My Dream Job Revisited

I thought before going into student teaching I would prefer high school over elementary. Now, I feel the opposite about the two. My dream job would most likely be teaching elementary students in a suburban area. I don't know where yet, but I don't feel ready to leave the Midwest. I like the atmosphere and the people of the Midwest. Not to say that I would never leave, but I'm not in a big hurry to leave my home yet.
Thinking about how I've changed my mind about liking different age groups, I've also thought about what it would be like to teach at a college. There is something that happens to students between elementary and secondary and secondary and college that I can't explain. There is a certain attitude and style about the arts that gets lost that really bothers me. "Working around" this is something that I never thought about, but now that I see this "change" I would prefer to not surround myself in it all day.
I've also been thinking about my work with kids with emotional and psychological needs that I've done for the last 4 years outside of my schooling. I'm somehow still compelled to these types of kids in my student teaching. I'm also considering going and getting my special education certification and working with those kids some more.
Obviously, I still have some work to do when it comes to figuring out what my dream job is, but that doesn't scare me. I'm looking forward to the future and what else I can learn and bring to others.

Commentary on guest speakers- something you learned & something you still would like more clarification on

When speaking with the mentor coordinator last week, I learned a lot information that I never even thought about before....some of which I still don't fully understand. When she discussed the 2 year retention rate for rehire, or something along those terms, I thought it was interesting to hear how important that sounded to her--I never thought of that as something that was important to me before.

One thing that I was wondering while there, but didn't ask had to do with getting other certifications and then getting hired to teach in that discipline. If a tenured teacher gets certified in another area, can they still be in the mentee program with a mentor from that new area of certification to get more familiarized with the field? Or do they just have to figure it out?

questions you want answered from employers

What is the general attitude of the staff and community for student success?

What kind of financial support is available for resources for students?

Is there any kind of advocacy for arts in the community?

How is the school able to help students get from high school to a college?

How is the current arts program viewed by the students and the community?

In what ways can I make the art program a better department?

Commentary on guest speakers- something you learned & something you still would like more clarification on

Hearing from the authors of our book was a really great experience. While I felt that I had heard some of what they had to say already, there was a lot of new information put out there as well. They both know a lot about what is going on in Iowa schools right now, and it was comforting to know that there are schools hiring right now with the bonus money schools received. It was also good to hear that there may be a lot of retirements coming up soon for this same reason, leaving more opportunities for myself.

I had heard about the International Job Fair from my cooperating teacher, but to get specifics from the authors about an international teaching job was really eye opening. This idea has sparked my curiosity, and I truly want to know what the possibilities are.

The authors really gave good advice on interview questions and how to address tough questions professionally. What I really want to know for the interview is what I should bring. I know there should be a portfolio (maybe an eportfolio will suffice), but do I need to have a standards portfolio too? Should I have one even though I don't have much teaching experience?

Most common 1st interview question- A brief self-introduction

I feel this question is the hardest one out there. You never truly know what they are looking for. It's hard to know how far to delve into the past, and how detailed do you get? I tried to keep my focused on how art did (or didn't) fit into my life and my career path to getting to the point of where I am now.

I was born and raised in Iowa, and have spent most of my adult life living in Iowa as well. From a young age I was always told how good I was at drawing, but wasn’t encouraged enough to think seriously about what that could me for me in the future. I spent most of my high school days in the art room after realizing from my wonderful art teachers how great it truly is to be creative. I went to a community college and got an Interior Design degree then moved to the Chicago suburbs to pursue the industry. I quickly realized that I made the right choice to be in a creative field, but interior design just wasn’t quite the right fit. I moved back to Iowa with hopes to go back to school to become an art teacher. I began working at Tanager Place School, and realized how much I love to work with children. It was then that I finally figured out that being an art teacher was definitely the right career for me. I began back to school at the community college level once again and quickly transferred to The University of Iowa. It was the perfect fit for me; a creative team of teachers along with a structured program. I continued to work at Tanager Place while going to school because it always brought me happiness to be around kids.

What is your “teaching objective”- How did you come up with it?

When thinking about my teaching objectives, I looked back to my rough draft of my teaching philosophy. The ideas were there, I just needed to refine and define them more clearly. I looked to the book, "Getting Hired", and used some of the objectives in there as a sort of cheat or a way to kick off my list. Here goes:

Objective & Skills: Art Education K-12

· Development of student creativity through multiple types of medium and techniques
· Promote advocacy of the arts through student, community and family involvement
· Advance student knowledge of histories, cultures and personal artistry
· Individualized art: Studio centered class times to freely explore and create

It's hard to know what to put in and what to leave out, because there are so many ideas that you want to get to let people know. I feel that these 4 ideas express what I want to accomplish in my classroom without getting too involved or being too vague.

