Summative

For my summative project I wanted to create an art piece. I will display this work of art in my classroom as a constant reminder of what I have learned in this course and what I still have to learn about myself. I wanted to use two projects concepts we explored in this course but going in another direction. One is the idea of metaphors. The other idea is a self portrait. I also wanted to create a 3 dimensional work of art. This is in order to demonstrate to myself and my students that I can create more then exemplars and digital works. This has not been the easiest courses for me but that is why it has also been so beneficial.

            This piece is 3ft tall and 17 in wide (in some areas). At the bottom there is a large box of 48 Pop-tarts. Pop-tarts have several meaning to me, but all to do with beginnings. It can represent my childhood and the starts of my education. It can also represent my mornings. I start everyday with a Pop-tart and coffee on my 30 min drive to school. I love that time, I am able to think positively toward the day ahead. It can also represent how I am at the start of my teaching career. I have time to become the educator I want to be.

            At the top, coming out of Pop-tart box are plastic fireworks which represent ideas; mine, my students and my fellow classmates. I love hearing new ideas for lessons and teaching. I “borrow” ideas from my fellow teachers all the time. I try it out and expand on it depending on how it works for my students and me. My students are another great source of ideas. They are individuals and their backgrounds help them see things in different ways. This course has helped me feel comfortable amending I “borrow” lots of my ideas. 

The ruler symbolizes measurement. How do I measure up in the eyes of my students, follow educators, parents, administration, instructors, everyone and anyone? I want to teach in a way that allows everyone to benefit from art education. I truly belief one good teacher can be the ripe effect that can change the world.

 I have created a rollercoaster track with mini colored pencils as a symbol of the emotional rollercoaster this school year and this course has been for me. I thought my first school year was tough but these year speed past those bumps of track and have made mountain high drops. I have never been good at confuting myself about problems this course has forced me to do this and it has not been an easy ride. With that said, this year has been the best rollercoaster I’ve been on. I look forward to next year. The rollercoaster doesn’t have an ending.

The small cars on this piece represent the multiple thought I constantly have. I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder in the 1^st grade and have spent my life managing my thoughts through behavior modifications. Sometimes my thoughts cross and crash. Other times my thoughts lead me on to that emotional rollercoaster. But even with the struggles my ADD cause me, it also allows me to explore the world in always others can’t see.

There is a garland of white flowers that wraps around the piece these symbolize my students beginning to blossom. I originally thought to color the flowers but decided not to. One reason is because the art piece has so much color already. The second reason is because this is just the beginning of their journey into art education they have to add their own colors and style. I am also like my students beginning to blossom into the educator I want to be.

The purple mirror is visual representation of reflecting on myself. The mirror is double sided. In the photos I have taken I have put the most current picture of myself in the mirror. I think that will be a regular addition to this piece. I put a photo of myself over one of the frames and will try to change it regularly. This will make me reflect on how well I am using the skills from this course in the future.

This course has been eye opening but challenging as well. Because I am at the beginning of my career I would be interested to see how different it would be to taking this course again in 10 years. I know I will change but hopefully my ideals will not.

Week 13 Blog 13

Ok I had a hard time this week with reviewing and reflecting on this course. I had this moment as I was putting up my students artwork at our annual district art show, I realized I don't always see my progress. I have a problem living in the "Right Now". I have always had that problem in every aspect of my life. I often think back on my past but I never reflect on how it continues to shape my future and how everything now is also building that future. I was not sure about this course at first. I was thinking ok reflect on a lesson and teach it better next time, but this course is so much more then just lessons, behavior management or art. It gets you thinking about how everything in your life effects your as a teacher and you as a person. Thank you Amy.
I think for my summative project I want to create a 3D work of art. I love to teach 3D but I haven't created a 3D piece of art that wasn't ceramics in a long time. I am also thinking BIG. I really want to show my students I do create art for myself (not just exemplars). I have been putting off some of my project ideas because I say I don't have time but I will make time for this.

