February 28

Today, I planned on asking the cooperating teacher why she chose art teaching as a profession. I never did get a chance to talk to her today, since there was a lot going on with the lesson and there was an assembly right after class.

There was a lot of tension in the classroom today. The teacher told the students that she wasn't having the best day, and that it was a bad day for teachers. One of the students replied, "What do you mean? It's a great day!" I really appreciated his optimism. It is absolutely a tough time for teachers right now with the budget crisis and the threat of layoffs within the district. With the threat of layoffs, I believe that the question I planned on asking, may have been inappropriate for the time and was glad that I decided to hesitate on asking it. I absolutely understand that she is frustrated, but I believe that it is best to carry on and do our best to deal with the situation at hand. The situation at hand was that the students were ready to make origami!

Again, the students worked on practicing origami, but this time at the third level. This level was much more advanced, and honestly quite intimidating to me since I am not in this class every day to keep up with their advancements. My unfamiliarity with origami was definitely a downfall today. The teacher did her demonstrations step-by-step in front of the classroom, while I walked around and attempted to help the students who were falling behind. All I did was the best that I absolutely could and followed the diagrams that were in the packets. There was surprisingly very little frustration going on with the students. They were very patient while I sat with them and tried to figure out each fold. The advanced students were kind enough to help the other students who were falling behind as well. As I was helping individual students, I figured out that if I involve the whole table instead of just one particular student, they all learned from each other, and I definitely learned from them. I would notice that one particular student was doing well and I would ask them to demonstrate their technique for the student who was falling behind. They seemed to enjoy helping one another and conversing.

From this experience, I have learned that it is very important to create lessons in which I will be very knowledgeable on the subject. And, when I do teach something obscure to my own experiences, such as origami, it would be absolutely necessary to practice and familiarize myself before teaching it. It would be necessary that I make all of the projects in the packets, just as the students are doing, but multiple times. An organized system of steps would need to be made to ensure that ALL students were included during each stage/step of the project. The way that origami is taught in this classroom is almost stressful, since so many students have a lack of understanding most of the time. If they miss one step, they miss the rest. Origami, from my research, is supposed to be a calming and therapeutic experience. An origami lesson can be very beneficial for students, and I would definitely be up for teaching it after a great deal of preparation.

The teacher picked up on the stress level and tension. The students got through one of the projects today, and the teacher decided to end it at that. When everyone had finished, she decided to have the students play a game/contest that involved two teams. They had to close eyes, hold hands, and see which team could relax and not talk for the longest amount of time. Two students kept score on the board. This activity definitely calmed the situation.

A social/behavioral situation that I was in today was a good learning experience. One of the girls was talking with a boy who she said called her fat. The girl told me the situation and said that he is a jerk. I told both of them that I know they are both capable of being kind, respectful people. As I talked with them, the issue was resolved, since they were friends before the incident anyways.

February 23

The teacher is very community oriented. As I walked into the school today, she was visiting with students in the hallway. The students act as if she is a friend, but in a respectful manor. It is great that she is so approachable, and I hope to be an approachable educator. I think I am off on the right foot, considering the students do approach me and talk to me already. One student showed me the current book she is reading and told be a little bit about it. They also do not hesitate to ask me questions, which is good because I can use the practice!

When the teacher began passing out supplies to tables, it was as if the students just knew they should take their seats. There were some students who were not paying attention, but the majority of the students quickly found their seats and were attentive. When the students are not attentive, the teacher makes a "chatter box" on the board and scribbles in it. If the chatter box fills, the students are required to stay after class. Only a small portion of the chatter box was filled today since they were pretty well behaved.

The students continued to work on origami today. They made a dragon, flower, and horse (pictured). Each student was given a packet of origami animals, such as the class period on the 16th. They were still working their way through the packet to make all of the animals for practice, before the large project. It is taking much longer than the teacher had expected, as they still did not finish the packet today. The teacher assumed they would finish and still have time for a game that she had planned. It was a bit of a challenge just getting through three of the origami projects. Many of the students are experienced paper folders, and many of the students are very unfamiliar with it and seem to be slower in their development of fine motor skills. This made the step-by-step instruction that the teacher was conducting difficult. The teacher moved on to the next steps before everyone in the classroom had finished. I made it my job to walk around and catch up the students who had fallen behind. This was difficult for me, since I am also inexperienced in origami. I did the best I could to follow the directions, but I did have to ask the teacher some questions to further my own understanding. The students did not understand that the teacher had practiced these animals before, and I was simply tossed into the mix with no planning or preparation. They fired many questions, and I did the best that I could by responding, "Let's figure this out together." It was definitely a learning experience. It can be quite overwhelming to have multiple students demanding individual attention all at the same time. At the end of the day, it is rewarding to know that I have helped these students, even if it was a challenge. The final products and the smiles from students when they realized that they had just created a horse made the process worth it.

Assessing the students for the day meant that the teacher had to see the origami students made during class. She individually inspected them to make sure they were done correctly, and then the students were dismissed.

Since today was so busy, I did not get a chance to ask the teacher about her career choice. Hopefully there will be some down time during the next class period so I can ask her the specific blog questions.

