Children's Art Club: A Lesson in Manga Drawing

Tonight, at Children's Art Club, the children learned about Eastern Asian art, particularly from countries including China, Japan, and Korea. After the presentation was over, I taught older elementary school and middle school age children how to draw manga. I reviewed with them where manga came from and what characteristics manga had. I then showed them an example of some manga I bought straight from Japan when I went there in 2007, and then I showed them some American-styled comics and asked them to contrast the two styles. Afterward, I gave them a demonstration on how to draw their own manga faces, and gave them each their own sheet that contained examples of manga-styled eyes and hairstyles. Some of the children really liked learning about and drawing manga, some of the other children were not interested in the lesson at all, and preferred to draw in their own style.

Curriculum Planning

When I asked Mrs. M about how she plans her curriculum, she said that the overreaching curriculum is previously set for the year; there is a curriculum binder that comes with suggested set lesson plans. Her first year teaching, she tried to teach straight from the binder's lesson plans, but found that some did not have the desired effect in terms of holding the students' interest, and the projects were found to come out looking very much the same. So now, while Mrs. M keeps to the spirit of the curriculum (i.e. the art history timeline), she has deviated from the curriculum binder, and now assigns projects that have proven to be successful in keeping the students' attention, and the projects are similar in their approach, but different in their appearance. She has found that she can be flexible with the curriculum, though she keeps the focus on a common theme, but may vary the projects that go with that theme. And while the objectives and content may be similar, there are various directions that a project can be taken. Ultimately, she is flexible in her approach to deciding what to include in her curriculum, and she reflects at the end of every year what projects were successful, and which could be tweaked or taken out completely.

I think it's nice that there is a binder that includes lesson plans of what should be covered with students by grade, but I would not go off of that alone. Depending on the lesson, I might take elements I deem as important for students to learn and create a different, more stimulating lesson with them. However, if I like the lesson enough, and I think it will be beneficial to the students' learning, then I will use it as it is. I think I would end up using certain lessons in the binder to try them out and see the results, and if they come back negative, I would know to either tweak the project or take it out completely, whereas if they came back positive, I would probably keep the project. Ultimately, I hope my job does not come down to me having to abide by a set curriculum by the school. I want to be able to plan my lessons on my own, and I want to teach them the way I think students will benefit the most from them. And if my way does not work the first time, then I can reflect on how to make my lesson more effective, which is all part of being a reflective practitioner. However, if I cannot plan my lessons, how can I reflect on building effective lessons in the future? 

A New School!

Classroom at J. Elementary

Today was my first day at the other elementary school where Mrs. M teaches! My partner and I were supposed to do our lesson on Japanese scroll paintings today, but we had some technical difficulties with the computer, so we decided to teach two weeks from now after talking to Mrs. M about what day would be best to teach next.

Student adding texture to her
leaf.

Today was a late start for the school, where students begin their first class at 8:45 instead of 8:00. The 4th graders were the first to have class, and they continued to work on clay leaf bowls, which focuses on texture. The students received their leaf bowls from the students who were assigned to pass back artwork, and then they went to the supply cart to obtain tools for making texture between the veins of the leaves. Mrs. M taught them about enhancing their art work through adding the texture to their bowls, and were expected to have different kinds of textures on their bowls. After the students were finished making their textures, they placed the clay leaf over the top of a bowl, and pressed down to create the actual bowl shape. The students used the entire class period to do this project. At the end of the class period, each table cleaned up after themselves.

Face mug in progress

Next class to come in was 5th grade. The students are working on face mugs, which is a folk art lesson based off of face jugs. For her demonstration, Mrs. M taught the students how to attach separate clay pieces by smoothing and spreading the clay using water before shaping the clay pieces. Some of the students had problems getting their pieces, such as their handles, to stay on, so I urged them to be liberal with their water usage on their clay face jugs, as they were not adding very much water in order to get their pieces to stay.

Creating symmetrical designs on
the mask with a gold paint marker.

The 3rd grade class has been learning about masks and what functions they play in various cultures. They are exploring symmetry within their multicultural lesson, and they used black, brown, and tan construction paper to cut out masks. Once the masks were cut out, they picked out colored construction paper to put the mask over. After they were done with that step, they took sharpie markers, and later gold and silver paint markers and drew symmetrical designs on their masks. They really enjoyed getting to use the paint markers, but Mrs. M warned them to be careful not to shake them up too much before using, because if they did, when they opened the cap, the paint could spray out. After being told this, a few of the students wanted me to open the markers up for them, as they did not want to create a mess.

It was fun getting to know new faces today, both for my partner and I, and for the students we helped as well. They seemed to appreciate our presence more than the students at the other school did, which was made evident when some of the 3rd graders at the end of class clung on to my partner and I, as they did not want to leave us, fearing that they would never see us again after being told we would not be coming all the time. The students have a hard time wanting to leave Mrs. M's classroom, as they really love Mrs. M and the projects she assigns. I talked to one of the 3rd graders today, and she said that art is her favorite subject, and that Mrs. M makes it a fun learning experience. Her favorite project so far is the mask that she's been working on in class, and she said Mrs. M assigns fun projects.

