JOURNAL #12

Now, as I circle back to my first journal and evaluate my ten important things I will consider when teaching in the future, I want to respond to each thought individually and see how my thoughts may have changed or expanded.  My revisions and comments are after the asterisk.

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Ten important things I will consider when teaching art in the future:

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1. Each and every student has the ability to learn and should feel safe and considered an asset to the classroom.

​* This is still extremely important to me, but I would like to expand on this and state how this feeling of safety and respect are largely my responsibility to foster.  I feel better prepared now on how to make this environment happen after learning about differentiating instruction modes and pre-assessment of students and classroom needs.  After peer teaching, and teaching at the Gregory Allicar Museum, I can see that displaying respect, listening skills, calm and having good teacher to teacher bonds set a tone for the class and students.  Acknowledging the different types of learners and validating their learning styles can also display expectations for a safe classroom and learning environment.

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2. I want to consider all forms of art and find ways to include these in my classroom.  Each medium has a power.

* I still do think that all mediums have power and are worth exploring, but some of these avenues may be more dictated by students and the introductions of big ideas.  I would like to revise this statement to say, " I want to emphasize meaning making and big ideas to my curriculum, allowing students to explore these ideas using and exploring the inherent power in different mediums."

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3. I want to have designated spaces for the different types of learners. A space that is clear and clean for the student to begin, places to be messy and experiment without fear, places to research and get inspired and art materials that are organized and easily accessible.

* I would say that this target goes largely unchanged.  The many things that I have learned this semester validates these ideas.  I saw many times during Brainy and at the TAB classroom that organization of supplies and projects, time management, giving students time notifications and alerts to transitions- all of these things helped the students learn.  It also takes into account the different types of learners and their paths to completing work and exploring ideas.

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4. I want to create a space where the student feels comfortable with failure.  Taking risks and failing are places of great potential learning.

*I still agree with this statement, but I would like to add that my time observing in the TAB style classroom had made me more aware of implementing a recording process for these explorations and also not put all emphasis on being results driven.  We also learned in the article, Using Critiques in the K-12 Classroom by Nancy House (2008), that midpoint constructive critiques using a PQP (Praise, Question, Proposal) format can help give the student valuable feedback on how to progress.  Learning and having students formulate questions and their own processes are perhaps more important. So I would add to this statement, "I want to create a classroom environment where students can safely reflect and analyse failures and successes; recording and reflecting on process. Where students emphasize and participate in their own learning process and those of their peers by coming up with good questions."

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5. Space to feel confident to say as much or as little in a piece of art as the wish.  Not everyone is ready to get extremely personal and boundaries will be acknowledged and respected.

*As I have discovered participating in the peer lessons, certain lessons can be emotionally challenging, rewarding and triggering.  Some of my own comfortability levels were challenged in these meaningful social justice lessons, and I am an adult!  It's important to explore these challenging ideas and subjects, but I would like to add that as a teacher dedicated to student safety, I will make sure to differentiate my lessons to accommodate and anticipate for many different responses.

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6. I want to build a strong community classroom and facilitate support and learning amongst peers.  This includes a space safe from bullying.

*I've noticed that student safety is a recurring theme for this list.  Safety can look like so many things, physical, mental, social, etc.  I believe it is paramount to students opening up to participation, learning from teachers and peers, participating in group activities and developing personal connection.  When a student has these in place, a deeper and more meaningful sense of learning can occur.

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7. Each student feel that they are getting one-on-one time with me. That they are seen and that their names are learned and used.

*In our TAB based classroom observation, the art teacher Ms.Noel made a point to connect with each student by name and ask how they were.  In my own teaching experience, I saw how memorizing student's names and addressing each student and their work individually helped the student feel seen and acknowledged.  

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8. I would love a classroom that explores larger world and relevant topics, possibly supporting and elaborating what they are learning in their other subjects.

*This semester we have learned so much about incorporating big ideas, meaning making and social justice issues into our art lessons and curriculum.  Through our peer teaching, I saw how it was possible in one lesson to incorporate social justice issues and integrate new technologies, other studies and strategies.  In our readings, Fendler, R. & Scott Shields, S, and Henn D. (2020). A model for civically engaged art education, and Danzak,R. L. (2011). Defining Identities Through Multiliteracies, we explored how incorporating social justice issues and topics of identity can increase learning through personal connection.

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9. A classroom that equally values both technical ability and meaning-based and explorative work.

​*This was interesting and important for me to write, coming from a predominately technical based background, but as we saw this semester through the introduction of big ideas and meaning making in student artwork and projects, my original idea was validated.  I would say though, I am much better prepared to incorporate both technical and meaning making in student work and curriculum now that I was before!

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10. Allow students to create some (if not all) of their class rules. The intention is to elevate them as controllers of their learning and environment;  I am not imposing rules on them, but that we construct our experience and all hold ourselves accountable.

*This is an important technique, and I think I will still bring it with me into the future- however this is only the very beginning of a classroom culture of inclusion and respect.   I would say this is just a first step technique, and that the real important technique or thing I want to bring with me is to LISTEN.  LISTEN TO MY STUDENTS. LISTEN to their needs. LISTEN to the concerns they have personally, locally and globally.  That it is my responsibility to model and facilitate a classroom of caring, listening, safety and respect.

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For my artwork this week I expanded on my first journal entry.  I had added a chain as a midterm reflection, and you can see that entry here.  For this journal, I wanted to consider and revise the ten things I would bring with me into my teaching....and I added one more charm and rule to my teaching list.  

My 11th rule is simple: I vow to constantly revise and reflect- responding to the needs of my students and to make my lessons better, striving to be better for my students because they deserve no less.  I want to note the importance of how much I have revised and reflected this semester.  Each time to make my lessons stronger, my understanding deeper; each time responding to the students and the practical application and effectiveness of the lesson.  Learning from my mistakes and thinking critically of where to make improvements.