Introduction
My 450 experience too place in Laura Cronen's Pottery class. As in many art classrooms, most time was spent creating since this is where most learning takes place for art students. The class blended students of all grade levels, both beginner pottery students and a very small number of advanced students who had alternative or supplemental assignments. Students recorded their planning and creative processes through an online platform and answered questions about their work and making it. Students worked on multiple projects at once whether that be slab-building, coil building or other hand-built projects as well as wheel thrown projects/ tasks. The class split into two groups, Groups A and B and switched every class period so that one group was working at their tables either hand building or glazing while the other group practiced throwing on the wheel. This method worked well in maximizing students time and what they were able to learn and practice in the quarter which goes by very quickly. This could be a method I would apply in a classroom to keep students interested and motivated since they aren't looking at the same thing everyday. This class also provided a great model for differentiation since the student body and their skills varied greatly. Project guidelines were simple but straightforward and allowed for students to keep their work fairly basic and straight forward showing they understood the processes or students could push their work and make it more challenging depending on their vision. Laura made sure to meet with students individually to discuss their ideas so she could realistically tell them if their ambitions were possible and how to go forward. These methods worked well for students and granted them creative freedom which I hope to bring into my classroom. My second quarter with Rocky looked a lot different. The pandemic hit and we had to move everything online for a jewelry class. Obviously this presented a lot of challenges in the content being taught since students don't have access to the jewelry studio and materials. Flexibility was huge during this time. The lessons provided to students had to be done with materials readily available in one's home, somewhat relate to jewelry making and accommodate students with varying levels of art experience. I was happy to be able to participate in helping the class by attending the weekly Zoom meetings as well as creating journal prompts with examples for the high school students to complete on a weekly basis.
These experiences over the course of the semester impacted me in many ways both professionally and personally. While at Rocky I developed a better understanding of the importance of being a role model for my students. I have always known this is an important value for all teachers but in the high school setting it is greater as I am teaching young adults. I also learned the importance of persistence in my practice of relationship building with students. I found that some students took much longer than others to become acquainted with but by consistently reaching out to these students and trying to get to know them better I was slowly able to tap in. It was hard some days but being diligent and showing that I cared everyday paid off. The big personal take away I walked away with after my time at Rocky was more confidence. I have realized that being myself in my relationships in any school with students, peers and teachers alike creates a more authentic experience for me and those around me. I saw that, especially in light of the pandemic, the wide-spread empathy that comes from the school community and that everyone has their own special place in this community that can be more like a family to everyone who is a part of it.
Every opportunity I have had during my teacher candidacy has reminded me that I teach because it is a great challenge with great rewards. It pushes me to be the best version of myself and be content in knowing that my transformation as a teacher will never end. I think just like any other teachers story, mine is full of ups and downs, good and bad days, accomplishments and mistakes to learn from. This dynamic nature is what draws me to a teaching career. It keeps me on my toes- I am always learning, forming new relationships, creating new solutions to new problems, creating new goals and finding inspiration. I look forward to becoming a part of a school community where I can help better the lives of students and the school as a whole.
These experiences over the course of the semester impacted me in many ways both professionally and personally. While at Rocky I developed a better understanding of the importance of being a role model for my students. I have always known this is an important value for all teachers but in the high school setting it is greater as I am teaching young adults. I also learned the importance of persistence in my practice of relationship building with students. I found that some students took much longer than others to become acquainted with but by consistently reaching out to these students and trying to get to know them better I was slowly able to tap in. It was hard some days but being diligent and showing that I cared everyday paid off. The big personal take away I walked away with after my time at Rocky was more confidence. I have realized that being myself in my relationships in any school with students, peers and teachers alike creates a more authentic experience for me and those around me. I saw that, especially in light of the pandemic, the wide-spread empathy that comes from the school community and that everyone has their own special place in this community that can be more like a family to everyone who is a part of it.
Every opportunity I have had during my teacher candidacy has reminded me that I teach because it is a great challenge with great rewards. It pushes me to be the best version of myself and be content in knowing that my transformation as a teacher will never end. I think just like any other teachers story, mine is full of ups and downs, good and bad days, accomplishments and mistakes to learn from. This dynamic nature is what draws me to a teaching career. It keeps me on my toes- I am always learning, forming new relationships, creating new solutions to new problems, creating new goals and finding inspiration. I look forward to becoming a part of a school community where I can help better the lives of students and the school as a whole.
Teacher Quality Standards
This Peer Interview Critique lesson demonstrates my understanding of Teacher Quality Standard 3 in a few ways. I used the critique to provide students with an opportunity to work in teams (Element E). By working in teams and discussing their work and its processes through guiding questions students were able to develop some understanding of what a critique is. The guiding questions promoted effective communication between the students (Element F) and since these students had little to no experience with critique I worked this lesson to provide them with the tools they needed to effectively talk about their work with one another (Element A). I included a Kahoot to kick off the lesson and provide an interactive way for students to get a general understanding of art critiques and the artistic language used in them (Element C).