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.

E-portfolio-standard F & I

The art teacher is a constant source of art advocacy in many ways, whether it is through the lessons they teach or the opportunities they offer to their students to explore their artistic selves. I want to be an art teacher that encourages students to think independently and explore their ideas to the fullest extent. Giving students a well rounded lesson means discussing the history, theory and technique of various art forms and artists. This in itself is advocacy because it gives the students the back-story of the famous works of art I discuss. Hopefully this piques an interest in certain students who want to learn more about the art movement I'm discussing.

I also have to give my students a reason to do these lessons. Students can become bored if they do not see a purpose for the work they are asked to create. Keeping my lessons relevant and encouraging students to participate completely in their projects lets students feel connected to their work and more committed to the work they produce. This is turn lets the student feel pride in their accomplishment and perhaps inspire further exploration. Allowing students to display their art in the classroom alone helps show students in other classes what else their school has to offer for other styles of art. Also, if there is an opportunity to display in other parts of the school this can help show the entire student body what remarkable art works other students are creating in their school.

Teachers must consider how much attention is paid to art within the community of the school, whether it is parents who appreciate the arts or community programs within the area that advocate art. Parents are undoubtedly concerned with their student's performance in math, reading, science, etc. but they should also take time to see the creativity their child might possess in their art work. Discussing the student's work with parents who aren't knowledgeable in the arts are often amazed at the work their child can produce. This is also a way to advocate art to people outside of the school.

Working with the PTA talent show at my school was a surprising success for my drawing one class. They had the opportunity to draw whatever they wanted as long as it was related to the guidelines provided by the PTA. I encouraged the students to illustrate their drawings with things that they feel passionate about in the arts, whether it was music, theater, visual arts, etc. Students were given the chance to include personal expression as they created intriguing visuals that could potentially be chosen by the PTA as the pamphlet design for the talent show.

E-portfolio-standard G

Assessment in art education can be slippery. Some of the lines can be fuzzy when it comes to grading projects that deal largely with student expression and opinion. I think grading art projects should be broken down into multiple parts, one being the technique and understanding the medium, but also the meaning or inspiration behind the project itself.
When I first started deciding on assessment I used to identify criteria the student needed to accomplish in order to receive credit for their assignment. But I found that many of my points were for merely turning in parts of a project and I felt that didn't force me to really assess what my students had done. One of my cooperating teachers has a more simplified rubric that I have now began using and it breaks the assessment into 4 parts: Instruction and Concepts, Craftsmanship/Skill, Creativity/ Originality, Behavior/Effort. I think this gives students a chance to see where their points were given or taken away, and is a reminder to students with behavioral issues that they will get points docked if they are not working on their projects or are behaving poorly.

Instruction and Concepts	The project is planned carefully; understanding of all concepts and instructions is clearly demonstrated	The project is planned carefully; understanding of most concepts and instructions is demonstrated	The project is planned adequately; understanding of some concepts and instructions is demonstrated	The project shows little evidence of understanding the concepts and instructions	The project shows no understanding of the concepts and instructions
Creativity/ Originality	The project demonstrates original personal expression and outstanding problem solving skills.	The project demonstrates some personal expression and logical problem solving skills	The project demonstrates an average amount of personal expression.	The project demonstrates little personal expression and problem solving skills. Drawing seems rushed	The project lacks evidence of personal expression. Drawing was rushed and sloppy
Behavior/ Effort	The student put forth extraordinary effort to complete the project as best they can; used class time extremely well	The student put forth the effort required to complete the project well; used class time well	The student put for the effort required to finish the project; used some class time adequately	The student put forth little effort required to finish the project; class time was not used well	The student put forth no effort or the project was not completed; class time was not used well
Total Points / TBD	Full points	-5	-10	-15	-20

E-portfolio-standard K

I think having a good grasp of subject matter, no matter what the class might be is crucial for any teacher to provide their students with the education they deserve. A teacher who does not have confidence in their subject matter does a disservice to students. You run the risk of not reaching students who may excel in that subject area and consequently not allow the student(s) to reach their potential, not just in school but even in their own future professions.

I've also noticed that art students especially like to see if you, the teacher has any actual artistic talent. Students don't want to learn from a teacher who can't even do the work they assign. Students in art like to see that their teacher actually can draw, paint, etc. Not to mention specific instructions and tips to help students achieve a better result. Knowing your content area includes not just the knowledge of art or art history, but specific techniques, complete understanding of programs and computers if it is a class dealing with technology and enough real experience to fully understand what the student is struggling with at the moment.

I find it really helpful to go through all types of lessons of my cooperating teachers, especially if it is a medium where I am not as strong in my ability. This helps me understand more about those mediums, as well as learn more myself. I feel that this might help "bulk" up my knowledge base and better prepare me for when I have to consider those lessons in my future curriculum. I also visit websites for lessons, but I don't have a specific source that I go to. I usually look through various examples and assemble the lesson from multiple websites, tips and online demonstrations for ideas.

