as she sees fit. She doesn't write a full curriculum map either. She only gets her students for 6 weeks so she doesn't have them for very long. Because of this she only gets to do about 4 projects each term. So she doesn't write a map out.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Day 3 Practicum Experience-Defining Rules & Discipline/Classroom Attention in the Pre-teaching classroom (9-25-13)
Today was a very big day for me for asking questions and getting to know my cooperating teacher's style and some of her rules and classroom management skills. There was some down time during the 7th graders' class period where they were working on their Wanted Poster assignment and I was able to get Mrs. M to answer a lot of important questions for me.
First I asker her how she defines her rules in the classroom and if they are different from one class to the next. She showed me a sheet that she hands out to each student at the beginning of the term and they are to read it over and have their parents sign it. If they get it signed and turn it in at the end of the term they will receive extra credit points. The sheet is the list of all classroom expectations and rules for the class. Each class regardless of grade gets the same sheet and the rules apply to all students. Her rules are also posted up on the walls for all to see everyday as a reminder.
A point system is also utilized in the middle school. It is not just in the art room, but for the whole school. Each student is given 29 points at the beginning of the semester and when students misbehave or break rules, a set number of points will be deducted from that tally. The more severe the infraction, the more points are taken away. If the students have lost too many points at the end of the semester, they are not allowed to go on the group trip. It is a reward to be able to go on the trip with the class so most of the students work hard to keep all of their points. I haven't heard of any of my students getting points taken away in the art room yet, but I have noticed a few that are walking the edge with Mrs. M, so they better be careful.
Mrs. M aslo explained, and I observed, how the students enter the classroom and how she gets the students attention at the beginning of class. The students usually come in a bit talkative, but they settle down into their seats quickly and then are mostly silent. She usually just sits or stands at the front to take attendance and all of the students are usually very good about getting into their seats and sitting patiently until she starts class. She always has the plan for the day written up on the white board for all to see, so she goes up to the board and discusses the plan for the day. Once she has gone through the planned list, she lets the students get right to work. From what I have noticed, the students don't need a whole lot of prompting. They for the most part, understand what they need to get accomplished for the day and get to it. She has only had to raise her voice to get students' attention once since I've been here.
If a demonstration is needed for a start to a new project, Mrs. M stands at the front of the room with a table and has all of the students gather around her or does it on the overhead projector with the kids in their seats, depending on the project. Mrs. M always goes through the demo before students start to work unless it is a step by step instruction. So then she will let them work along with her as she goes through the project. Mrs. M is very humorous and is always friendly and excited to be in class. Obviously there are days when students act up, but she is always ready to get them back on task. I can tell that the students really appreciate her and all the work she does.
This was a great day for questions and I can 't wait to get a few more asked and use them for my lesson teaching.
First I asker her how she defines her rules in the classroom and if they are different from one class to the next. She showed me a sheet that she hands out to each student at the beginning of the term and they are to read it over and have their parents sign it. If they get it signed and turn it in at the end of the term they will receive extra credit points. The sheet is the list of all classroom expectations and rules for the class. Each class regardless of grade gets the same sheet and the rules apply to all students. Her rules are also posted up on the walls for all to see everyday as a reminder.
A point system is also utilized in the middle school. It is not just in the art room, but for the whole school. Each student is given 29 points at the beginning of the semester and when students misbehave or break rules, a set number of points will be deducted from that tally. The more severe the infraction, the more points are taken away. If the students have lost too many points at the end of the semester, they are not allowed to go on the group trip. It is a reward to be able to go on the trip with the class so most of the students work hard to keep all of their points. I haven't heard of any of my students getting points taken away in the art room yet, but I have noticed a few that are walking the edge with Mrs. M, so they better be careful.