So far I’ve _, but I would still like to _.

As I've been reflecting back on my last eight weeks at the elementary school, I feel there is so much I learned and accomplished, but I also feel that there is so much I still have to learn.

I've been working professionally with kids for almost 4 years now, and I feel that I have a pretty good handle on behavior management and knowing how to maintain a good rapport with kids without being their friend. I still felt that working in the elementary school, but I felt a little out of my element at the same time. I wasn't always sure of the policies and procedures with certain things, so I sometimes turned the other way when little things were brought to me by students. Just the other day, a girl came up to me at recess and told me her friend brought out a radio, and a bunch of other girls were following her around and listening to it. She told me because she didn't want her friend to get in trouble with a teacher or an adult. I not only thought this was funny, because I was supposed to be just as capable of getting someone in "trouble" as any other adult on campus, but because I wasn't going to get her in trouble because I didn't know what the right disciplinary action was.

I feel confident with the teaching part of being a teacher, but my goal going into the high school is to get to know how to deal with discipline problems and figure out a way to help students mediate between one another when having a argument or not getting along.

There are things that college courses cannot teach you, and I feel this is one of them. I'm going to persoanlly sure that I am holding myself accountable with this so that I won't be tiptoeing around when I am the adult who has to do something.

Saying goodbye to your first placement

As my first placement comes to an end, I am beginning to realize how much I'm going to miss my students and the environment of the school. I anticipated that I would find students that I would connect with and attach to, but I never thought I would find myself wishing I could come back and see them again after my student teaching is done. Today one of my students asked me when she would see me again after I left, an thought it was totally unnecessary for me to go to the high school. This really made me want to stay!

There is no doubt that I learned a lot about how to teach, but I also learned a lot about the community of the school. My school has been going through a lot of changes, and it's interesting to see how the staff are handling everything. It's easy to see there are politics everywhere!

My cooperating teacher talks to me a lot about the students and their families to get a deeper insight on their lives and where their art expressions come from. Before I began student teaching, I thought about the lessons I would learn and the classroom management strategies that I could pick up, but I never really considered all these other little things that are vital to a classroom teacher.

I've realized that there are ups and downs to being a teacher--the enjoyment students get from what they are doing, to the "boredom" students feel when a lesson isn't up to their standards. I know it goes with the territory, but there is still a part of me that wishes I could make every student happy.

What are some resources you can turn to for support in lesson planning ideas? People, places, websites…

Lesson plan ideas can come from almost anywhere. They can be ideas planted in your head from something you saw out walking or noticed at the store that set your gears in motion.

I feel that other people are the best resources for developing ideas and using plans that have already been taught by other teachers. In both my practicum and student teaching placements, my cooperating teachers have emphasized talking with other art teachers in the area and to find out what they are doing. When you speak with someone who has already taught a lesson, they can tell you what worked and what didn't work and how things can be different. In my Harry Wong book, he stresses that stealing lessons is one of the best things you can do. Using your colleagues will make you a better teacher!

The internet is also a great place to find lesson plan ideas. There are specific websites out there, but there are also personal blogs on the web that teachers post discussing their students work and sharing lesson plans. I really enjoy this option because student artwork is often shown as examples.

I've found that I often ask my students what they are learning in some of their other classes, and think of ways to incorporate what they are learning or are interested in in the art room. The third grade is learning how to do cursive right now, and there is a cute, quick lesson on writing your name in cursive, mirroring it, and then creating some sort of alien or bug out of it that I would love to do when they are further along in their learning.

I believe a successful teacher is primarily a matter of…

I think with most things in life, attitude has everything to do with everything. When you are excited about something, it is easy to enjoy it and your enthusiasm easily rubs off on those around you. When you are not into something, people can see it and don't believe just as you don't.

I feel success in a classroom thrives off this same idea. Having a positive attitude about what you're teaching and how you're teaching it will determine how involved the students will be and how much they'll care. Kids aren't dumb, they know when something is forced and won't buy what you're selling if you don't pitch it the right way.

Having said that, attitude can also be a big determining factor on the classroom climate. People always say that classroom management is one of the biggest issues for beginning teachers. This can all easily be folded into the attitude of the teacher reflecting out to the students. When the teacher proves they know content through their teaching and expresses that in a way that gets students excited, the easier classroom management will be. When students are willing and excited to learn, there shouldn't be too many management issues to worry about.