Classroom Management

Mrs. M's rules follow closely with PBIS. Students have chances to engage in good behavior, and when they do, they are given tickets, which they can redeem them for rewards such as having lunch with Mrs. M, which many of the students desire apparently. When students are not behaving according to expectations, Mrs. M pulls the student aside or keeps them for a few minutes after class to explain and discuss with the student what needs to be done correctly next time, essentially reteaching the expectation to them. Students who regularly do not follow the rules and expectations are given a quick slip, which goes to their homeroom teacher, letting them know what rule or expectation they did not follow. If this continues, a note goes home to the parents. And if students get 3 quick slips, they get an office referral. Students who are frequently getting quick slips get a clipboard that they have to bring to every class, and at the end of class, the teacher goes over behaviors and expectations with them and, according to their behavior for that day, will give them a smiley face, a neutral face, or a sad face. The expectations and rules are posted in the classroom at the front. To monitor her class, Mrs. M has the word "Art" written, each letter on a separate page, clipped up front for students to see. If the class gets too rowdy, Mrs. M says she is taking the "A" down. Every time a letter is taken down, students lose certain privileges.

When it comes to bathroom and drink breaks, students are required to ask Mrs. M. Most teachers take a bathroom or drink stop before stopping at the classroom. Because of this, Mrs. M does not usually allow students to go to the bathroom or get a drink. Some students also use these breaks as an excuse to get out of doing projects, with these students, Mrs. M only allows them to go if it is an emergency.

In the schools, safety is an issue that is covered regularly. Mrs. M talks to her students throughout the year about what supplies they will be using with each project, and not to misbehave with the supplies, as they can hurt someone. If Mrs. M sees someone misbehaving while handling a hazardous object (like scissors), she will remove that object from the misbehaving student. Depending on the class, if Mrs. M feels that students are not capable of handling tools correctly, she will not assign a project, as it can become hazardous.

Mrs. M will sometimes allow students to borrow materials if they are behind on a project. At S. Elementary, not a lot of the students have markers, colored pencils, or other such materials, and are nervous to ask to borrow some, so Mrs. M will sometimes sneak some supplies into the students' backpacks if she has large quantities. She also gets a lot of requests from students to borrow her drawing books, so she will make a copy of the page they want to look at and give that to the student.

I think Mrs. M's rules lining up with PBIS is a good behavior monitor and motivator for the students. I remember when I was in elementary school how I would behave well in order to get tickets and redeem them for little prizes, or to have lunch with one of my favorite teachers, as we had a similar system when I was young. I think reteaching expectations is an excellent way to promote good behavior and let students know what that looks like. I like how there are not too many rules, in that students feel that they have no freedom to express themselves or do anything, but not too few in that students run wild in the school. I may try to model my own rules using PBIS in order to promote good behavior amongst my students, and if they misbehave, reteaching them the expectations that I have for the classroom.
In monitoring her class, I think using the "ART" method, where she takes a letter down when students are getting too rowdy is a great idea. No student wants to lose privileges, so after being warned once that they are one step closer to getting privileges revoked, of course they will quiet down.

Mrs. M's way of handling bathroom and drink breaks makes sense, especially if students had the chance to go to the bathroom or get a drink of water before class when their teacher had them stop by on the way. I can also understand why Mrs. would be wary of letting students go to take a bathroom/drink break, as they could try to get out of working on a project for a time, I remember doing that with math when I was in middle school.

In regards to Mrs. M's approach to safety, I think I would take the same approach. If I felt that my students did not seem like they were capable of handling tools correctly, I think I would revise my projects to not include certain tools if I know that students cannot handle them correctly.

Day 2 in the Classroom

Totem pole paintings

Today was my second day observing at S. Elementary! Today's groups were different than last week's, as the school's schedule rotates (A days, B days). 2nd grade worked on finishing up their totem poles today by painting them with tempera paint. The students were required to use colors that would be found on totem poles, such as brown, black, white, red, blue, and orange. Mrs. M talked to them about mixing colors and told them to use small paintbrushes for details, and large paintbrushes to color in large spaces.

4th grade is continuing to work on their leaf prints, but are now exploring warm and cool colors by

Adding a warm colored
background to contrast with
the cool colors in the leaves.

adding paint to the leaves that are either warm or cool, and painting the background the opposite of what they chose for the leaves. Mrs. M showed the students how to do this in a demonstration, and she used a sponge to make a stamped background of the opposite color used in the leaves. As she did her demonstration, she reviewed with them what they had previously learned about warm and cool colors. After the demonstration was over, the students got supplies out for other tables and then got to work either finishing their leaf prints, or stamping the background and leaves. Students who finished the project were able to sketch in their sketchbooks before class was dismissed for the day.

Finished clay cave drawing

3rd grade continued to work on their clay cave drawings. They used clay tools to create texture and designs on their clay slabs. There was a student who was physically impaired who had an aid help her draw designs onto the clay, and helps her move her hands. Through this project, students are learning about texture, repetition in design and symbolism, pattern, and line. Once they finished drawing their designs, they sketched in their sketchbook. Next time they come in, the clay slabs will be fired and they will glaze them.

