Continuing Advice

In the beginning of this blogging journey, I gave myself some advice about starting teaching, which mainly consisted of reducing stress by asking for help and taking time to collect myself.  After absorbing vital information about teaching from class and my observations, I think that this basic advice is still key.  I have a tendency to snap or catch an attitude when flustered or overwhelmed, and I saw firsthand the need to keep oneself in check when dealing with a room full of teenagers who do not necessarily want to be in your classroom.  Certain teenagers know what to say to get a rise out of someone and how to push the right buttons to drive a teacher crazy, and a situation can easily get out of control if the teacher is not able to collect themselves and respond appropriately.  So taking a few seconds to take a deep breath before responding to a disrespectful teenager or even a problem with technology or a disruptive phone call will be my biggest challenge as I move into handling groups of students on my own.  I also enjoyed the advice of our teacher, Gina, who suggests leaving the classroom for a short time during planning, giving oneself just 15 minutes to unplug from everything going on around you and take a mental break.  Encouraging students and helping them to be successful and grow in their talents and abilities is my main goal as a teacher and I believe that the only way that I can achieve this is to take the time to make sure I am collected and prepared to handle tough situations without causing a problem.  

Lasting Impressions

The teacher I observed this semester left a huge impression on me as far as connection with students and enthusiasm about teaching.  This teacher took the time to get to know at least one little thing about each student so that he could connect with them during class time.  He would talk with his students colloquially and jokingly, creating an air of fun and ease in his classroom.  I really felt that the students responded to him during this time and allowed them to view the class as inviting, even if they struggled with some of the assignments.

With this connection came a struggle as well, he cared so much for these students and wanted them to be successful, however, he had to resign to the fact that some would not do what they were supposed to do.  He shared some of this frustration with me, telling of how the students struggle in other classes as well.  But he also always tried to be as generous as possible with his grading, so that even if the work was not done well, it could still earn a fair grade.  He would even go so far as to go hunt down student work from their shelves so that he could grade it even though the student had not turned it in.  I really connected with this teacher and his methods in trying to connect with his students despite everything else he had going on.  This experience observing him truly influenced how I examine my own teaching style and method as I move into situations where I will be able to develop them more.

Ideal Teaching Environment

Realistically, there are always going to be pros and cons about each school and art program that I will be a part of during my teaching career.  But, of course, everyone has a dream work environment that they wish they could choose.  Mine involves several aspects, including classroom and storage space, colleague and administrative support, student involvement, and location.

Ideally, my school would be maybe a 30-40 minute drive from my house.  Earlier in my educational journey, I did not want to consider a commute that long, however I came to realize the benefit of such a distance.  This would give a buffer zone between my home life and my students, limiting the risk of bumping into them at the store or at a restaurant.  I would also like to be in a good school district with a strong art program.  Shocker, I know, but a strong program is essential for betterment of my own teaching techniques and the advancement of my students.  A strong art program entails strong administrative support and cooperation between other visual arts teachers.  Cooperative colleagues are key to a good program.  The other visual arts teachers need to be on board with continuing the good program and working hard to better their students' skills and experiences.  Other teachers within the school and district who support the arts and its advancement can also help maintain a good program, providing patrons for advanced projects and/or visitors to and advocates for art shows.  Administrators who support the arts and provide a strong budget are also essential to building an enviable program that produces phenomenal work and successful students.  Without the support of the head hanchos, a program cannot even dream of getting off the ground.  Administrators who understand the importance of a strong art program and wish to better the school environment through the program provide generous budgets with which to get things done.

Speaking of getting things done, with a generous budget, I could have the room that I believe would suit my own methods as well as my students' needs.  This room includes large tables with plenty of room for students to work, with chairs instead of stools, plenty of storage space, and sinks in the classroom.  I remember the struggle of sitting in a stool for an extended period of time in an art class, my back already aching from carrying a book bag, so I would provide my students with chairs.  Stools may be available to those who choose to use them, but chairs would be the standard.  Plenty of storage space is key as well, through extensive cabinetry or shelving within the classroom, as well as a separate storage room for bigger supplies.  

Lastly, my ideal teaching environment includes open and inquisitive students who push me to keep developing my own work and learning new techniques.  Without students who want to learn and develop their own skills, I feel as though I would not be able to truly advance and maintain a good art program or enrich my students' lives.

