Teaching Artist Practicum:
Placement #1: Urban Arts Academy, Preschool, Wednesday 12:45 - 4:15 (3.5 Hours)
Placement #2: Whittier International Elementary School, Teachers Susan Buchholz and Angela Olson, Kindergarten, Monday 12:00 - 3:00 (3 Hours)
Shadowing: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Angela Olson, No Shadowing Opportunity This Week
Urban Arts Academy - Preschool
Wednesday, May 8th, 12:45 - 4:15 (3.5 Hours)
My last day at Urban Arts Academy was this week! 😥I arrived early in order to touch base with the teachers about my project, and there were many surprises. First, both head teachers knew I was teaching, but they informed me they had already cut paper and traced everyone’s bodies on paper sheets for the project. I was a little disappointed since it was part of my project, but then appreciated the time saving gesture… until I realized they traced all the bodies on bright green paper. This made me upset, because my lesson was reliant on using multi colored drawings on white paper like my example. I disregarded this after awhile, and I gave my mini presentation in front of the preschoolers that, in my opinion, went well! I read them the book I got, and asked them about self portraits, and asked them what sort of things they liked about themselves both outside and on the inside. I also had them point things out on my example and we talked about what some of my favorite things were and things I included that they could also include. Some students were super excited about how big the paper was that they were going to draw on, which was great to see - something new! After my speech, the teachers informed me that we’d be completing the drawings in the gym, during the class gym time so the students had more room. I learned that when you put small students in a gym, with gym toys… they are going to want to play instead of draw. Also, when you have a set of markers and you distribute them amongst children in a gym and each marker has two caps each… well let’s just say it was an issue finding them. Then, the other preschool class came down to the gym for their gym time, and then part of that class began the art activity while half of them played. There’s was so much going on at one time I was a bit overwhelmed because nothing I had planned for my project was working as I had hoped.
I had over 30 preschoolers attempting to try and do their traced body self portraits in a gym, and many of them coming to me asking for a certain colored marker they couldn’t find. I had a student get so frustrated he crumpled up his paper entire (see picture below). I think some of the students were engaged and created some great images on their bodies, but some other students were lost with so many things going on at once in this space. I feel the classroom would have been a better place to do the project. I did my best to roll with the punches and enjoy it. I was disappointed to see the finished products get rolled up and put away before I had the chance to cut any out or offer to hang them up which was my original plan. I guess this is why we are asked to share the lesson plan with the lead teachers. But my lead teacher was new so we ran into those problems.
Although my lesson didn’t go how I planned it at all, I still enjoyed my last day with the students. I had one student assure me that my time at Urban Arts “Was good while it lasted!” At the end of the day, I made sure Mrs.Brown took some pictures for me with the entire class, they are a great bunch of kids. I wish I would have had more control over my project, and I wish I would have gotten many more pictures of student work before they got rolled up and put away. Although there’s much that could use changing, it was a great opportunity, and is very useful for reflecting on my teaching practice. I think it says a lot about the relaxed attitudes at urban arts and sporadic nature of very small children. I really really hope that the students got something out of my lesson, I think they could grasp a good amount of what I was saying during our talk before we started the drawing. While I was in the classroom, Tamar came and found me and thanked me for an evaluation I had filled out for her, thanked me for all my effort at Urban Arts, and even said she’d be delighted to write me a letter of recommendation.
I am extremely lucky to have had this placement this semester, and I would love to come back again and visit some day. The people there are wonderful, supportive, and there was never a dull moment in the classroom. This experience was extremely beneficial and one I will not forget!
Whittier International Elementary - Kindergarten
Monday, May 6th, 12:00 - 3:00 (3 Hours)
On Monday, I completed another day at Whittier! The day was similar to the previous times I’ve been there. I read with a student one on one during read to self, helped with various activities in the classroom, like math patterns, word/letter worksheets, and helped student write in their workbooks. Again, I am really getting close with the students and I feel like even though it’s little, I’m making a difference in their lives and the classroom as a whole. Whittier has become an extremely comforting, welcoming, and overall a fun environment for me, so it will be hard for me to leave next week! I’ve also loved getting to know Susan, Angela, and the various other faculty members that I run into each day. I will keep this one short, so prepare for a conclusion to this placement next week.
I will have one extra journal as an update on my last day at Whittier next week, Monday May 13th!
Minneapolis Institute of Art - Open Studio Day Shadowing
No Shadowing Opportunity This Week
Personal Update
For my Ideation and Process Final, I completed a set of Mixed Media Postcards, thought I would share… so here are a few! Hoping to sell postcard booklets at next years art sale! ✂️ 🗒🐙