Classroom Rules

I feel like classroom rules are hard to pin down because there are so many little things to think about. I usually like to stick the to the motto of respect. That means respecting yourself, others, the classroom and supplies. I've made a detailed list of different respects for my classroom on a previous blog that is much more specific.

I feel that having specific classroom procedures are just as vital as well. Going over these with the students in the first days of school would really help to set up the expectations for the students and clarify what is okay and what it not.

I've seen some of the students at the elementary execute the rules of respect, and even seen some students call each other out when they aren't being respectful. The more you positively enforce and remind he students of the rules and expectations the more likely they will follow them.

Expectations and Community

When I think about classes that I have had in the past that I think were really successful for myself and as a whole, I recall my art classes that were student oriented with a small amount of guidance and direction. It was student responsibility to get work done and to be self motivated to want to be successful and use class time as best as possible. The teacher was there not to tell you how to do something, but to introduce a concept and let you run with it. Expectations were high because it was a belief that if you were in the class, you wanted to be there and therefore would put 110% into everything you did.

In my current placement in the elementary school, things are a little more structured than a high school setting would be because there are a lot of students and not all the students are necessarily intrinsically motivated to achieve high. The teacher seems to have different expectations for different students depending on their skill levels, but still expects all the students to try their best and work hard during their time in the art room. The teacher is very welcoming to all the students and seems to know them well. This allows the students to feel more comfortable to showcase their talents or skills in a way that they may not if they didn't feel as comfortable. Overall, most of the students seem to want to be in the art room and are eager an excited to see what they will be doing or learning that day because they are in a welcoming community that is respectful and fun.

Transitioning from College Student to Classroom Teacher!

As my graduation date approaches, I am beginning to feel the pressure, but relief at the same time. I'm a non-traditional student, so this seems like a long time coming for me. The most daunting thing I see while I work my way there, is having the confidence needed to be in the classroom day after day. I'm constantly worried that I'm not doing good enough and that I will look bad to my cooperating teacher! I know that I'm doing fine and she knows that I am learning as I go, but there is always a thought in the back of my head bothering me about my skills, and it makes graduation seem even like it'll never come for me...

When I was in high school I lived in my art classroom, and I thought then that I should be an art teacher, but I went into interior design instead. I lived in the "real world" for awhile after getting my degree working in a high end home store, and I quickly realized that I never should have doubted myself in becoming an art teacher. I couldn't work for rich snotty women the rest of my life! I decided to go back to school and slowly got back into classes and began my journey to being an art ed major at the university of IOWA!

My wardrobe has done a 360 if that's possible! At home and even at work, my clothes are beyond casual--t-shirts, sweats, hoodies. I have dress clothes in my closet, but they literally have dust on them! After 6 days of student teaching I've really enjoyed looking the part of a teacher. It makes me feel confident and I know that the students see me as a teacher, and not someone just hanging out in the art room. As a class we haven't done anything too messy--yet, but I know those days will come, and I will dress down a bit, but never to what I was wearing all summer!

If I could add an article of clothing to my wardrobe, I guess it would be a nice suit. I keep hearing that I have to have one for the interview process, but I'm worried that I will never wear it again after that! I wouldn't want to destroy it with paint and glue in the art room...maybe I need a really good apron...

Going into my last semester of college I thought I was pretty set in my ways and knew what I wanted as a teacher. I quickly realized that I still have a lot to learn about myself as a future educator. Through the last 16 weeks of my college education I've had my eyes opened to new possibilities.
After my practicum at an elementary school last semester I thought that I was more accepting of the idea of teaching younger kids, but I didn't want to do a lot of hand holding, and I was still pretty confident that high school was more for me. As we spent time at City High I saw many different kids and had different experiences with them. I saw that some students will be great and not need a lot guidance to stay on track, and others will get nothing done and spend most of the time talking over you if you let them. I don't know what really changed my mind about being dead set on teaching high school; the pettiness that was prevalent almost all of the time and I had a hard time getting over that.
Southeast was a BIG eye opener for me. I don't remember much about my middle school experience, so I never really considered middle school an option as far as teaching. I forgot how great the kids are at that age—eager and still wanting to have fun but caring enough to be respectful. Southeast really helped me see how much fun middle school could be. I've heard from so many people that middle school is such a tough age and the kids are almost impossible to handle with their raging hormones and gossipy ways. I didn't see Southeast that way, I saw kids who had fun in the art room and didn't whisper a word about a project being dumb or lame, but wanted to be there and enjoyed themselves.
I think the biggest worry for me as far as the ages go will be how to relate to each one differently. With younger kids there needs to be a lot of guidance and step by step instruction. I know that my patience sometimes gets the better of me when “showing” kids how to do things, and I end up doing it for them. I also need to find places where I won't feel like a babysitter but also don't treat them older then they are. With older kids I think my biggest struggle will be with wanting to be cool or be their friend. I have this idea of what my art teachers were like with me (which was friendly) and I can't get passed wanting to be that way with my students, too. I've had this problem before where I work, and I struggle with it all the time. I've definitely gotten better it, and I think it just takes time. It also takes a realization that my kids will be more successful if I'm not their friend, but their mentor, their teacher.
Spending so much time in the classrooms not only made me realize that I have a lot options as far as grades go, but it also made me realize that I need to work on my leadership skills. I've worked in a classroom before and never had any problems being a leader, but when I was in someone else's classroom I felt a little out of my element. I had a hard time giving instruction and encouraging the students I worked with because I was afraid of turning their projects into “my” project. I'm having a hard time with giving suggestions to the students because I'm having a conflicting idea of what is good art and what is their art. I feel like I've had this idea that art is what you make it, and it doesn't have to be called good just because someone stamps an “A” on it. I feel like if I'm offering suggestions to a student then I am asking them to change their idea, and I struggle with that. I know that not all my students can get “A”s just because they created something, so I have to get passed this idea, and I think that the best way will be through rubrics. I learned how to make a rubric according to the objectives I laid out in my lesson plans. This will help me decide if a student has met the expectations of a project, and not just made “something.”
Not only did I learn how to write objectives and lesson plans, but I learned a few cool projects as well. I really loved the alter ego project. I got so into my character, planning out who she would be and what kind of life she would live that it made me really want to develop her and bring her to life. I can really see this being a successful project that junior high and high school students get into as well. Along with the alter ego project, I really enjoyed the lesson plans that came out of “In the Making.” There were so many good ideas, that I felt a relief that I had this book to help me along and decide what could be good for students to do. I've worried about coming up with good and meaningful lessons, and now I have a whole book that will help guide me with great ideas. I also loved “From Ordinary to Extraordinary.” This book also had a lot of good lesson plan ideas and showed how they can be successful through student work. The books that I had this semester I will never sell because they were so valuable to me.
I have my apprehensions but I'm also excited that I'm so close to finally being what I've wanted to be for so long. It has taken me a long time to get to where I am right now, and I'm ready to go out there and be a teacher. My biggest worry is my timing. If I hadn't taken so long to pursue my career aspirations, I might be heading into a better time to be a teacher. I plan to take this with a grain of salt and open my options to being a substitute and getting myself familiar with schools that I like and districts that I want to be in. It will be a learning experience, but one that I am willing to go through.

Student Self Identity

When I was in school I don't remember doing many projects that expressed who I really was or how I felt about certain things. I had great teachers, but sometimes the lessons weren't well developed to show who we were as students or people.

I want most if not all my students' projects to elicit who they are. I find that the more of yourself you put into your art, the better it is. Giving my students guidelines on what their projects will be will be something that I provide, but letting them ultimately decide on styles and subject matter will be up to them. Holding them to certain rubric restrictions will not allow them to be free or express their individuality. My most important part of the grade will be individual creativity!

Collaborative Art

There are so many ways to turn about any lesson or project into a collaborative piece. I wrote a lesson plan last semester about making puppets for a stop motion movie. The students had to create their own puppets, but write a script and film a short movie together. The students needed to work especially close together on this project because it involved so many aspects such as how the characters would interact, writing the script and designing a set, then shooting the film and adding voice overs or music, then editing. Obviously this would be an advanced project, but it could be simplified to what we were doing with the students at the junior high and and making puppets. They could put on a play and film it in its simplicity after writing a script and making a backdrop.

Reception in the Office of the C. J. Walker Company, 1929

This Van Der Zee image depicts several African American women at a social gathering in 1929 in Harlem. This gives the viewer a sight into the world of finer things and the way a higher society would live their daily lives.

Drought refugee living in a ditch bank camp. Imperial County, California, 1937

This image by Dorothea Lange shows what life was like on the other side of the country around the same time in America. This woman has no home or a place for social gatherings other than the shanty shacks and temporary houses that were put up while they worked in cotton fields or other forms of farming. This life was a way to begin the American dream for a lot of immigrants.

