Student Teaching Experience Reflection

My student teaching experience has changed drastically from my first day at my high school placement to the last few days at my elementary placement. I think beginning with my secondary placement was a little difficult just because I hadn't gotten comfortable in my position as an authority figure. But as the weeks went by I began to get used to directing a class and the routine of the school day. By the end of my secondary placement I began to feel even more like a teacher and my interactions with students helped me form my teaching style, which was something I hadn't had to think about before student teaching. I also had to consider my hierarchy of discipline, particularly in my secondary placement, which was something I really had to sit down and think about. I guess I hadn't realized how rigid I needed to be with my levels of discipline and this is probably what I've thought most about during both placements. My hierarchy of discipline was a bit easier in elementary, mostly because it is easier to guide younger students who misbehave than older students. I have however gotten some great ideas for discipline as well as was to prevent misbehavior and encourage postive interactions between myself and other students.
Most of all I gained a better understanding of who I am as a teacher. I already knew I wanted to be kind and caring towards my students, but I needed a clearer idea of who I was going to be infront of my students in regards to commanding attention and encouraging creative/artistic thoughts amongst them. Learning the right things to say to explain concepts and techniques was something I had to be concious of and consistent with everytime I taught the same lesson to another class. I knew that by the end of student teaching I would be tired and exhausted but I hadn't expected to feel as comfortable as I do now in my teacher role. Getting up in front of a group of students, no matter what age, always made me a bit self-concious. After having to get up infront of students when I was nervous, sick or tired, day after day seemed to lessen the anxiety I felt when doing that.

Professional Qualities of my dream job

My dream job would be to work as a full time art teacher in at any level, truly. I enjoy every age group and I would like to spend my teaching career at every level, hopefully. My dream job would be at a medium sized school, maybe even in a smaller town for my first year teaching. This would give me a chance to feel confident in my role as a teacher, if it were a smaller population of students I might feel less intimidated. I would like to have comfortable working relationships with the other teachers and staff at my school so that we would have the opportunity to collaborate on some projects. I hope that my principle has a love for the arts and will support my artistic goals for the students. Most of all I want to work in a school that is easy-going and welcoming.
If I were really talking about my dream job however, I might add a few things to my classroom that I would love to have in case my school could offer other courses. I would love to have an entire darkroom attached to my classroom. But I know this will probably never happen unless I were teaching an art history course now :-( it would be so fun for me to teach a film photography/darkroom class. I would love to have a full lab of computers so I could at least do some digital photography/graphic desgin with my students and teach them Photoshop editing as well. I would love to have large drawing tables and a place on campus my students could go draw outside when the weather is nice. It would be nice to have access to multiple types of painting and printmaking and if I'm really dreaming, I would love to have a metal-working studio.

Being a successful teacher...

I believe that being a successful teacher is primarily a matter of devotion to your students and a passion for the arts. Once students see that your primary goal is to share your knowledge of art in a way that allows them personal expression they will begin forming that close personal student/teacher bond that will allow them to grow as artists. Students need a teacher they can trust and can talk to, whether they are excited about something or simply just need the attention of a caring adult. Many times students just want to tell you about their day or what is going on at their house and taking the time to listen to what they are saying will allow the student to trust you even more. To be a teacher means to be a surrogate parent to your students during the time they spend in your classroom. This means that they need just as much attention, discipline and love as you can offer them. In my time student teaching I have found that patience and hugs are the best things I can give my students to help them have a good day.

Teaching Support

My first year teaching will probably be one of the most stressful times in my life. Getting accustomed to a new school as well as a new town will be quite an adjustment, so having people I can turn to when I have questions would be a great asset to my first year as a teacher. After I talked to a school district from Nebraska I began to hear that many schools offer a mentoring program for new teachers in their district. Being placed with a more experienced teacher who knows the in's and out's of the school will really help me feel more comfortable and relaxed. Knowing there is someone who cares about the entire school community and the success of the teachers within that school, can relieve some of the pressure new teachers might experience. I hope that I will be able to form good working relationships with all of the teachers within my school and I also hope that my principle will also be availible if I need assistance or advice. Learning from all of the staff within my school will help me to understand what my students experience around other parts of the school, so making connections with other teachers will help me understand more about my students also.

E-portfolio- Standard J

I use technology in my classes almost daily. Many times I will go through a PowerPoint or slide show just to show students artwork. I feel that showing students famous work helps them understand who the artists were and what they could achieve in their own projects. Having something like a Smartboard in the room is a great tool that lets you show images, but also interact with functions also. In my student teaching we played a game with the students where they had to slowly draw a picture and the rest of the students had to guess. We played this game on the whiteboard once and the students had fun, but the next time we played the game it was on the Smartboard and it was definately a hit. Students had fun choosing different colors and brush sizes. The Active Inspire program is sort of like a simpler version of Photoshop with PowerPoint elements thrown in. I really hope that wherever I get a teaching position I will be lucky enough to have a Smartboard or at least some sort of projector so I can give my students visuals to help them increase their understanding. I also hope I get the chance to teach a design or digital photography class in my teaching career because I love working with Photoshop. I know some students are already learning the program on their own at home so adding new elements and showing students all of the tools available to them on the program can really help them find new ways to express their concepts/ideas.

E-portfolio-standard D

Problem solving and critical thinking are elements that are essential to a productive art classroom. Students and teachers should understand that the act of art making and creating requires each student to problem solve and think about all of the ways in which they can go about making their art. Each student has their own set of steps or routines when it comes to doing their work, so when students encounter a material or method they are unsure of, they must think critically about how to solve the issue. Some students ask questions if they are unsure, and this gives teachers clues about what it is that the students need help with the most. Sometimes if I hear a question more than a couple of times, I will address the entire class and give them tips or things to consider when they are working on their pieces. I also try to provide numerous examples to show the students what quality work looks like and what requirements they should include in their projects. When teaching a lesson that involves a demonstration I will usually discuss some troubleshooting tips as well ways to understand the material and how to avoid crucial mistakes.

E-portfolio-standard H

Professional development will be an ongoing component to my career as an educator. I plan to continue my education for the rest of my life. I have many goals for myself as a teacher, especially regarding classes I would enjoy teaching in the future. For example I would really enjoy teaching a class like yearbook or newspaper. If I went on to get a journalism endorsement, that might enable me to bring something else to the table for my students and their school.

Beyond endorsements, it would be exciting if I were able to go back to school and pursue a master's degree. No matter what the case I will continue to learn more about the forms of art I already have knowledge of, as well as new technology that might develop in the future. I want to learn about other forms of art, graphic design for example, and other forms of art that are drawing the attention of my students at the time.