Last Day

Yesterday was my last day observing at S. Elementary school. I was sad to say goodbye to Mrs. M, who I really respect, and to the students, who loved having my partner and I interact with them.

Drawing lines on the columns.

The 2nd grade class are currently learning about Classical Greek art, according to the art history timeline. They are focusing on Greek columns, which they are creating out of paper. Mrs. M reviewed with the class of what they learned about the columns. After a brief review session, the students gathered around the table and watched as Mrs. M gave a demonstration on how to make columns. She drew lines on a long piece of paper with a pencil, and connected the lines to the rounded shapes at the bottom of the paper. After drawing the lines in pencil, she went over them with graphite crayons. Then she told the students that they would have to decide which of the ancient orders of columns they wanted to draw on the rounded shapes. The choices they had were ones they had covered, which included Ionic, Corinthian, and Doric. After they had their lines and order drawn on the column, the students had to come up with 25 adjectives that described them. After the demonstration, students passed out supply buckets to the tables and got to work. Quite a few of the students seemed to have trouble coming up with 25 adjectives on their own, so I went around to a few of them and helped them brainstorm some that fit who they were.

Finished space landscapes.

4 grade continued working on their space landscapes. They created planets out of circles and colored them in with bright colors previously. When they got in the classroom, they gathered around the demonstration table, and Mrs. M showed them how to use charcoal to shade the planets and give them shadows and make them appear spherical. She also gave them glitter glue to use on their compositions to create stars. She showed them how to overlap the planets after they had been shaded in with charcoal to give a sense of depth. The students got right to work after the demonstration was over with. I helped a student with cerebral palsy throughout the class period. She was unable to move wrists or hands, and she could only communicate through making sounds. I helped her to grab the charcoal, and she moved her arm up and down in order to shade in the planet. Then I helped her to apply glue to the backs of the planets to put on the composition. After she had glued the planets on her landscape, I gave her the choice of what color glitter glue she wanted to use to add to her landscape, and helped her apply that. Trying to work with her when communication was not clearly understood was difficult, but it was an excellent learning experience nonetheless.  

Finished canopic jar.

The 3rd grade class are learning about canopic jars in their Ancient Egyptian unit right now (again, according to their art history timeline). Previously, they had used brown, black, and white paint and a sponge to stamp a long piece of paper to create a texture resembling stone. Mrs. M gave a demonstration on how to cut the canopic jar shapes out of the stone-stamped paper. She began by folding the paper in half, and then tracing half of the design on it. Then she cut it out, and afterward, traced faces on the "jars" with gold and silver paint markers. The students got right to work, and seemed to really like making the paper jars. One student got frustrated with tracing and cutting, as he wanted to make a jar that resembled a jackal. I helped him with proportions and show him what he needed to do to get the shape he wanted. After a quick one-on-one demonstration with him, he understood and got right to work. It was rewarding to see him come to an understanding of what needed to be done and how to achieve what he wanted. He was proud of his work after he cut out his jar and drew on it with paint marker. 

This experience has been wonderful overall. I have learned so much about the art education field, both through observing the classes Mrs. M taught, and through the advice she's given me. Interacting with the students was so much fun, especially when I got to teach. I loved seeing how each student engages in art, and what they take from it. I look forward to my next pre-student teaching experience in the coming months. Until then, thanks for reading!

The Return to the Other School

Finished Scarab necklace

Today I went back to S. Elementary, after going to J. Elementary for the past few weeks. The 2nd graders are currently working on scarab pendants made of clay in their Egyptian Art unit. Previously, they had etched their design onto the clay, and it had been fired and glazed a blue color. Today they were putting their necklaces together. Mrs. M briefly reviewed with the students what the Scarab god was known for in Egyptian mythology. The students remembered learning that the Egyptians believed that he made the sun rise. After the review, Mrs. M gave a short demonstration on how to tie the pendant on the string. Students were then given 10 pairs of beads to make their necklaces with. I passed out the pendants to the students, and once they received their pendants and beads, they got straight to work. The students really enjoy this project, and the fact that they can wear their project is very exciting for them. After they finished making their necklaces, students sketched or colored in their sketchbooks until the class period was up.

Before the next grade (4th) came in, Mrs. M told me that play-acting with the students is a good teaching technique in terms of behavior, as it stimulates and engages them in what they are learning. Mrs. M gave the "Sally Sassy, Sally Sweet" example, where she shows negative behavior, and then shows good behavior to the students, and they correct her on the negative behavior. This reinforces what good behavior and bad behavior look like in the classroom, and how they are expected to act.