I have included my original tree as referance:

 I moved my teachers names and words describing their teachings to the roots of the tree, they are the foundation. I then add a leaf for each of my students. As you can see from the close up I put their names on the leaves. I would like to think that this is a flowering tree that will eventually have blooms, but what type of blooms are not clear yet.

Week 12 reply to Karen

I teach wearable art as well but have trouble coming up with the project. I have great artists and designers to look at and study but the art I have my students make is kind of lame. What wearable art are your students making? I like how you asked them about costumes.
I have been thinking since last time I commented on your posts. I know home school students are so different from traditional school students, but one thing that I have found really helpful with getting to understand my students is to sit and observe them in their other classes. This help with behavior management and lets me see my students in a different setting. I know that wouldn't be as easy and possibly a little uncomfortable for you to ask "hey can I come to your house and watch you teach". But you never know it could really help.

Week 13 reply to Erika

I like your trying something new, I think that is the way I will go as well. There are window glass markers that could work but they fad over time and the colors arent true.

Week12 reply to Katie

Don't feel like that, there are so many art forms I don't know about. That's the fun of teaching you don't have to know everything. Find something new teach it to your self, I do that all the time and then I teach I teach it the students and they figure out a way of doing it I didn't even think of.

I'm lucky my 5th graders are a really good group, but 8th grade and 3rd grade are just like your 5th grade. Another strategy you could try is if your in the middle of a lesson, they are working independently try read to them. Pick a good short age appropriate novel I like Mary Downing Hahn. Try "Wait Till Helen Comes" it's a ghost story they will like it. Or if you don't like to read try an audiobook or a movie. Some projects need other distractions. I know I work best when I listen to my favorite audiobook or movie playing in the background.

Week 11 reply to Katie

I will so steal your prezi and could you send me that smart board game adairstokan@gmail.com. 

I love the comment: Since his life would have been less lonely, he would probably have fewer paintings and he would most likely have created very different works. There may have been more paintings about other people and less about his own life.

So insightful! Do you teach VTS or have you taken Mary Franco's class? You said your students have become programmed to answer questions a particular way. I feel VTS helps students break way from that, I try to phrase questions in all lessons to be more open ended to allow students more freedom in answering. I also paraphrase every students answer so they know I'm listening and they can rehear what they said and rethink about it.

Week 11 reply to Erika

That is so awesome! I'm glad you took on such a hot topic. The collages look good. I think your right about the local weird laws, but it could also lighten the mood of the conversation which may or may not be the way you want to go.

Week 12 Blog 12

Alright second video! I choose to video my 5th grade class again. This worked out nicely because they just completed (expect for a few stragglers) their ceramic pop art food. This week was short and next week the same and then come the craziness of map testing! I wanted to start a unit that would be easy to come back to after Easter break. I choose Zentangles. I am also making print outs of the step by step guides and some drawing paper for them to take with them to use between tests during map testing to relax them. They are creating Zentangle hands with colored zentangles in the background.

I start off by asking if anyone knows what Zen means. We then talked about ways to relax and why it is important to relax. This starts a nice conversation and they even bring up map testing (love it when they get it). Once we start creating things go south. Like I feared some are not relaxed by Zentangles just confused. I tell them it is like learning anything new it takes time. I start them off with pencil but let them know them need to try to turn their mistakes into something else. I think I should have just made them use pen. They keep saying they messed up and erasing and turning over the paper and starting again. I only have one 5th grade class but it is a large class. I look like a chicken with its head cut off. I think next class I will play calming music and try to stay clam myself. But with it all at the end of class several students tell me they liked Zentangles. At lunch I had several tell/show me they had been practicing on their own.

One other thing of note I have been trying to tone down on my sarcasm after the first video. Now I have had students ask if I'm in a bad mood. Maybe they know me better then I give them credit for. They may not get the sarcasm but they seem to get that is how I express myself. I love my students!

Week 11 Blog 11

My lesson was questioning ways we can make a real change to our school. it was amazing how my student came to the same thought with the right questions. I had them start by imagining their favorite place to be. 70% came up with someplace outdoors. Which work perfect to where I wanted them to be. The next question was what they like/dislike about our school? The wall color was the big answer...that and Mrs. Waltz (nothing we can do there). They also made comments about how we have an outdoor classroom but no one uses it.