Arts Advocate

For me I feel like it will be hard to know how I will advocate for the arts in my community, because every school and community is different and everyone will respond to what you do in different ways.
Something that I feel I will try to do no matter where I am is create a website that will display the students' work. This will allow family members and other students to see what we are doing and how it relates to social issues or school involvement, or just self expression. I feel that this will also give the students a certain sense of exposure and celebrity without being too focusing (some people really don't like all that attention).
I also want to display as much art as I can around the school and community as possible. I know its hard to find space, but if you can get "in" with coffee shop owners or small businesses, you can convince them to display your students work where many different people can see it.
I really have a soft spot (or maybe I should say strong spot) for social issues and art. This can be a way in itself for me to be an advocate for the arts, allowing the students to share their feelings about certain issues through image or form letting the community know that art can be just as impressive as social sciences or English when it comes to getting students to learn and care about more than just "typical" teen issues.

Special Education

By now, a lot of you know that I work at Tanager Place and are probably tired of hearing about my experiences with my kids. But here it goes again...

Tanager Place is a treatment facility for kids (ages 5-17) with emotional/behavior disorders. There is a school and cottage units where the some of the clients live. All of these kids are considered special needs and have an IEP, and some have BMPs (Behavior management plans). All of the kids have level 3 BD (which is the highest or worst, if you can say that), so things can be pretty bad sometimes. I've spent equal time working in both the school and the cottages at 1.5 years each. Both experiences are very different, but each have given me experience that I know I can use as a future teacher. For me the biggest thing when working with kids who have been labeled BD is patience. There are so many things that can set someone off, and so many times that you have to tip toe around things, or "trick" them into doing school work or simple expectations. Giving them the time and patience to follow through with something will show them something that most people have not given them--time.

One thing that I really struggled with was being a friend to them rather than being a role model. I wanted so badly to be someone that they could count on because most of them didn't have that. I had a hard time defining that line and needed to step back and look at what they needed more that what I wanted to be for them.

No matter what kind of special needs kids you work with, you need to remember they are kids, and their diagnosis should not be in the forefront of your mind defining them or influencing how you will treat them.

Alter Ego

When I began this project, I was over thinking it, and I was pulling stuff from left field that soon seemed ridiculous to me. I rethought about this project as, 'what would I do if money wasn't a concern or my relationships did not restrict me to a certain location or way of life.'

What I came up with is someone that leads a life I would love to live.

Her name is Olivia, but goes by Liv, because that's what she does--lives life. She's almost 30, born on Earth day which gives her a strong connection to nature and the elements. She went to art school, and is now a tattoo artist in Phoenix. On the side she throws, making beautiful pottery, and aspires to open her own pottery shop. Growing up, Liv didn't have any biological siblings, but her parents had foster children her entire life. She considers those children her siblings, and tells everyone she as 17 brothers and sisters. She still keeps in close contact with all of them, and hopes to open her pottery business with her younger sister who is a business major.On weekends, Liv plays the drums in an Alice in Chains over band. Liv is perpetually single because of her busy life, and because she doesn't want to settle. She has a great dame named Elvis that goes everywhere with her, even to work. As I mentioned earlier Liv loves the earth, so doesn't drive much (to keep it earth friendly) she bikes and skateboards almost everywhere! When Liv has time, she loves to travel and explore over the states and to other countries.

Liv is someone that I could be, but keep for my dreams, because what I have now is not so bad either!

LGBT

Our world is very harsh and cruel, that means we have to deal with "situations" I wish were not situations at all, because they are simply part of life. Life is hard enough as a teenager, going through puberty and the teenage drama that is inevitable, and so much more that I care to remember. Individuals who identify with the LGBT community as teenagers must be feeling so much more stress, confusion and many other things at this point in their lives too. It is hard to find support amongst a high school crowd for LGBT individuals, who either have to suffer in silence or get ridiculed when they speak their minds. I want my students to feel comfortable with me and know that they can count on me to listen to their concerns and know that I will stand up for them--always.

If I had a student come out to me and not their parents, I would respect the fact that they put that much trust in me, and not tell anyone unless they asked me to. I would also encourage them to come out to their parents, because it might relieve some of the pain or pressure they may feel.
I've noticed a sign on the door of the art classroom at the high school that informed students that it was a LGBT Safe room, and this is something that I would like to have on my door too to let all the students know that I will support anyone and everyone in the school.