E-portfolio-standard E

Fun with Photoshop for my Design in Art Class, examples for lessons I've written

The class rules that are the most essential in my opinion are respect, to the teacher, classmates and objects in the art room. Other important rules are to listen carefully to instruction and take notes for detailed information or steps, especially when it comes to watching demonstrations. It is crucially important for the teacher to demand continuous effort and forethought. Keeping students on task throughout the period is an important element to classroom management which helps classrooms run more smoothly and allow more time for expression rather than controlling behavior issues. This helps other students in the class feel more comfortable and more likely to become more deeply involved and invested in their work. If the students in your classroom feel at ease then they will perhaps even feel a sense of community with their classmates which would be beneficial when having students discuss each others work during critiques.

E-portfolio-standard B

I just have to ask... is everyone feeling incredibly overwhelmed? I don't know if anyone is reading this, but I am doing way more than what we had planned at the beginning as far as me taking over teaching. They both say jumping into it is the best way to learn how to become a teacher. Cross your fingers...

Sometimes I worry that because I want all of my students to pass my class I will have to slow down for some students, spend extra time with students who are struggling and potentially neglect those students who are really excelling at the project. For instance in my drawing 1 class I have probably 5-7 students who are really working hard and are keeping up with the schedule despite the snow day. Unfortunately I spent too much time today with those students who failed to listen to directions or whose behavior is too often disruptive. I feel badly for those students who are eager to work more and to get started on the next phase of the project. I want to talk to them and understand what they are thinking but the classroom management in that classroom is extremely difficult. My cooperating teacher is constantly negotiating behavior with students throughout the class and she is a tough teacher who can stand her ground. I'm not that loud or capable as a teacher yet. I want to hold all of my students to the same standard, but it is incredibly difficult because some students are simply not in class enough to keep up.

My cooperating teacher says to just fail the student if they can't keep up and to an extent she is right. What bothers me is that no one gives these students a chance and they know it, so they don't try. I've decided to see if they do continue to work like most of them worked today. If they actually show effort I may choose to give them some more credit. I want to start out my student teaching asking all of them to actually put some effort into the projects. I also want them to know I expect them to do their work well. I may be able to control my students with better classroom management. They need to understand that I am in charge now too, and I need to assert my authority. For those students who are excelling I will try to work with them more individually tomorrow and really be cognizant about keeping all students on task in a way that doesn't interfere with discussing other things with students. Some of this may have to be loud, brief verbal commands and some of it may be non-verbal as well. At any rate, I learned from today and tomorrow I will try to be better.

E-portfolio-standard A

One of my most influential classes was with my photography and yearbook teacher in high school. She was going on maternity leave and her substitute had little knowledge of art or photography. She asked me and two other students to split up her classes so that we could end up teaching her classes for her because we knew the material well enough. The expectations were high and yet she felt confident enough in our ability that she was comfortable letting us take charge of her classes. I think because we felt she trusted us, we all were successful teaching and managing the classroom.

The expectations for my student teaching are also high. My cooperating teachers expect a lot of me and are asking me to really jump into teaching because in their opinion it is the best way to learn how to be a teacher. Half of my responsibilities at school require me to analyze student work and be able to help them understand whatever they are working on in their classes. The other half requires me to be aware of student behavior and be on guard for students who misbehave or are inappropriate. The expectations are high for both of these responsibilities because learning how to teach successfully involves being able to do these things simultaneously.

Reflection

Transitioning to Teacher
The most daunting think about becoming a teacher is having to truly become and adult. I feel I lack confidence and I worry I won't be successful. I also worry I won't have confidence in my teaching and I know I need to feel in charge of my classroom, especially when it comes to classroom management.

Pivitol Event
I always knew I loved art, I loved photography and I enjoyed teaching it when I did it for my high school teacher's maternity leave. I went to school for art and I still found myself teaching to other students in my classes who needed some help with their work. I decided to become a teacher when I realized that was what I really wanted to do. I'd changed my major a couple of times because after working as a photographer I realized that the business side of photography wasn't the right fit for me and that I was actually meant to be an art teacher all along.

Wardrobe
I have always been able to dress up, so transitioning to dress clothes isn't going to be too difficult. However I need to dress in a way that makes me look more mature and also implies authority (think clicky heels). I think Rachel has talked about many ways to set yourself apart from your students.

Adding to my wardrobe
I need to buy a suit jacket for job searches and job fairs, so I definatetly need to buy that. I would also like to find a pencil skirt, a quintessential piece of clothing in a fashionable teacher's wardrobe. It will help me to be able to look the part of a confident stylish teacher.