Mrs. M aslo explained, and I observed, how the students enter the classroom and how she gets the students attention at the beginning of class. The students usually come in a bit talkative, but they settle down into their seats quickly and then are mostly silent. She usually just sits or stands at the front to take attendance and all of the students are usually very good about getting into their seats and sitting patiently until she starts class. She always has the plan for the day written up on the white board for all to see, so she goes up to the board and discusses the plan for the day. Once she has gone through the planned list, she lets the students get right to work. From what I have noticed, the students don't need a whole lot of prompting. They for the most part, understand what they need to get accomplished for the day and get to it. She has only had to raise her voice to get students' attention once since I've been here.
If a demonstration is needed for a start to a new project, Mrs. M stands at the front of the room with a table and has all of the students gather around her or does it on the overhead projector with the kids in their seats, depending on the project. Mrs. M always goes through the demo before students start to work unless it is a step by step instruction. So then she will let them work along with her as she goes through the project. Mrs. M is very humorous and is always friendly and excited to be in class. Obviously there are days when students act up, but she is always ready to get them back on task. I can tell that the students really appreciate her and all the work she does.
This was a great day for questions and I can 't wait to get a few more asked and use them for my lesson teaching.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Day 2 of Practicum Experience- How does my CT define Rules? (9-23-13)
Today was awesome! I got to be so much more hands on with the students and was actually involved with the class and the projects they were working on. When the 7th graders came in I was able to help them with using the cutting board for their upside-down drawings and trim the edges off. I was able to converse with some of them and they all had interesting things to say about the project. Some really enjoyed the work, yet some thought it was silly to draw a portrait upside-down. One student had a lot of trouble with her piece and she wouldn't let anyone see it. She is in the Special Education program, which Ms. M told me, so she had a lot of trouble with feeling comfortable showing her work. Ms. M said she is sometimes very difficult to get started with projects and it is hard to keep her focused. I hope I can help to make her feel a bit more comfortable in the classroom while I am here.
Overall, it was a great second day of practicum. I was also able to observe the classroom a bit more in detail and take in a few of its features. One such feature I noticed was Ms. M's postings of the classroom rules. She had two poster board typed rule sheets hanging up under the clock, stating the classroom expectations and rules. They were as follows,
Do:
1. Listen
2. Share
3. Think
4. Ask thoughtful questions
and
Don't:
1. Talk more than work
2. Hurt anyone
3. Damage art tools or materials
4. Disturb others
I thought these rules were quite interesting as I read the list. They were so short and concise, yet they really got the point across. They touched on what I thought was a big concern for an art classroom, noise levels. It isn't stated that there is "no" talking, but the way it is stated suggests that. By listening, students will need to be quiet, and if they are not to disturb others it also fits the bill of respectful voices for in a classroom. I also really like the fact that it emphasizes thought. Because art is really all about thought and expression! By asking thoughtful questions and getting feedback, the students will be able to grow socially, academically, and creatively. I feel that the placement of the rules is very ideal as well. Because every time the students look up at the clock, they will be reminded of the rules in place.
During the day I also noticed something very fascinating about the culture we live in today. Cell phones and iPods were rampant in the hands of the young students. It is amazing to me to think that 5th and 6th graders need fancy smart phones, but a vast amount of the students had them. Which brought me to the question of how Mrs. M deals with the use of electronics in the classroom. She told me that most of the students know better than to take their devices out during work/class time, but on rare occasions she sees one come out. In that case, she will tell the student to simply put it away and not to have it out again in class. If she sees it out again however, she does have the ability to take it away until the end of the class period. She usually doesn't need to do that, but on rare occasion she has.
Another question I had arose when I saw a student walk up to Ms. M and hand her a small notebook, got it signed, and left the room. I immediately thought, "Bathroom Break," and it turns out I was right. Ms. M feels that her students have enough time between classes to take care of bathroom breaks, however emergencies do occur. In situations like that, she simply asks for their daily planner and signs them out on one of their passes. If the student doesn't have their planner, they don't get a bathroom break. As simple as that. So it is also making the students accountable for bringing their planner with them at all times. The same goes for if the student wants to go out to their locker for something, the planner gets signed and the student gets a short period of time to get the required object/material and be back in the classroom.