I also think it would be good to have artists incorporated into my lesson plans that have a LGBT background. This will open the students to a more diverse idea of who an artist is. Without realizing it, I used Robert Rauschenberg in my lesson plan as a contemporary artist who was a part of LGBT community. I almost like the fact that I had to stumble across this information because it shows more of a focus on his work rather than his lifestyle. I also found a couple of other artist, Cathy Opie, a photographer, and Barry Purves, an animator and director of stop motion films.
You can check out some of their work at these websites:

www.queerculturalcenter.org/Pages/Opie/Opeindex.html

www.barrypurves.com/

www.bobrauschenberggallery.com/rauschenberg_biography.htm

Discrimination

For 3 years I worked in a high end home store. I was hired to work in the plumbing department. I will be the first to admit that I had no background experience with plumbing other than my experience using it...but I don''t do anything half-heartily, so I set out to learn as much as I could--after all, it was a straight commission salary, so it was my lively hood. I learned a lot and quickly, and I was excited because I was so proud of myself for sticking with the job and proving myself as a valid member of the sales team. As you may imagine, I worked with a lot of men, in fact they were all men--probably an average of age 45. Maybe you can see where I'm going with this...

On a daily basis I confronted customers with a friendly face and was happy to help in any way I could. Most of the time I got the typical response, "I'm just looking, thanks" that you often tell a salesperson. Well, it didn't take me long to see what was happening. I would see the same customers who rejected my help now buying hundreds of dollars worth of product from my middle-aged, male co-workers. They wanted help, just not mine, because there was no possible way, in their minds, that I would know anything.

When I could get people to trust my knowledge they would often ask me how it was possible that me, a little girl, could possibly know so much about plumbing. It seemed ridiculous and repetitive to have to defend myself to this stupid assumption that girls shouldn't or couldn't understand a typically male dominated area.

I will say it was pure bliss, when those customers who rejected me because of my assumed lack of knowledge looked at me with pleading eyes when they soon saw how some of my male co-workers were even more inept with the product then they were themselves. Ah, karma!

Lesson Plan

I originally began my lesson plan on the contemporaneous idea of a project, but as I began thinking about what I would centralize it around, I kept coming back to social issues that we face today. I then began to see the lesson as something different, and the focus turned to indignation. My goal in this lesson plan is for the students to make a list of social issues and pick one that particularly bothers them. (These can range from the horrible food that the school serves, to the war in Iraq).
I've discovered works by Robert Rauschenberg that showcase some of these very ideas. He worked in a lot of mediums, but his collages seemed to be the most successful in getting the point of his concerns with regards to problems the world is facing (such as environmental issues, war, racism, etc).
The students will create a collage using as many techniques they have learned in the past, and can try new ones as well. I will also encourage the use of found objects into the collage so students won't feel confined to "art" supplies or techniques.

Creating an Artistic Self

Self Identification: Personal

I feel guilty when I yell at my kids at work, then I feel guilty that I bring my frustrations from work home and let them get the better of me. I get frustrated easily at work lately and and I wrongly take it out on the wrong people.
I feel worthy when I work hard and people around me recognize my accomplishments.
My dog makes me laugh because she has such a great personality. My boyfriend also makes me laugh because he always acts silly.
Not much embarrasses me...maybe when people point out my flaws.
People who are quick to judge infuriate me!
Seeing my nephews thrills me because they make me feel like I am the best part of their day.
My dog comforts me when she snuggles with me and licks my face when I get home--no matter what.
I'm sad when I think about how I'm neglecting my boyfriend because all my time is currently consumed with school or work.

Self-Identification: Personality

Assertive, conventional, pragmatic, solemn, truthful, courageous, constant, progressive, opinionated, humorous, serious, cynic, realist, ethical, polite, dull, boring, passive, inactive, determined, self-centered, casual, average, shy, lazy...

Self-Identification: Transpersonal

Family: Daughter, sister, aunt
Gender: Female
Education: College
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Nationhood: American
Neighborhood: Iowa
Race: Caucasian
Body Type: Normal, short
Preferred Leisure Activity: Play with my dog
Political Belief: Democratic
Religious Affiliation: None
State of Health: Good physical health
Economic Status: POOR
Age: 26
Generation Identity: Y
Marital Status: Single
Diet: Omnivore
Preferred Websites: None
Taste in Music: Rock
Taste in Fashion: Casual
Taste in Art: What ever appeals to me

For me to talk about my identity in high school compared to a college student now is a little different than most other students. I’ve been out of high school for 8 years, so sometimes it’s hard for me to remember my attitudes and feelings from that part of my life. I perceived myself as more of a friend in high school than anything. I had a strong loyalty with a few good friends that seemed to be my main focus. All my friends were also art people, so I also identified myself as “artsy.” Eight years later, I still consider myself “artsy” but as more of an artist. I also see myself as more of a family person being an aunt now and having my own version of a family.