 My partner and I have decided to spend about 3 hours at the school each week, so we left shortly after the 5th grade class came in. They started their unit on Ancient Egyptian art, according to the art history timeline Mrs. M follows in her lessons.

Why Mrs. M Chose Art as a Profession

 When Mrs. M had some prep time on the first day, I asked her why she chose to teach art. She said that she has always liked to teach others how to do things, and she has been doing this since before she became a teacher. She taught lamaze informally at a hospital for years, which is where she learned that she loved to teach. Throughout her life, she has had an interest in art, especially in ceramics. There was going to be an opening at an elementary school for an art teacher in the next few years, as the current teacher of that school was looking to retire. She wanted that position, so she decided to go back to college to get a degree in art education. She graduated from UW Stout with her B.S. in Art Education, and applied to where she is currently teaching, as an art teacher position opened up closer to her home than where she had originally intended to apply.

I think it's cool how Mrs. M had years of teaching experience before becoming an art teacher, as she had the opportunity to teach several different age groups. I was also pleased to find that she and I have a common love for ceramics. I admire Mrs. M for going back to school at an older age (she had three children at the time she went back to school) to get a degree that combines the two things she loves: art and teaching.

The Adventure Begins!

Classroom at S. Elementary

Today was my first pre-teaching experience! I drove to the elementary school I was assigned to with my partner for the practicum. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous about meeting Mrs. M, but upon meeting her, I found her to be a kind-hearted and sincere individual, who has great compassion for her students. I observed the 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5 minutes of the 5th grade classes. For each of the classes, Mrs. M had my partner and I introduce ourselves before going on to introduce or continue working on the next project. We told them that we were from UW Stout and that we want to become art teachers like Mrs. M The students from each grade level appeared to love having us there, and kept glancing over at us during our visit. The room was nicely set up, with lots of artifacts and posters to inspire the students. Art supplies were organized on shelves near Mrs. M's desk, cubbies were organized for student work by class, and student sketchbooks and drawing books were located on a bookshelf. The tables were organized by color, which was taped onto the table.

When the classes would come in, they would come in with their teacher, and the teacher would leave once everyone was sitting in the classroom. The classes were pretty good about coming in and waiting for Mrs. M to instruct them. Mrs. M would always welcome them to the classroom, and would briefly review the previous lesson with each of the classes. If classes got too rowdy in this process (or throughout the class period), as everyone wanted to answer her questions, Mrs. M would use a clap rhythm that the class would repeat back to her to get their attention. After the brief review session, Mrs. M would hold a demonstration at a table, where she would make sure everyone was paying attention and could see what she was doing. She would also ask questions to the students to make sure they were paying attention throughout the demonstration. At the end of the class period, she would ring chimes and tell everyone to freeze, which signaled that it was time to clean up. 

Working on sketching a design for the totem pole.

2nd grade is learning about totem poles and their significance in Native American culture. Mrs. M reviewed parts of the lesson students had previously learned the day before. The students seemed to remember a lot of what they had learned, and answered Mrs. M's review questions with confidence in their answer. After the quick review session, Mrs. M had the students gather over to a table where she gave a demonstration on drawing totem poles on large pieces of paper, as they had previously drawn totem poles in their designated sketchbooks. The students were expected to include three animals on their totem poles. She asked students questions about the lesson as she was demonstrating to ensure that students were paying attention and were retaining the information given to them. After demonstrating, some of the students went back to their seats, and some of the students were given "jobs", such as handing out the sketchbooks and getting supplies for each table, which were designated by color. At the end of class, other students will put the supplies back where they belong, collect artwork, and put away sketchbooks. Mrs. M gave students the nice paper to draw their totem poles on after they got their design drawn in their sketchbook approved. The students worked on their totem poles, and I walked around the room to check on students' work and to help any struggling students. The students were on-task during class, and at the end, were good about picking up their supplies and going back to their seats quietly. Mrs. M dismissed the class by table when they answered a review question correctly. 

Leaf printing

4th grade is learning about the Elements of Design right now, and in this lesson, after the demonstration, they painted leaves white with paint and then pressed them onto a piece of long black paper. After being pressed onto the paper, the leaves' texture was evident, which is what they were learning about as an element in design. The students were allowed to use three different kinds of leaves in their composition. Many of the students liked seeing how the leaves left texture on the black paper after they pressed them down. A few students got done early, so they were allowed to sketch or color in their sketchbooks, or they could read some of the books in the back of the classroom. After class was over, Mrs. M reviewed the concepts of texture with them, and they lined up quietly to go on to their next class. 

Drawing into clay

3rd grade is learning about Prehistoric art, according to the art history timeline Mrs. M bases many of her lessons on. The students learned about cave paintings and drawings, and the significance of the symbols they used to portray events in their everyday lives. They were given square clay slabs to trace their cave drawings into. They used a variety of clay tools and even some random tools such as toothbrushes to create textures, which they were also exploring in this lesson. 

I loved my first day at the elementary school, and I can't wait to go back! I can already tell that I will love being an art teacher!