My student teaching experience has allowed me to see in a very practical way how teaching works. I am able to put into practice the many things that I have learned up to this point. I am also learning through this experience what areas of practice I need to grow in to be a more effective teacher.
In the area of planning for instruction, I have realized that I need to encourage deeper level thinking by creating more thought-provoking essential questions. My essential questions should drive further inquiry. I am also still trying to figure out how to structure lessons so that there is more time for students to conduct their own research. Part of this research should include students finding or taking multiple reference photos. I am learning that inquiry driven lessons as well as student research will cause students to be more engaged and invested in their projects. Since my first lesson that was observed, I taught the intro to art classes how to take their own reference images in class, and they did get really excited and creative about how they set up different objects around the room. After this lesson, I assigned them to take several reference images at home. I learned that because we rarely ever assign homework and only gave them one day to take reference images, most of them did not take pictures outside of class, or their images were not as strong as the ones that they had taken in class the day before. In the future, I will have them use the reference images that they take in class. I am just starting to understand how to structure essential questions, and I plan to use what I am learning to push students to deeper level thinking in my next lesson plan.
Another area that I know I need to grow in is including more demonstrations throughout each project. I also struggled with maintaining engagement when I was standing at the front of the room presenting. To help in this area, I bought a remote for the projector so that I can walk around the room when I am introducing a new project. As I walked around, I noticed an improvement in student engagement. I was able to make sure that students were on task and not distracting others in the back of the classroom. I still need to work on a way within my classroom set-up to allow students to gather around a table while I demonstrate specific techniques. In my printmaking lesson, when I show the students how to use a carving tool, I plan to try gathering them around a student table in the middle of the classroom while I demonstrate. We also talked at my last meeting about including physical examples of objects for students to look at when drawing, and I plan on starting to collect objects throughout the rest of this year.
One of my strengths in working with the students is creating a positive learning environment. I need to continue to greet my students daily and continue talking to them as they work to get to know each ofmy students individually. As I learn more about my students, I will be even more effective at planning engaging lessons that align with their interests.
After my first observation, we talked about including a rubric for each project that students can see from the beginning so that they know what they are being graded on. After this lesson, I made my own rubrics for the printmaking unit I am starting with the drawing and design class. I also plan to talk through each rubric as I introduce each new project. These rubrics will also be posted on Schoology where students can refer to them at any point. Also, as I am walking around and conducting formative assessments, I need to be more proactive in asking the students questions about their work. Asking questions regarding their intentions will push students to think more deeply about the choices that they are making and result in more informed decision-making throughout the process. I will also be able to address off-task behavior more easily when I make sure to visit the students that typically have a hard time focusing first.
Another one of my strengths is my good relationships with both my mentor teacher as well as other staff at the school. I am able to take feedback from my mentor and work to implement it as I teach in the classroom. She has been a valuable resource for me as I am just starting out. She will often write down feedback for me if I am presenting. Because of our schedule, I teach two drawing classes in a row as well as two intro to art classes. After the first time that I teach, I can use the feedback that she gives me right away as I teach the second class. I have found that the second time around, I am usually better at explaining or demonstrating the steps for the day. I also continue my professional relationships by being on-time to all school activities, and have communicated with my mentor teacher when I needed to be absent for one day. I was also able to attend a curriculum development meeting with my mentor as the district is restructuring some of the art classes across all grade levels. I found this day very interesting as I was able to see how curriculum planning works at a district level.
The feedback that I am receiving this semester is helping me to reflect on specific areas in which I can grow as an art teacher. I have found that my student teaching experience is both enjoyable and challenging. I am still learning how students at different age levels think and learn. I am excited to continue working to refine my teaching practices and grow my practical knowledge of how to engage students in the classroom.