When I think about my artwork and its progression through high school to now, I see sort of the same transformation. In high school I made things that I liked or thought was cool—it didn’t have much meaning. Now, my art has thought in it and more of a focus on emotion and reality. Age has been a great thing for me—it’s helped me put a perspective on what’s important and a focus on what I really want.

My identity

My trading cards are a series of 4 cards that are meant to be collected to create a whole picture. My identity is built strongly on my sense of family--and the tree represents that for me here.

For me to talk about my identity in high school compared to a college student now is a little different than most other students. I’ve been out of high school for 8 years, so sometimes it’s hard for me to remember my attitudes and feelings from that part of my life. I perceived myself as more of a friend in high school than anything. I had a strong loyalty with a few good friends that seemed to be my main focus. All my friends were also art people, so I also identified myself as “artsy.” Eight years later, I still consider myself “artsy” but as more of an artist. I also see myself as more of a family person being an aunt now and having my own version of a family.

When I think about my artwork and its progression through high school to now, I see sort of the same transformation. In high school I made things that I liked or thought was cool—it didn’t have much meaning. Now, my art has thought in it and more of a focus on emotion and reality. Age has been a great thing for me—it’s helped me put a perspective on what’s important and a focus on what I really want.

From Ordinary to Extraordinary (Chapter 2)

This is a great chapter! I love a lot of the ideas and lesson plans presented by the author in this chapter. He incorporates found objects and recycled materials which I love.
When I think about teaching, one of the things that worries me the most is the lesson plans and materials. How will I ever have enough money to create great lessons for the students to appreciate and really get something out of? Vieth gives a lot of insight on how to use simple objects that may already be laying around at the school that can be made into something fascinating.
I love the pop can idea that used the cans that were going to be thrown, and were saved to be used by the art students to create bugs! Essentially the materials were free, and his students made some interesting and creative insects.
I recently did my practicum with an elementary art teacher who lives on this philosophy of found art. He lived off of "junk" in college creating things from stuff people may have discarded as trash or something not considered for art projects. He uses a lot of newspaper in his projects for paper maiche or "steals" paper towels from the janitors closet. One lesson he did was made up sort of on the fly. He looked in his closet and saw a bunch of pipe cleaners, and thought what he could do with them. He used them to create mini circus people and acts for his 2nd-4th grade students. I thought it was creative, and the students responed to it so well--they loved it and wanted to go bigger and work on it for days!
I love the idea this chapter illustrates and what my practicum teacher preaches. I want to be able to show my students you don't need a lot of money to create good art, just a lot of creativity!

Fires in the Bathroom (Chapter 2)

I enjoy this book because it was written by students who want future teachers to know how to treat their students. A lot of this advice seems to me to be pretty common knowledge, but I guess some of it can only come with experience as well. I work with kids now, and have for the last 3 years. At first I found it hard to not be a friend to them, because sometimes it just seemed like that was what they really needed or wanted. I quickly learned that as an adult, I needed to assume that role and be a mentor and a leader, not a friend. I know that this will always be a struggle for me because I relate to kids so well.
I found the story of the track coach really eye opening. The coach who was their friend took it easy on them, and therefore the students liked him, but they never won. The coach who never let up was not liked, but the team never lost. Even though the coach/teacher was surely hated and probably talked about negatively, he did his job and the students probably respected him more for it. This is what I hope I can be for my students, while still being liked by some of them. I want to be liked, but respected as well. Finding a balance between teacher, artist, and mentor will most likely be a challenge, but one that I look forward to.

My first day of high school, sorta...