We went out walked around the whole school look at where we could make the biggest difference. They showed me the outdoor classroom in the middle of the woods (SCARE). The class has decided to recreate the outdoor classroom in the unused gazebo. They would like to paint, plant flowers, maybe install benched along the sides, they also have this idea for this outdoors giant chess set. We also talked about how we can financially do this project. I was not sure this project would work but now I am so happy we are doing it.

week 10 reply to Erika

I really like this lesson. "They need to know and experience their own voice. I want them to think about their own beliefs and discuss them without fear of being judged. They need to learn to appreciate other people's views as well as their own, even if hey disagree. They will run into this all of their lives." Love it. I would really like to try something like this with my Jr high students. There is so little diversity at my school it sometimes makes it very hard to talk with my students. They make comments and judgement without realizing they could be viewed as predigest. I feel they need a wake up call.

Week 10 reply to Katie

I like your questions for your van gogh unit. another line of question possibilities... How did Van Gogh become popular after he died? Why is he so famous now? Is it just his amazing art or also his weird story that makes him so unforgettable? These are questions I ask myself when I teach Van Gogh. It also makes you question fame in general. What makes a person famous?

Week 10 Blog 10

I'm a little late on my post, I know. But my kiln broke about a month ago, and Monday night I present to my PTO in hopes that they can get me a new/used one for next year. I'm freaking out a little, I get really nervous talking to parents and large group of grown ups. All yesterday I was preparing. Any advice?

Teaching as if Life Matters Chapter 3

 

I did like this chapter but it does makes me feel bad. When a student brings me art I ask a million questions, how did they get that idea, what materials did they use... But I started think of this one student she always wants to share stories or show me something and I usually say "that's nice". She is a little strange and she sometime makes me uncomfortable but at the same time I want her to come to me and share. How do I draw the line of too much sharing. The author talked about a student who brings in a rock and they spend an hour investigating the rock, but what happens the next day when every student in the class bring in something? Where do you draw the line? 

Phrasing the right questions is not as easy as I thought. I have been practicing with my daughter and some how I keep answering my own questions.

I have two 7th grade classes, one class I see 2x a week and the other 3x a week. Yes I know very stupid schedule! But 7B (3x a week) is always ahead of the other class. Their next project is "redesigning our school". I hope to have them problem solve our landscaping outside our building and redesign it. Questions- What is design? What is good vs bad design? What do you like/dislike about our school? How often you spend time outside at school? Why would we want to redesign any space? How could changing and redesigning our landscape outside our school beneficent you/everyone? 

I also what to ask how we can include the other 7th grade class when they are working on a another project and have art at a different time?

I am not sure if this project will work out, but I'm going to try it anyway.

Amy I do have a question. I found this to be somewhat of a problem for me in other MU Art Ed classes too. Why do we have 3 different websites for this class? Blackboard mostly only for grades, Lore for getting lesson and other info, and Blogger for replying to lessons and reading others replies? Wouldn't it be easier if we had a program like blackboard through the school but was more like lore and blogger all in one? I have trouble looking at so many different websites for one class.

Week 9- reply to Karen

Karen
Your home school student yea WOW. I agree not every parent can teach their own child. That is why I don't want my child to got to my school. I don't want to have her in my class, I would pull my hair out. my mom was great at teaching my brother and sister how to read and tie their shoes before KD but she couldn't do that with me. So sometimes the child needs specialized teaching.

Your situation is difficult because these parents are paying for your class, so its not so easy to conference with them and lay the card on the table. But if the student doesn't get better and continues to be a disruption you may have to visit that opinion. It isn't fair to the other student who want to learn.

Was he in public school before? or has he always been home schooled?