My Own Artwork

As an art educator, it is essential to be able to demonstrate the concepts you teach, not only to produce examples for your students, but to fully understand how processes and materials work and their pros and cons.  In my experience, painting and drawing have been my strong suit, given that I have had the most experience with them:  I painted a great deal of set work during my high school career, and my art classes were very drawing-heavy.  I have found that sculpture can be intriguing and I enjoy hand-building clay, but neither are my favorites.  My photography experience is fairly limited, but I do end up with some nice images from time to time.  My printmaking experience has yet to begin, and I would consider it one of my weaknesses, along with digital art.  I would like to teach a variety of media and processes, giving my students more experience with more materials than I had.  However, given my limited knowledge of printmaking, photography, and digital art, I will try my best to learn as much as I can in my upcoming studio classes and try to familiarize myself with some more digital techniques before I begin teaching.  Below are some of my works:

Self-portrait in graphite on paper

Coil-built face jug with low-fire clay

Encaustic painting on wood

Photograph using iPhone

Oil painting on canvas

Conte drawing on paper

Advising Students On Their Future

The future is scary for anyone, let alone a high school student who is constantly being asked what their plans are for the future while still being treated like a child in the school system.  I remember being asked about my career goals in eighth grade and being so sure about my decision, trying to take classes that would prepare me to be a forensic anthropologist.  However, I remained adamant about including an art class at least once a year, even though I did not consider the visual arts in my career goals.  Then, as a sophomore, I took a class that I was told would include anatomy, but was all about medial abbreviations and policies.  During taking the class, I considered changing my track to the medical field, but was soon turned off by the many restrictions and the contact with body products.  The next semester, I took an art class, during which time I rediscovered my love for visual art and tried to find a way to merge my two interests, coming up with the field of medical illustration.  By the end of that year, I found myself working on projects that required some leadership and guidance, and I even helped with an art camp that summer, which all culminated into my decision to become an art educator.

In helping students figure their own plans out, I would share my story with them, letting them know that changing their mind is okay, even into college.  I would also ask them about their interests and hobbies, inquiring if they had considered a career dealing with these, rather than picking a career for money.  In addition, asking a student if they are okay with the demands of a certain career can also open their eyes to their own decision.  My previously chosen career paths required a great deal of discipline and precision, which I determined were not ideal for me.  Students choosing their career path need to be to evaluate the ins and outs of their decisions in the same way, knowing how much of each subject is needed or the requirements for the job they want, or the availabilities of jobs in their chosen field.
College choice is also key, and students need help in determining which environment is right for them.  Budget is always a factor, but choosing a school also entails looking at location, size, programs offered, and prestige.  Choosing a career from the college programs entails looking at the availability of internships and job opportunities surrounding the campus, as well as deciding whether the student is willing to go elsewhere for a job or not.  All of these choices and considerations need to be explained to a student, but in a way that does not make them feel trapped or panicked.  Offering options and suggestions to students looking for guidance, or even slight hints to those who aren't, are good ways to help them start thinking about the logistics of their choices and how to plan for the future.

Putting It All Together

Collage can be challenging; it requires a lot of planning and can get messy.  However, it is a nice change from all of the drawing and painting that students usually do.  This process allows them to make some interesting choices of color and composition, giving them some freedom in their work, which I am obviously a big fan of.  I am also a fan of having a goal in a project, a defined plan that I can work with instead of an open-ended assignment.  Therefore, I decided that in teaching my students the art of collage, I would give them a subject, so that they can have a clear vision of what they will end up with.  But, I still want to keep the project fun, so I found a fun and different subject that allows for some interesting composition choices: cows.  It sounds a little strange at first, but look at what is possible with this idea:

There are a variety of compositions and background choices to choose from, as well as the choice to stick with natural colors, or to use brighter colors to achieve the same goal.  Students would make a preliminary drawing, to plan their composition and the areas of color and value before placing their paper.  They would also have their plans approved before moving on to applying paper.  Due to the sophistication of the planning process of this assignment, this would be done with an upper-level group.

Just Add Water

I have never been great at working with watercolors or India ink, perhaps due to my lack of patience with the need for layers and drying time, as well as my need to control what I am doing, which is difficult with water mediums.  When experimenting with marker wash, I found myself facing similar struggles to the watercolor and ink wash techniques.  With the Crayola maker, I had a hard time controlling my water application and the resulting puddles, and I found that the marks, when wet, produced a great deal of concentrated color, which looked great when I want a saturated, solid form.  However, in trying to achieve a gradient, I found myself frustrated with the amount of ink in the puddle and my inability to lighten it up.  When I attempted to create a sphere, I found myself holding the paper in a certain way so that the darker puddle could stay where I wanted it.  But in leaving it to dry, the color seeped into my intended lighter areas.

I had somewhat better luck with the Vis-A-Vis marker, which did not produce as dark a puddle, but also left more pronounced lines even after being heavily worked with water.  The result was a more sketchy-looking image that I found more aesthetically pleasing.

The most successful marker was a another water-based kind, the brand name of which I cannot remember.  But it produced the most even gradients and the colors stayed vibrant, which made for an enjoyable time creating a flower.  My class mates seemed to do well with this technique, creating several lovely pieces in the time we were allowed:

Although I feel more comfortable with watercolor pencils, I think this project would be a fun and easy way for students to experiment with water-based mediums.  I especially liked my classmate Mary's drawing, a portrait done with unexpected colors.  If I were to do a project with my students using this technique, I would probably have use a similar theme, creating a portrait or image with unexpected colors.  I feel as though this would challenge students to think more about the creation of value with the colors and allow them some creative freedom in their project.