I didn't know what to expect when going to the high school for the first time on Tuesday because I'm so far removed from my own high school experience. It seems like a life time ago, and I thought maybe being in a high school again, I might be flooded with flash backs or memories, but I really wasn't. I also thought I would blend in with the students, but they looked so much younger than I thought they would (was I really that small?!).
I loved the diversity of the class room right away. There were students of many backgrounds, something refreshing and welcoming for me. I watched the students carefully as the teacher explained the new cake assignment to them, and not too many of them seemed excited or inspired, instead they chatted to their friends or playfully flirted with a classmate. I was almost surprised by this, expecting them to be "normal" and listen and be totally inspired by the teacher (I guess I have a lot to learn).
I met the students I would be working with, two female sophomores that shared the same name, so it made them easy to remember. They seemed quiet, but my fellow college student and I got their brains rolling. They started slow, but soon came up with the idea to create a winter themed cake. The ideas poured out of them, skiers, snowboarders, a ski lift, ice skaters, snowmen, the abominable snowman, anything winter related, they wanted it on their cake. The each drew great sketches and liked the ideas provided by us as well. They definitely knew what they wanted to do, and seemed eager to begin. I can't wait to begin this project with them and see where their creativity leads them!

Artist/Teacher, One in the Same

As an artist I'm not a very good one in the fact that I only create when I have the time to do so. But I feel this can be to my benefit as well because I am always thinking and when it is time to execute, I will have put a lot of thought and meaning into what I want to create to make it more successful. This is an idea that I want to give to my students as well. The idea of creating art with meaning to them, not just pouring out work that isn't well thought out or well processed.

I've found that repetition has really helped me become a better artist in honing my skills and refining images. If my students seem to be stuck or out of ideas, I will encourage this practice to they can remain active. I've also developed a good eye for detail, really paying a lot of attention to facial features, body parts and familiar everyday objects. This helps me understand how things fit together. Having my students open their eyes and pay attention will help them when learning the basics of drawing, painting, or sculpting.

Every artist has something that they seem to be partial to, whatever the subject matter or medium. For me, the human figure is my speciality. Drawing portraits and the body is something that is especially important when learning technical skills. Showing my students portraits I've done will be a good way for the students to see what I like to do and how I may need to change an approach or work on a technical skill.

I hope that there will be opportunities for me to work along side my students during some class time so they will see me as they are—an artist and not just a teacher. Creating examples for them will also keep me working and and hopefully coming up with new ideas.

A lot of people think only “talented” people are artists, but anyone can be an artist if they want to be. To a certain degree one has to teach themselves how to be an artist—how to have a careful and watchful eye, how to know when enough is enough . A teacher of art simply instills these ideas and helps inspire what motivates an artist to do what they do.

Teaching technical skills will help a student get familiar with techniques that can make them successful. A teacher has to know when to let their students incorporate those skills into their own creative work to encourage individuality and express their ideas.

Temporary Art

After seeing some of the works by Skip Schukmann, I immediately fell in love with the idea of temporary art. This concept is fairly new to me, and something that I'm not sure I could create. I like the idea of being able to see my creations in their permanence, but with temporary art you need to enjoy the artistry and beauty in the moment. This can cause you to be more drawn into the piece due to its impermanence.

A viewers desire to understand art will only be enhanced by the idea of its temporariness to get as much out of it as possible before it is changed or altered by the elements.

When the environment is incorporated into the temporary work, the viewer may be even more compelled to the work because they are seeing nature manipulated and from a different point of view they've never experienced before.

With temporary art the viewer must understand the impermanence and urgency of the piece to really appreciate it.

When I think about my high school experience as a whole, most of the time I don’t want to think about it. Puberty, cliques, fights, and breakups are the things that come to my mind first, and none of those things were fun or memorable. But for some reason I want to be a high school teacher…I guess I either didn’t torture myself enough or I want to be there for other teenagers to help make their “most memorable” years less painful.

Most of you are probably thinking I must have been a bad student, but on the contrary, I was quite a good student. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and found most classes to be a breeze. I lived in the art room as much as I possibly could, and I adored my art teachers. (It’s them I blame for my career aspirations). I looked up to them like they were not only because they were good teachers, but as artists and people I only hoped to someday become.

Looking to where I am now, I know I still have a long way to go to becoming that adored teacher who is also a great person and artist, but I can see it happening more and more clearly every day. I do fear that I will not live up to my own expectations of the kind of teacher I want to be because of the pressure I feel to be great. I think about how much I respected my teachers’ abilities to work smoothly with the students and create an environment that made people want to be in the art room. I have this fear that I will not be able to do the same.

I hope that through working with high school students before my student teaching will break the ice for me and show me some divine way to connect with my students and have the ability to take charge. I know that practice doesn’t make perfect, but it sure does help.

I’ve posted a photo of a project I created in high school during a ceramics class. It began as a vase, and ended up as it is now. It’s called Infinitesimal. If you don’t know the meaning to that word—look it up and you may see more meaning to the piece.