Week 9- reply to Katie Amos

Katie your student from hell, how old? Have you tried sitting down and talking to him causally? about anything what he likes to do at home, who his friends are, what he wants to be when he grows up. If you can try to eat lunch with him. Maybe ask him to be your helper.
I have several students from hell, my older ones I try to go out of my way to talk to them and let them know I see them as people. My #1 student from hell has high functioning Autism and is a great kid when we are in the middle of a project, but HATES change. when we start anything new he freaks out and "this is stupid, your stupid, art is dumb..." I still haven't figure out how to handle him I usually have to send him out for the first day of something new.

Week 9 Blog 9

1. Consider the word “teacher” We, as does the public, have many ideas

surrounding this title. Imagine dropping the title “teacher”.... What lies beyond

the title? 

 

I have always been annoyed at the used of teacher with general public. When people hear I'm a teacher they automatically ask "what grade do you teach?". Do they think that teacher means you are automatically a KD-5 classroom instructor? or do they have to know what age group you teach to determine your worth? But then again I don't know what would be a better question for them to ask. I have always referred to myself as an art specialist, but then the general public looks at me confused. I have taken to saying when asked "what to you do?" "I teach KD-8 art". The title teacher is way too general. Webster's definition of teacher is a person or thing that teaches something; especially : a person whose job is to teach students about certain subjects.

2. Contemplate deeply the idea of truth speaking. Reflect on your classrooms and

your relationships with your students... How and where is truth speaking

present?

 

I try to be open and honest with my students. I don't want to flat out lie to any of them; this is my philosophy as a parent as well. This is sometimes difficult with younger student. Christmas is always rough for me. I tell my daughter that Santa is just a game that we play and he isn't a real person, same will the Easter bunny and the people in costumes at Disney world. I've been told "your crushing her childhood" but I want her to trust me and not be hurt when she finds out the truth. I've had students who ask "is Santa real?" I never know what to say. I don't believe in lying like that. The world is full of magic, wonder and life lessons why should we lie to children to try to teach them that, why can we let them see it for themselves.

3. Thinking back through all the reading and reflecting to date, write a personal

classroom mission statement. Something you could put up in your room. After

you come up with this statement, share it on your blog and talk (truth speak) a

little bit about how you arrived at this statement, 

 

Mission statement soon to come!

 

4. Reflect on some ways your consciousness about teaching has expanded since

the start of this course and how does this relate to your goals? Do your goals

need tweaking at this point? Restate them here (as they were or as they now

are). 

 

My goal was to be the best teacher for my students but I need to understand my students more to accomplish that. I have given some of my students a survey to understand how they feel about me and art in general. it was good to know most of my students like me but it still don't tell me how to be better.

week 8- reply to burnt toast

I participated in the Dirty Pictures Workshop as well. I have been waiting till it got warmer to take my students outside to do a similar project!
Your portrait is more then impressive! how long did it take you?

week 8- reply to Erika

I love this concept and you executed it beautifully. I hope to be more like your fly next year with my jr high students.

Week 8 Blog 8

This assignment lines up perfectly with my 7th grade self-portraits. I will be showing them all my steps. I started with a pencil drawing of myself, a flower (a symbol of grow, that I usually use as a symbol of my daugther) and a quick drawing of some of my 7th grade students. I then photographed each drawing and digitally blended them with some of my student's artwork. I also included my teaching philosophy overlapping a photo of my daughter finger painting. The final piece is 16x20 which I will be getting printed on canvas.
I think this portrait represents my teaching life perfectly. I am all over the place, crazy chaos!

 

Week 7 Blog 7

Playing, Creativity, Possibility!

Olivia Gude always makes me feel "I can do it! I can be the best art teacher for my students!" When reading Anxiety I immediately thought this is me. I have been the student's position as well as the teacher's. I want to do so much as a teacher but I get so overwhelmed. I often picture how a lesson will work and sometime it doesn't turn out as I picture it. Sometimes I can tell my students (mostly 8th grade) aren't excited about a project. They groin and wine, but then once they have gotten into it they are like "ok I guess this is cool". I also have those students who never seem to "get it". I have put it off that their background in art limits them, but I'm realizing that there will always be those students who never "get it".