So far working with Ms. M has been a blast! She is so funny and obviously loves her job as an art educator. She has made these first two days in the classroom a great time and I cannot wait to continue on with my practicum experience.
Overall, it was a great second day of practicum. I was also able to observe the classroom a bit more in detail and take in a few of its features. One such feature I noticed was Ms. M's postings of the classroom rules. She had two poster board typed rule sheets hanging up under the clock, stating the classroom expectations and rules. They were as follows,
Do:
1. Listen
2. Share
3. Think
4. Ask thoughtful questions
and
Don't:
1. Talk more than work
2. Hurt anyone
3. Damage art tools or materials
4. Disturb others
I thought these rules were quite interesting as I read the list. They were so short and concise, yet they really got the point across. They touched on what I thought was a big concern for an art classroom, noise levels. It isn't stated that there is "no" talking, but the way it is stated suggests that. By listening, students will need to be quiet, and if they are not to disturb others it also fits the bill of respectful voices for in a classroom. I also really like the fact that it emphasizes thought. Because art is really all about thought and expression! By asking thoughtful questions and getting feedback, the students will be able to grow socially, academically, and creatively. I feel that the placement of the rules is very ideal as well. Because every time the students look up at the clock, they will be reminded of the rules in place.
During the day I also noticed something very fascinating about the culture we live in today. Cell phones and iPods were rampant in the hands of the young students. It is amazing to me to think that 5th and 6th graders need fancy smart phones, but a vast amount of the students had them. Which brought me to the question of how Mrs. M deals with the use of electronics in the classroom. She told me that most of the students know better than to take their devices out during work/class time, but on rare occasions she sees one come out. In that case, she will tell the student to simply put it away and not to have it out again in class. If she sees it out again however, she does have the ability to take it away until the end of the class period. She usually doesn't need to do that, but on rare occasion she has.
Another question I had arose when I saw a student walk up to Ms. M and hand her a small notebook, got it signed, and left the room. I immediately thought, "Bathroom Break," and it turns out I was right. Ms. M feels that her students have enough time between classes to take care of bathroom breaks, however emergencies do occur. In situations like that, she simply asks for their daily planner and signs them out on one of their passes. If the student doesn't have their planner, they don't get a bathroom break. As simple as that. So it is also making the students accountable for bringing their planner with them at all times. The same goes for if the student wants to go out to their locker for something, the planner gets signed and the student gets a short period of time to get the required object/material and be back in the classroom.
So far working with Ms. M has been a blast! She is so funny and obviously loves her job as an art educator. She has made these first two days in the classroom a great time and I cannot wait to continue on with my practicum experience.
Friday, September 20, 2013
Day 1 Practicum Experience- Why did my CT become an Art Teacher (9-20-13)
Wow! I am So excited to get back into that classroom and start working with the students! Today was my first day going into the classroom and experiencing what it's like to be in the room with students, and boy was it fun. I didn't really get to work with the students much, but mostly watched and took notes on how my cooperating teacher ran her classroom. Even just observing I had a great time today!
First I had some one on one time with my teacher, Ms. M, and was able to ask her a few questions about her own art experience and why she became an art teacher. She told me that she had always enjoyed art throughout schooling, and that her high school art teacher actually suggested she get into art education, but she didn't really think that was for her at first. After she graduated high school she went straight into the work force not involving her art. After about a year she decided that she really wanted to pursue her education and her art, so she decided to go to school for Art Education. She graduated from the program in December, but didn't get a job right away because she was going to get married. She got married and then again decided she wasn't happy with her degree so she went back to school and got another degree. Finally after 16 years of on and off jobs, she finally made her way back into the classroom working part time as an art teacher. After a few years she was up to an 80% time art teacher and graduated into the full time art teacher at the middle school. She is so happy with finally getting her chance to use art to help others. Ms. M was very happy that she did, after a long time, take her teacher's advice and go into art education, because she really enjoys her work. However; one thing she said was that the only downside to all of her time as a teacher is that she gets very little time to work on her own art. She has some free time to work on her passion of hand building with clay, but she doesn't get to do it as much as she would like.
