Reflection
SUCCESS
Preparation
The preparation for every lesson, although time consuming was really helpful during class. we did for the crazy creatures went really well. Students were able to really go in depth with this unit, which was 5 lessons in total. This project required a lot of prep outside of class in terms of gathering materials and structuring demos. Although timely, it was worth it because this project definitely wouldn't have gone as smoothly without all of the prior work.
Depth vs. Breadth
We spent a lot of time on our crazy creature/habitat and students were really able to feel confident to take risks and really immerse themselves. Students developed elaborate stories and made connections with their personal creatures which wouldn't have been possible without the time spent. However, we also allowed for students to experiment with a breadth of materials and processes with our earth art and batik lesson.
Ideation
Sketchbooks are important for every artist to have and ideation is a vital link in the artistic process. For the guess my emotion lesson I demoed on the smart board a place to brainstorm lines that represented their emotion, shape, and a box that described it in one word. This really help students especially at that age, slow down make more intentional decisions when they started their final piece.
GROWTH
Structure
Through experience I learned how important structure of class and routines are for establishing a safe environment and class flow. We started every class by recapping previous learning with the discovery board. Students reflected on their past experiences and the other students experience was deepened by the sharing of others discoveries. We also managed cleanup well and students were on task and ready to help at the end of class.
Lesson Plan
I feel like this semester I have grown to finally have a grasp on the various aspects of the elusive and complex lesson plan. Through weekly repetition, I began to understand the importance of specific and measurable objectives to guide the lesson. I also learned how to align my lesson plan so that all the sections relate and make sense together, like the objectives and assessments for example.
IMPROVEMENTS
Materials
The students really responded to the painting activities which weren't introduced until the end of the semester. I wish we had set aside more time to introduce the students to a wider range of materials because we mostly focused on assemblage and collage in Crazy Creatures, Earth Art, and Guess My Emotion. I think this reflects the artistic processes I am strongest and feel most comfortable with. I need to improve on my knowledge and ability content areas I don't feel comfortable with, such as ceramics, so that students can benefit from a wider range of materials to explore.
Reflection
Reflection plays an important role in being an effective teacher. I feel like I didn't make time for meaningful reflection because I often felt overwhelmed with the workload already. Although I routinely thought about the lesson every week and how it went, I didn't make those realiziations concrete enough to be able to grow and improve as much as I could've. In the future I hope to consistently inform my teaching through meaningful reflection.
Preparation
The preparation for every lesson, although time consuming was really helpful during class. we did for the crazy creatures went really well. Students were able to really go in depth with this unit, which was 5 lessons in total. This project required a lot of prep outside of class in terms of gathering materials and structuring demos. Although timely, it was worth it because this project definitely wouldn't have gone as smoothly without all of the prior work.
Depth vs. Breadth
We spent a lot of time on our crazy creature/habitat and students were really able to feel confident to take risks and really immerse themselves. Students developed elaborate stories and made connections with their personal creatures which wouldn't have been possible without the time spent. However, we also allowed for students to experiment with a breadth of materials and processes with our earth art and batik lesson.
Ideation
Sketchbooks are important for every artist to have and ideation is a vital link in the artistic process. For the guess my emotion lesson I demoed on the smart board a place to brainstorm lines that represented their emotion, shape, and a box that described it in one word. This really help students especially at that age, slow down make more intentional decisions when they started their final piece.
GROWTH
Structure
Through experience I learned how important structure of class and routines are for establishing a safe environment and class flow. We started every class by recapping previous learning with the discovery board. Students reflected on their past experiences and the other students experience was deepened by the sharing of others discoveries. We also managed cleanup well and students were on task and ready to help at the end of class.
Lesson Plan
I feel like this semester I have grown to finally have a grasp on the various aspects of the elusive and complex lesson plan. Through weekly repetition, I began to understand the importance of specific and measurable objectives to guide the lesson. I also learned how to align my lesson plan so that all the sections relate and make sense together, like the objectives and assessments for example.
IMPROVEMENTS
Materials
The students really responded to the painting activities which weren't introduced until the end of the semester. I wish we had set aside more time to introduce the students to a wider range of materials because we mostly focused on assemblage and collage in Crazy Creatures, Earth Art, and Guess My Emotion. I think this reflects the artistic processes I am strongest and feel most comfortable with. I need to improve on my knowledge and ability content areas I don't feel comfortable with, such as ceramics, so that students can benefit from a wider range of materials to explore.
Reflection
Reflection plays an important role in being an effective teacher. I feel like I didn't make time for meaningful reflection because I often felt overwhelmed with the workload already. Although I routinely thought about the lesson every week and how it went, I didn't make those realiziations concrete enough to be able to grow and improve as much as I could've. In the future I hope to consistently inform my teaching through meaningful reflection.