A few minutes before the 4th grade class came in, two students with disabilities came in and were given a specialized demonstration of the project they would be working on. After she finished, the rest of the class came in. 4th grade continued working on space landscapes today. They had cut out circles of paper and colored them in, which acted as their planets. Today, they ripped up the painted paper left over from the circle cutouts to create the landscape. After ripping, the students used charcoal to add value to the landscape. Most of the class period, I helped a student with cerebral palsy rip the paper to create a landscape. I would ask her where she wanted the pieces, as I held them up to the black paper in different areas, and she would respond with a noise and a smile when I placed it where she wanted it. Then I helped her to shade in her planets with charcoal. This was very difficult, as she cannot grasp things too well, and, besides making noises, she cannot communicate. I had to try to decipher her facial expressions to understand what she wanted. She seemed upset when I tried to help her shade in the planets with charcoal. I found out later that she does not like to get her hands dirty, so I would wipe down her hands with a wet rag after shading.

Stone painting

3rd grade is learning about canopic jars in their Egyptian art unit, which they will be making out of paper. Mrs. M began the class with a demonstration on how to create a stone-looking texture on paper by dabbing a sponge in black, brown, and white paint and then dabbing it on the piece of paper. These colors combined together made a stone-like appearance. During the demonstration, Mrs. M asked the students questions about what they had learned previously about canopic jars and their functions. I was surprised with how much the students had retained from the previous lesson, as they were able to tell her what they were used for in various circumstances. After the demonstration, my partner and I handed out the paper the students would be sponging on, and Mrs. M handed out plates with the paint. The students got right to work, and I was surprised with how quiet they were today. I noticed some of the students were dabbing on the paper in the same direction, so I told them that they should alter the directions in which they sponge to create a more textured appearance. After class, the students picked up and washed up, and waited for Mrs. M to line them up. She reviewed what the had learned about canopic jars by table, and when each table gave her a correct answer, she would allow them to line up at the door.

5th grade came in shortly after 3rd grade left, and were watching a movie on mummies today. Mrs. M told them that they needed to take notes in their sketchbooks, as they would be using their notes to help them on the next project. She told them what they needed to look for and pay close attention to in order to take accurate notes. My partner and I did not stay more than 10 minutes after 5th grade came in, as we have been staying 3 hours at a time.

Before we left, Mrs. M brought out the students' finished Japanese scroll paintings from J. Elementary. She said that the students had really enjoyed the project, particularly when it came to writing in Japanese. Some of the projects turned out really nice. Overall, I'm glad they enjoyed the project.

Assessing Art

Mrs. M uses formative assessment in assessing art. She informed me that all art teachers have to attend training for formative assessment, which I did not know. She will walk around the classroom and look to make sure that students are understanding concepts of the lesson. She found that when she does this, she can catch problems earlier on and work with the student to correct the errors and help them understand what they need to do in order to meet expectations. As she walks around the room, she also stops by tables to ask students about their work to ensure that what they are doing in their work meets the objectives set in the lesson plan. She said that she assesses more on the process of creating more than the product. She has a clipboard that has the seating chart on it, and she places a symbol based on who understands the concepts taught and who does not. She prefers not to use rubrics.

I agree with Mrs. M's way of assessing a student's process of creating art rather than the actual product itself. By assessing a student's process, you are able to see whether they are really understanding the material and creating based on what they learned. Also, assessing based on the process essentially assesses their growth as an artist, which I believe is important. Assessing a product alone is not a good indicator as to how a student is growing, or whether they are really understanding the material or if they are just following directions and replicating a project. I would probably use a rubric myself, but I would definitely use formative assessment in my own classroom, and I would walk around as well to make sure to catch mistakes early on and check on student progress.

Last Day of Teaching

Brief activity testing memory of the Kana learned in the lesson.

Today was the final day of the Japanese scroll painting lesson. I had to wait to teach them for about 10 minutes, as there was a brief Veteran's Day ceremony held in the front of the school, where veterans talked about the holiday and its significance briefly. After the ceremony was finished, the students gathered back inside, and I taught the 4th graders about the Japanese writing system, which consists of scripts, or Kana, as they are called in Japan. The Kana in the writing system includes Hiragana (used for native words), Katakana (used more for foreign words), and Kanji (characters that hold various meanings). After teaching them about the writing system, I gave them a demonstration on how to write in Hiragana. The students were expected to write at least two adjectives in Japanese that described them. I gave each table a list of adjectives written in Hiragana to choose from. I showed them how Japanese is written horizontally rather than vertically. After the demonstration, the students continued their landscapes, as they had not finished them yet. They will work on writing in Japanese next class period since there was not as much time to work on the project as usual due to the ceremony.

Glazing

 5th grade continued to work on their face mugs. Since my last visit, the students have added the facial features, and the mugs have been fired. Today, the students are glazing their mugs. Mrs. M had set out different colored glazes at each table, and students would migrate to the tables where the colored glaze they wanted was. I enjoyed seeing how each student's mug had turned out, and the students are excited to be able to use them.

Finished mask.

The 3rd grade class was finishing up their masks. The students experimented using hole punchers and creating holes in the colored paper so they could tie raffia at the ends, and some of them even weaved the raffia through each hole and tied the ends together. They also put beads onto the raffia strands, and glued them onto the masks as well. A lot of them turned out looking really nice, and the students were really proud of their work. They kept coming up to me, asking me to take pictures of their work, as they saw me take this picture I have to the right of a finished project. It was great to see how much pride and confidence they had in their work. At the end of class, Mrs. M asked them what they learned from the project, and the students talked about the functions of masks, the process of creating them, and what they learned about symmetry. It's a joy for me to see how much these students cling to the projects and what they take out of them.