I found it very interesting to hear how "round-about" she came, to finally ending up teaching in the art classroom. Ms. M went through a lot of schooling and work before she finally ended up in the art classroom and I could definitely tell it is where she belongs. She has such great passion for the arts in youth and it is obvious through the fun and exciting examples and activities she should me today. I am so happy she was able to fulfill her high school teacher's wishes and become a teacher, because I know I will be learning a lot from her this semester and am very excited to use some of her awesome ideas and lesson plans.
Once we had discussed her reasoning for becoming a teacher, Ms. M's advisory hour was over, and classes were about to begin. Her 7th graders came filing in one at a time for her first hour lesson. Most of the students were fairly quiet and respectful coming into the classroom, while a few were a bit noisy and rambunctious. Ms. M quickly sat them down and they all hushed up very quickly. She had a way with them that they all just listened and sat quietly for her. It was very neat to see. She took attendance and began to discuss their assignment. They were working on upside-down portraits, focusing on form, shape, and line. Ms. M explained to the students how important it was for them to remain quiet and focused on their drawings. Once they all started working it was so peaceful. They were all quiet and you could hear the pencil lead scratching the surface of the paper. It was quite soothing actually. They all drew for about 15-20 mins, and Ms. M, my partner, and I went back into her office to look at some paperwork when I noticed a girl reading a book. Ms. M explained that she was in the Special Education program as well and that she needed one-on-one focus to keep her working. Ms. M called for the student's other teacher and had the little girl go with her into another classroom to finish up working.
As the hour was coming to a close, Ms. M announced to the class to start gathering their things and put them away in their baskets. One boy announced, "My head hurts!" as Ms. M was discussing how focusing that long on a project can get your brain tired. It was really neat to hear him say that because it was proof that he was focussing so hard on his project. As I walked around I looked at all of their works and they were all great in their own way. Some covered the whole page, while others were tucked into the corner of the sheet. It was really cool to see how each student saw the same picture so differently. The bell rang as the students were packing up and they all left fairly quietly and calmly. To me they seemed like a very well behaved 7th grade class.
Between classes we discussed our schedule for meeting and decided on our lesson plan we will be teaching. I am very excited to teach our lesson, but am also quite nervous because it is in such a short time. I will talk a bit more about that once it gets closer though. Anyways, that was my first day in the classroom with Ms. M and her students. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait until next week when I can do some more hands-on stuff with the kids!
First I had some one on one time with my teacher, Ms. M, and was able to ask her a few questions about her own art experience and why she became an art teacher. She told me that she had always enjoyed art throughout schooling, and that her high school art teacher actually suggested she get into art education, but she didn't really think that was for her at first. After she graduated high school she went straight into the work force not involving her art. After about a year she decided that she really wanted to pursue her education and her art, so she decided to go to school for Art Education. She graduated from the program in December, but didn't get a job right away because she was going to get married. She got married and then again decided she wasn't happy with her degree so she went back to school and got another degree. Finally after 16 years of on and off jobs, she finally made her way back into the classroom working part time as an art teacher. After a few years she was up to an 80% time art teacher and graduated into the full time art teacher at the middle school. She is so happy with finally getting her chance to use art to help others. Ms. M was very happy that she did, after a long time, take her teacher's advice and go into art education, because she really enjoys her work. However; one thing she said was that the only downside to all of her time as a teacher is that she gets very little time to work on her own art. She has some free time to work on her passion of hand building with clay, but she doesn't get to do it as much as she would like.
I found it very interesting to hear how "round-about" she came, to finally ending up teaching in the art classroom. Ms. M went through a lot of schooling and work before she finally ended up in the art classroom and I could definitely tell it is where she belongs. She has such great passion for the arts in youth and it is obvious through the fun and exciting examples and activities she should me today. I am so happy she was able to fulfill her high school teacher's wishes and become a teacher, because I know I will be learning a lot from her this semester and am very excited to use some of her awesome ideas and lesson plans.
Once we had discussed her reasoning for becoming a teacher, Ms. M's advisory hour was over, and classes were about to begin. Her 7th graders came filing in one at a time for her first hour lesson. Most of the students were fairly quiet and respectful coming into the classroom, while a few were a bit noisy and rambunctious. Ms. M quickly sat them down and they all hushed up very quickly. She had a way with them that they all just listened and sat quietly for her. It was very neat to see. She took attendance and began to discuss their assignment. They were working on upside-down portraits, focusing on form, shape, and line. Ms. M explained to the students how important it was for them to remain quiet and focused on their drawings. Once they all started working it was so peaceful. They were all quiet and you could hear the pencil lead scratching the surface of the paper. It was quite soothing actually. They all drew for about 15-20 mins, and Ms. M, my partner, and I went back into her office to look at some paperwork when I noticed a girl reading a book. Ms. M explained that she was in the Special Education program as well and that she needed one-on-one focus to keep her working. Ms. M called for the student's other teacher and had the little girl go with her into another classroom to finish up working.
As the hour was coming to a close, Ms. M announced to the class to start gathering their things and put them away in their baskets. One boy announced, "My head hurts!" as Ms. M was discussing how focusing that long on a project can get your brain tired. It was really neat to hear him say that because it was proof that he was focussing so hard on his project. As I walked around I looked at all of their works and they were all great in their own way. Some covered the whole page, while others were tucked into the corner of the sheet. It was really cool to see how each student saw the same picture so differently. The bell rang as the students were packing up and they all left fairly quietly and calmly. To me they seemed like a very well behaved 7th grade class.
Between classes we discussed our schedule for meeting and decided on our lesson plan we will be teaching. I am very excited to teach our lesson, but am also quite nervous because it is in such a short time. I will talk a bit more about that once it gets closer though. Anyways, that was my first day in the classroom with Ms. M and her students. It was a lot of fun and I can't wait until next week when I can do some more hands-on stuff with the kids!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
What it means to me to be a 'Reflective Practitioner.'
Well, to start off I guess I would have to say that by writing this post, I am in fact, being a reflective practitioner. As I write this, I am reflecting on my own ideas of what it means to be such a practitioner. Looking in on oneself is what to me makes you reflective. You must be able to take what you do and analyze it in such a way as to benefit from what you observe.
By looking in at my own understanding and knowledge of a certain topic, I can better find ways to teach it to others. I feel that in order to be a reflective practitioner I must first understand what it is I am trying to teach and demonstrate, and then use that understanding to create a lesson that will be both satisfying and educational to the students. By understanding my own means of communication and organization, my ideas will be best reflected in my students' projects and assignments.
I also find a reflective practitioner to be someone willing to find new ways of learning and teaching to support their entire network of students. That means changing projects that don't work now, even if they have worked in the past. By adjusting projects through careful observation and understanding I feel I can become a more responsive and helpful teacher. If I find that one of my projects doesn't spark the same interest in my students as I had hoped, I as a reflective teacher, will delve into the reasoning and figure out why the project was unsuccessful. Why did students become unengaged with the project? What made it boring? How can I make it better? Through reflecting on areas such as this, I will become a stronger, more helpful teacher to my students.
By looking in at my own understanding and knowledge of a certain topic, I can better find ways to teach it to others. I feel that in order to be a reflective practitioner I must first understand what it is I am trying to teach and demonstrate, and then use that understanding to create a lesson that will be both satisfying and educational to the students. By understanding my own means of communication and organization, my ideas will be best reflected in my students' projects and assignments.
I also find a reflective practitioner to be someone willing to find new ways of learning and teaching to support their entire network of students. That means changing projects that don't work now, even if they have worked in the past. By adjusting projects through careful observation and understanding I feel I can become a more responsive and helpful teacher. If I find that one of my projects doesn't spark the same interest in my students as I had hoped, I as a reflective teacher, will delve into the reasoning and figure out why the project was unsuccessful. Why did students become unengaged with the project? What made it boring? How can I make it better? Through reflecting on areas such as this, I will become a stronger, more helpful teacher to my students.
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