February 16

<---- A sample of the project I made during an explanation. The 8th graders were practicing origami today. They learned basic folds on scrap paper. It took them a bit to catch on, since they were learning from two-dimensional photographs of how to fold along lines. It was a difficult concept for some, although others had done origami in elementary school and came in with prior knowledge of the subject. The teacher and I walked around the room and folded our own pieces for the students to view. It became easier if the students could watch the piece of paper right in front of them, rather than looking at images. The example pieces that the teacher and I were using were pretty small. If I were instructing the lesson, I would most likely use a very large sheet of colored paper and fold it against the surface of the wall in front. This would be easier for the students to see what folds need to be done where. The students were at much different paces than the instruction as well. Some fell miserably behind because they may have missed one step. Eventually, the teacher decided to start over, and when everyone was completed with a specific fold, they would hold it up in the air so she knew when to move on with her lesson. This process worked well. As the teacher went through the steps one-at-a-time, I walked around the room and helped the students catch up. The students then moved on to a bit more complex origami. The teacher handed out a packet of origami animals. The students made a ladybug and a dog today, as I practiced with them and helped them follow the directions in the packets. They were simply practicing with these animals, but their project will be a big version of these origami animals. From the packet, each student is supposed to select one animal and make it on a larger scale with better quality paper. These final products should be interesting!

Valentine's Day with the Middle Schoolers

The students watched a movie about art involving paper, and more specifically origami. The movie covered everything from how paper is made to contemporary artists that practice origami today. It was obviously an inspiration to the students, as there were many "ooh's" and "aah's" throughout the movie. The title was Between the Folds. Some of the artists' works were inspired by animals and realism. Others were inspired my geometric pattern or moving parts. The main thing I learned from observing the students and this movie is that, THEY LOVE FOLDING PAPER. There is something about turning a flat piece of paper, which is readily available in any school, into something extraordinary and three-dimensional. It is a definite must to include origami into my own lesson planning as a teacher, as most students are enthusiastic on the subject.

As the movie was playing, pieces of paper were passed out to keep their hands busy and interested in the subject at hand. Some of the students practiced folding and imitating the movie, while others were content sitting and watching. It is interesting to see how different learning styles of students are apparent, simply by observing them.

As the students were watching and folding, the teacher and I discussed grading. She showed me positive and negative space projects in which the students had completed before I began attending. This is a challenging project for some students, since positive and negative space is an abstract concept and tricky for some of the less experienced students. It was apparent that the students learned from the project, however. She went on to show me her rubric, which is universal for her projects, with little adjustments here and there. She also produces teacher comment sheets that apply to strengths and weaknesses, so she doesn't have to come up with original statements for every single rubric. She simply picks the relevant statements from her list and writes them on the rubric. Organization is obviously important to her, and is one of her strengths. Everything was organized in charts and lists. I appreciated seeing examples of this and hope to utilize the information and structure of her grading system in my own classroom.

When the movie was over, the students had to take their clay containers out of the bags and put them on a shelf for firing. The teacher holds them accountable for turning their projects in correctly and on time, in the right place.

first day in the classroom as a pre-student teacher

The cooperating teacher I am currently working with is very warm and welcoming. She was very curious about who I am and where I come from upon meeting her. She clearly stated what I could be doing during my visits, which was very open ended. She told me that I could sit and take notes or get involved if I desired to do so. Obviously, I chose to get involved. Before the students arrived, the teacher offered the chance for me to walk around in the very spacious art classroom. I observed where the materials were kept and what the storage facilities were like. there are three separated rooms with supplies and equipment all dedicated to the art room. These students are very fortunate to have such a nice space to work in.

As the class slowly shuffled in, I was told to introduce myself to the class once they were all situated. This took a few minutes since the students needed to get their supplies. Once the students were seated, I told them that my name is Ms. Alberg and I am a pre-student teacher from Stout. I explained that I will be a student teacher in the fall, and I also told them where I am from. As I introduced myself personally, I went on to explain that I am at the school to learn from them, but I am also there to help and assist their needs. I made clear that if they had questions or needed help, they could ask me. They seemed interested and were very curious to know who I was and what I was all about. Before my introduction, many students approached me and asked who I was, thinking I was a student teacher. I said hello and explained that I would be introducing myself within a few minutes.

I noticed that the students were taking out clay building supplies, along with their projects. They were making hand built clay containers with lids. The assignment was pretty open-ended, as they were simply assigned to make a container and personalize it.

Once the work day was up and running, I worked my way around the room. I jumped right in, which I have been hesitant to do in the past, and started some conversations. Most of the students were very willing to tell me about their projects. In fact, they wanted to show them off and asked for my opinion. I began conversations by giving each student a piece of positive feedback about their work, such as, "This is an interesting form." I would sometimes ask them what their inspirations were and how they came up with their ideas. I also assisted with some physical problems in the pots. It became problematic when lids were not fitting and I had to make suggestions and help come up with a resolution. I would periodically circle the tables and check back to see how the students were doing who needed my extra help. A handful of students specifically asked me how to do certain techniques and how to slip and score. It was nice to feel needed in the classroom.

I felt like I accomplished quite a bit, as many of the students made great progress within the hour. The teacher did not have to be as involved since I was there, which was probably a nice break for her. She did walk around to check on students, but I did most of the facilitating and prompting individually with each student. I asked the students what their names were when I spoke with them, but I have to admit that I only remember a handful of names. I am sure they will stick in good time.

Overall, the first day was fun and a good experience!

First Post

Today I was in contact with my cooperating teacher for pre-student teaching. I am starting my "observations" on February ninth. I plan on attending the school every Monday and Wednesday during a class called "Art Explore 8" until I have at least completed fifteen hours. At this rate, I will be spending two hours per week in the classroom and will likely be done by mid April. This seems to be a very manageable schedule for me and I am looking forward to getting started.

Over winterm, I completed fifty hours in an English language learner class and a learning disability classroom at a middle school. I observed, assisted, and even taught at the school. I was disappointed since I did not spend any time in the art room during this experience, so I am looking forward to applying what I learned in the ELL and LD room to an art classroom.

I am also looking forward to spending time at the middle/high school because I hope to teach at the secondary level.