I had so much fun teaching the 4th graders about Japanese scroll paintings! The whole process from making the lesson to teaching it was, quite honestly, a blast! And it was really rewarding for me to see how the students appreciated this lesson and how much they retained each time I reviewed with them. Some of the time constraints were frustrating, as I felt rushed in the lesson and demonstration at times so they could get to work a little bit. If I could tweak anything about the lesson, I think I would like to have taught them more about the writing system and gave them some practice writing a few words on their own. However, with the time constraints, it was tricky to incorporate something like that into the lesson. I think I will use this lesson for my own class, but make changes according to grade level and where they are in skill level, and then I will not be as limited, and I can incorporate more practice exercises into the lesson. Overall, it was a good learning experience, and I can't wait to see the finished work!

Teaching: Round 2

Current project sample.

Today I continued the lesson I'm teaching the 4th grade students at J. Elementary. I reviewed briefly with the 4th graders about what we had learned last class time I taught them, and was glad to hear that they had retained much of the information that had been presented to them. Today I taught them about space in a composition, particularly about foreground, middle ground, and background. I went through a PowerPoint presentation that discussed the differences between the three planes, and at the end, I showed them a picture and they had to tell me which area highlighted was which type of plane. After the activity, I gave a demonstration on how to incorporate foreground, middle ground, and background into their gradation paintings, which is the next step in making their scroll paintings. I took my gradation painting project sample from last time and I added mountains, a stream flowing toward the foreground, and some trees. I showed the students where each of the objects in the composition lay in terms of foreground, middle ground, and background. After my demonstration, I instructed the students to begin creating their landscapes, keeping the different planes in mind.

Adding facial features.

5th grade continued to work on their face jugs. They are assembling their mugs, and are giving their mugs all sorts of wacky features, and it is interesting to see what each student creates. One of the students, for example, decided to create a "breakfast face", which incorporates bacon for the mouth, eggs for the eyes, and sausage for the nose. Some of the students had problems with their features not staying on, so I showed them how to score the surface of the mug, and then to put a liberal amount of water on, and smooth down. This appeared to have helped in keeping facial features on after that.

Symmetrical mask with raffia and
beads incorporated.

3rd grade is continuing to work on their masks. They are still applying designs using Sharpie markers and the gold and silver paint markers, but some of the students have moved on to using raffia and beads. They were allowed to use up to 10 pairs of beads on their masks. Some of the students decided to hole punch their colored construction paper and weave the raffia through it and then tie beads onto the loose strands. The students really enjoy this project, and they loved being able to incorporate different colored beads on their masks.

Teaching Art Criticism and Aesthetics in the Classroom

Mrs. M teaches students about art criticism by holding mini critiques for the grades by doing a walk around the table and talking about each others work. Students will begin by giving a positive comment, and then give a comment on what they could do differently, and then offer another positive comment. As the students critique each other's work, Mrs. M expects them to be specific in their answers; they cannot just say "I like this" or "I don't like this", they need to give reasons why something is or is not successful and what they can do to make it more successful. She touches slightly on aesthetics in 5th grade, but they do not seem to understand the concept very much. 


I like Mrs. M's method of critiquing art with the table walk-around, and being able to talk about everyone's work. I think it's nice that she incorporates the sandwich critique method, which is something I have heard about previously, and want to use in my own classroom critiques. I think that teaching aesthetics is difficult for younger students, especially since they are not at the point where they may be able to discuss what makes the artwork beautiful in detail, but teaching it to older students in a condensed fashion that they would understand might work. I may try to teach older elementary school students (grades 4 and 5) a little bit about aesthetics in art criticism, and if I see a consistent trend of students not understanding it, I may leave it alone until middle school.

Let the Teaching Commence!

Teaching 4th grade about Japanese scroll paintings and the
its functions.

Today my partner and I taught the 4th graders about Japanese scroll paintings at J. Elementary. The lesson today began with my partner covering the principles by which the Japanese follow when creating art. After she taught, I taught the students about Japanese scroll paintings and their meaning and functions. Then I taught them about gradation in a landscape, which they will be utilizing in their scroll painting. After teaching, I gave them a demonstration on how to paint a gradation on a long piece of paper which will act as their scroll. The students were really excited to be doing this project and learn about this Japanese art, especially once I revealed to them that eventually they will be learning to write in Japanese. The students did not have time to really dive into the lesson, as they had a late start day (where they begin 45 minutes later than normal), and so we had a limited amount of time to get through everything. It was frustrating, but a good lesson to me on how to gauge time in lessons better.

Today my partner and I had to leave early, so we stayed for our teaching and then left J. Elementary for the day.

Here is the lesson plan my partner and I used: