I love kids. I have always enjoyed being around children, caring for children, coaching, teaching and playing with children. But for some reason when I enrolled at the University of Iowa, I chose a major that had nothing to do with kids-- I chose to become an art major. I took computer art and graphic design classes in high school, and was SURE that was what I wanted to do with my life. I was urged by my teachers in high school to continue on in graphic design, so I began on my journey as a full-time art major. After Western Art and Culture after 1400 and Design Fundamentals, I wasn't so sure I was in the right place. I hated tediously memorizing dates and artists, and dreaded the classroom drained of creativity in Design Fundamentals. After a mini panic attack and a dreadful ride home on the beloved Studio Arts bus, I walked through the Pentacrest rambling to my mom faster than my lips could keep up. She asked what I didn't like about my classes, what I thought I wanted to do, what was missing, who I could talked to... etc. etc., the typical motherly responses. It wasn't until she mentioned the kids I babysit for at home that I realized I missed having kids around. I enjoy interacting and learning from kids, and being the one to help them experience and learn things for the first time.
Eureka! That was it! I wanted to be a teacher! I wanted to be the one to watch faces light up when my students suddenly understood something. But I hate math, I'm terrible at science, and I couldn't never be a writing teacher... so what were my options? I went out on a limb with the teacher idea and added Pre-Elementary Education as my second major. Something made me want to keep art as well, so I thought why not combine the two? It's not that I didn't enjoy making art in my classes, but that I wanted to use art in a different way-- as means of communication and learning with young students. As I began my journey towards the Teacher Education Program, I gained experience in classrooms, continued with my art classes, and realized that I was happy to learn the things being taught to me. Rather than unsure and nervous, I felt like I was right where I was supposed to be.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
January 23, 2011-- Artist vs. Teacher
As artists, we have all been injected with a large dose of creativity and innovation-- whether we like it or not. In the classroom, these skills are helpful as we try to stay afloat in the sea of information-hungry students. We're curious, hardworking, and imaginative as well... More characteristics of an artist, that when coupled with the love of teaching, create a well-crafted art teacher. Patience also seems to be a big factor in the art room, especially when working with younger students. As artists, we're often used to working on projects for days and weeks at a time.. something that requires a lot of patience on our part. Bringing this particular skill into the classroom is one that will be a big help when first beginning to teach. Bringing our own art into our future classrooms is also a helpful way to blend the line between artist and teacher. Becoming a teacher doesn't mean we are no longer an artist or no longer have time to create work-- in fact, it should be the opposite. An art teacher can't be a teacher without first being an artist, and can't be an artist without some sort of teaching. The two, which go hand in hand within the art room, are important to see separately as well as together as one. As a teacher, continuing to create art is necessary if you're going to be teaching others about art. Setting aside weekly time to create art, sketch, brainstorm project ideas, etc. will help keep the juices flowing in the "art" half of our brains. Continuing to be creative and innovative will give life and power to the things we teach in the classroom.
Vieth starts by separating the two-- artist and teacher. By looking at the two roles separately, Vieth looks at significant qualities of each before examining the role of "art teacher" and performing the acts in tandem. Both artists and teachers have the opportunity to share knowledge and skills, as well as enthusiasm for their field. But when combined, this opportunity becomes even greater and the art teacher is able to be a leader to students. As art teachers, Vieth says we need to be actively involved in producing art. This way, we'll continue to maintain perspective and self esteem as an artist, before passing these traits on and teaching students to be artists as well. Without practicing our own set of skills, we will have no fine-tuned skills to teach our students. Like the example Vieth gives, by participating in the same projects assigned to our students, we will not only put ourselves on the same level as them, but also maintain our own set of skills and techniques. This is also another way to balance teaching technique with creativity-- demonstrating and showing students specific techniques, as well as using your own ideas and innovation to teach creativity. It will also be impossible to avoid "road bumps" along the way, but these teachable moments will allow us to respond to and challenge students in unexpected ways.
Vieth starts by separating the two-- artist and teacher. By looking at the two roles separately, Vieth looks at significant qualities of each before examining the role of "art teacher" and performing the acts in tandem. Both artists and teachers have the opportunity to share knowledge and skills, as well as enthusiasm for their field. But when combined, this opportunity becomes even greater and the art teacher is able to be a leader to students. As art teachers, Vieth says we need to be actively involved in producing art. This way, we'll continue to maintain perspective and self esteem as an artist, before passing these traits on and teaching students to be artists as well. Without practicing our own set of skills, we will have no fine-tuned skills to teach our students. Like the example Vieth gives, by participating in the same projects assigned to our students, we will not only put ourselves on the same level as them, but also maintain our own set of skills and techniques. This is also another way to balance teaching technique with creativity-- demonstrating and showing students specific techniques, as well as using your own ideas and innovation to teach creativity. It will also be impossible to avoid "road bumps" along the way, but these teachable moments will allow us to respond to and challenge students in unexpected ways.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
January 20, 2011-- Experiences in High School.
For the most part, I enjoyed high school. I kept myself surrounded by a close group of friends and kept busy in extracurricular activities. But thinking back to it, I never want to go back... The stress, pressure, and uncertainty that go along with high school make me value my freedom being away at college. In HS, grades mattered a lot more to me. I feared the repercussions of not handing in a paper on time, walking in late to class, talking back to a teacher, getting dress-coded, etc. Now, I can't imagine why I ever spent time trying to be a perfectionist in high school. None of the things I worried about then, matter to me anymore.. especially the girl drama that came along with almost every situation. I was a pretty good student in HS, which came naturally, so I spent a lot of time focusing on the social aspect of things.
I'm very nervous about working with high school students, because I think I'm a very different person than I was back then. I'm also really shy! I'd like to be some sort of authority figure to the students, but at the same time I want to be their friend and identify with what it is exactly that interests them. That's what I wish all my teachers would have done. I fear that HS students will see us as simply their peers, when in fact we have information and skills to share and teach to them. I think at the same time we are teaching them, they will teach as well as remind us, what it means to be in HS in 2011. Although I'm only 3 years post-graduation, it seems like a new world to me now. I hope I will learn more about how high school is changing, and if it's a good change... how art is being treated in the curriculum today. I also think the students will be able to teach us techniques and ideas they've developed outside of the classroom. I'm excited to learn these things the most, and am also excited to be someone that these HS students can look up to. I wish I would have been able to participate in a program like UAYSFA, and gain connections to older students like us to learn from.
I'm very nervous about working with high school students, because I think I'm a very different person than I was back then. I'm also really shy! I'd like to be some sort of authority figure to the students, but at the same time I want to be their friend and identify with what it is exactly that interests them. That's what I wish all my teachers would have done. I fear that HS students will see us as simply their peers, when in fact we have information and skills to share and teach to them. I think at the same time we are teaching them, they will teach as well as remind us, what it means to be in HS in 2011. Although I'm only 3 years post-graduation, it seems like a new world to me now. I hope I will learn more about how high school is changing, and if it's a good change... how art is being treated in the curriculum today. I also think the students will be able to teach us techniques and ideas they've developed outside of the classroom. I'm excited to learn these things the most, and am also excited to be someone that these HS students can look up to. I wish I would have been able to participate in a program like UAYSFA, and gain connections to older students like us to learn from.
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| There's No Eye in Team, 2010 |
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