Reading Resistance made me think of  two example of this that happened this week. One was in my 8th grade exploratory class. We have started talking about illusions and I was sharing a youtube video of Julian Beever (one of my favs). Two students keep making comments like "that guy has too much time on his hands" my reply was this is his career, he is an artist. They laughed at that! These are two boys who will most likely follow in their fathers' foot steps of becoming a farmer/construction worker. I do not want to sound like I'm putting down those career choices, I just hate the idea that if you work in manual labor you can't be creative or expressive as well. These two students have made it plan many times that they see art, music, reading, basically any education is a waste of their time. How can I push through those ideas? Are these two boys a lost cause? What is really sad is one is fairly talented at drawing, but always throws away his artwork when I sent it home with him. :( The other example was a 6th grader who told me he hate cities (weird comment I know). Is he scared? Unsure of the big and new? This comment has helped me see he is resistant to change and art is change. How can I push past this?

I try to make a community in my room. I try to have discussions with my students allowing them to share. But I saw the full benefits of letting them work together to problem solve and create on their own and to see their work in full glory. First semester was a struggle with 3rd grade. Big group, lots of boys, lots of attention problems. I was really worried about my TRYPS project I knew I was going to do with them. (TRYPS is a children's theater group in Columbia, the past two years I have collaborated with them, having my 3rd graders create public works of art as props in their plays.) This year it is Willy Wonka. This year"s 3rd graders had amazing ideas, and equally amazing solutions to problems. Yesterday the owner/director of TRYPS came to speak to my 3rd graders... I have never seen them so quiet! They where in awe that their artwork will be part of a real play! I can't wait to see their faces when we go see the play next month! They have been so well behaved for me since this project, I am so proud of these kids!!!

I have not given up on my horrible 8th graders! It could be like my 3rd graders. I am going to try to letting them work in groups (of their own choice) and come up with their own ideas. The project will involve recycled plastic, but its still in the works so I will let you know how it goes.

week7 - reply to Burnt Toast

I hear what you are saying about "unconsciously tend to give up on those students." I have some of those. The one I am thinking of is also in 5th grade, he too is sloppy and lazy (his teacher tells me he is the same in most every subject). I have tried talking to him outside of class casual at lunch, but I can't seem to get him interested.
I too hate to be interrupted when working, this is why I struggle with my short classes. I tend not to eat lunch, because I'm working on one thing or another. I do sometimes work along side my 7th and 6th grades but my other classes are too large or too needy.

Week 4 Blog 4 - Revised

Amy suggested I share my original metaphor. Like I said in my first post this was hard assignment. I am my own worst critic, I thought this metaphor was cheesy, but Amy likes it. So here we go...

I started with watercolor paints symbolizing my classroom. I have 6 table in my room and above each are hand made colored collage fish. Six table = six colors. I then started thinking of connections; between myself and all my students, between students and each other, students and families, students and other teachers. My school is part of a very small community. It seems like everyone knows everything about each other. At the beginning of the year I felt like an outside, try to introduce something completely unfamiliar to them. My student past experience with art at Hatton has not been up to my standards of art education. It consisted of coloring pages, crafts, no technology, and very little 3D projects. I want to use the connections in this small community to help change the view of art education at Hatton and my school district. I have already had students, parents, and administrators excited with the changes I have introduced. This is due to the small community, connections, and communication. Butterflies symbolize new life, so in this visual metaphor each butterfly is a student at one of my classroom tables and they are starting their new lives in art education. The background is made up of my student's artwork.

Week 6 Blog 6

Alright let me start off by saying I really dislike watching myself on camera, Eeeeckk! The lesson I decide to reflect on is part of a 5th grade unit on Pop art. I have 5th grade for 30 minutes two times a week. Whenever I introduce a unit  I start with a powerpoint discussion, VTS discussion or a related activity. Which ever introduction I choose always has student involvement, I never just lecture. My Pop art unit is a long one, with two big art projects (print making & ceramic food). After introducing 5th grade to pop art I assigned homework... to THINK! We had compared popular culture of the 50's to today. Their homework was to think about what popular culture is and how it changes. the next class period we researched images of popular culture. Each student had to choose a popular recognizable icon of today's popular culture. I got lots of different aspects of Minecraft, One Direction, Underarmour, etc.

This gets us to the lesson I am reflecting on; I am demonstrating how to carve into Styrofoam with a pencil and how to create a print. The first thing I can see wrong is how flustered I get when explaining about positive/negative space. Ok to be completely honest I hate the stupid elements and principals of art. I understand them and the relevance of them in a work of art, but when I or any artist is creating are we are not really thinking "I'm focusing on the negative space in this work" that is just a cop out to explain a piece of art afterword. Ok now let me get off my soapbox. I just don't know how to explain how the positive space of the drawing will become the negative space of the print to 5th graders without confessing them. Should I just not even try? The second thing I notice is I am too sarcastic! This is difficult for me because I teach K-8 and I can be more sarcastic with my Jr high students but I can see even my 5th graders look a little lost.

I have another aspects of my teaching that I would really like to change. Because I see elementary students for 30 minutes twice a week my units are generally longer. I have my Intro and artwork but I don't feel I review enough though out the time it takes to finish a project, but how can I add into a unit? Assessment is also an area of my concern. I WANT to know if my all students are retaining what I teach them, but I don't like to always do writing reflections (not everyone is the best at expressing themselves that way). And when I ask the whole class questions about the unit I can't determine if everyone knows the information. Should I try actual "tests" I really don't like that idea, but how can I know for sure? Their artwork and their attitudes tell me if the like what we are doing, but.... ????

Week 5 Blog 5

If I had to choose which tradition I identify most with it would be the Generic Tradition, this is because there are several traditions I would like to classify myself with but could not decide on one. I have always been a person who can't wait till I reach the next stage in my life, but I have been trying to change that about myself in my teaching life as well as my personal. I have come to accept that I am ONLY 1/2 way through my 2nd year of teaching, and have a so much to learn. I have so many ideas and thought it become very over welling. I think the biggest thing I struggle with is whether my students are truly benefiting from my teaching in the long term. And the only way I can really test that is by observing, teaching and assessing with the same student over the next 8 or more years.

I need to know where my weaknesses are so I can improve them. Their for I plan to video several lesson this week. Due to snow days this past week was a lot of review and finishing past projects. Week 6 will be perfect for me to video because I am start new lessons with several grades. what I hope to see is student engagement and enjoyment of the lesson. Currently after I teach a lesson I have an image of how it went in my head (sometimes positive, sometimes negative), I hope to see if my image is correct and not just an exaggeration. 

I feel I may not be expressing a clear image of my teaching self, but I don't know how to specifically share that. Could you all ask me more specific questions you want to know?

Week 4 Blog 4

8x10 300 resolution photo
Ok, this was hard assignment. At first I thought it was going to be fairly easy (Like Amy's middle school students do at first). I started with a watercolor painting of my classroom, but that is just a place. Then I started working on the idea of my students symbolized as butterflies with photos of their artwork behind them. As if the metaphor was "I help students create their new life", but that was weird and a little too religious sounding for me. So I took a break and was about to eat these chocolates when it hit me. Forest Gump famous metaphor but with a change. "My Classroom is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get, but it will be a pleasant surprise."

Week3 Blog3

1. Some argue that teaching is too demanding and complex to expect teaching to be very reflective about their work? What do you think?

 

yes education is a field under appreciated.Very long work days/weeks, not including bringing work home, Mental exhaustion on a daily basis, Low pay, we are often portrayed negatively and blamed for the educational status of the country. High stress job - demanding parents, difficult students, unrealistic educational expectations from the administration/state (ie. No Child Left Behind), non supportive administrators, etc. But it is also the most fulfilling job in my opinion, why wouldn't you want to be the best you can be. Reflection on your work (if implemented correctly) can help you feel better about all those cons and help improve the learning experience of all your students. With the amount of vacation time we receive there is no reason to say "I don't have time to reflect on my work"

 2. When you think about a classroom problem, do you try to see it from different "angles"?

 

Not as much as I thought I did before this course. Its easy to blame your students for their misbehavior and punish them for it. But if you take the time to analysis why they misbehave you can possible reduce the misbehavior in the future.

 

3.  Do you think that teachers should play leadership roles in curriculum development, program development and school reform or just stick to their work in the classroom.

I think we can only changing how we are perceived by others is by standing up and showing everyone. I myself hope to one day after more experience to lead such areas, but for now I'm want to learn what I can from my students and fellow teachers.

Do a little digging. Do you know who wrote your curriculum? When was it last

changed? How is it different from(or the same as) your own schooling

experiences?

 

In my school district we have BYOC Build Your Own Curriculum... I hate this program. Going into this program I thought I could layout how, what, why I teach, but the design of the system is horrible. It is not user friendly. Basically the idea is you share your lessons in a the areas of the curriculum agreed upon by the other elementary art teachers in district, thus allowing for any new art teachers to grab a lesson and teach it. This works great for math, or science teachers, but not for art. My biggest complain about BYOC it there is no way for you to attach a picture exemplar to the lesson you create!!! pointless! 

I have based the broad areas of my curriculum off Columbia Public School's curriculum and plug my lessons into the grade levels appropriate. 

I must say that is one good thing about teaching a subject that administration doesn't care about, they don't check up on you to insure you are following the exact curriculum. As long a there is cool stuff on the walls their happy.

I often think about lessons I like in art as a child and teach a similar project. like my clay owls I teach to 1st grade, my mom keep my clay owl on the wall until high school (when my sister broke it). Plus I find parents are 50% more likely to keep ceramic art then drawings or paintings.

Week 2 Blog 2

This class does come at a perfect time because I know there are things I need/want to change about my teaching practices. Am I being too hard on myself? My students/parents/colleagues/administration all say I’m doing a wonderful job, but to what standards? My students say “you’re the best art teacher we ever had” (I am their 3^rd art teacher), but I don’t want to be better then two art teacher I know weren’t very good, I want to be better then the best! My biggest question I am asking my self is how do I ensure what I teach will reflect onto future projects a year from now, 3 years from now? For example my current 8^th grade class have had poor experiences with art and are very badly behaved, I am sorry to report I have given up on letting them have freedom in the classroom, their class has become very much like the idea of objectivism. My hope, my goal is to build up a community within my other k-7^th grade classes, based on communication allowing them to add to the learning experience. I want them to trust that I don’t know everything and want them to feel comfortable finding the answers together.

I feel the idea of objectivism and Abba Felix are two opponent extremes to teaching. I want to be a in the middle maybe closer toward Abba Felix. If you give students complete freedom they will have no idea where to start, there has to be some insight, some structure.

Week 1 Blog 1

1

I am Adair Stokan, I teach K-8 Art at Hatton-McCredie Elementary school in North Callaway R-1. This is my first year with North Callaway. This is my 2^nd year teaching; last year I taught in Columbia Public school district (3 schools part-time art on a cart). I am extremely happy to be at Hatton, love my students, and my fellow teachers.

I started at MU last summer. I’m working toward my Masters slowly. I have a 4 year old and I’m a single mother. I will most likely be taking this summer off from school, so I can devote more time to her. Sorry to those I don’t get to see in class this summer.

2

I think these traits sum it up nicely. I feel I have things I still need to work on, but the core of a great teach is there.
1) Passion for teaching. 1
2) Love of kids. 1
3) Love of their subject. 1
4) Understanding of the role of a school in a child’s life. 1
5) A willingness to change. 2
6) A work ethic that doesn’t quit. 1
7) A willingness to reflect. 2
8) Organization. 3
9) Understanding that being a “great teacher” is a constant struggle to always improve. 2
10) Enough ego to survive the hard days. 2
11) Enough humility to remember it’s not about you. 3
12) A willingness to work collaboratively. 2

3

What surprised you about your educational history?

 I am not good at remembering names or faces of past teachers; those who I do remember where my art teachers. I remember how I felt when in their class more then what I learned.

What patterns do you notice emerging?

The words I used to describe these teachers are all very similar.