I got the chance to student teach at Parkside Elementary School. My aunt, Jan Holsopple, is a second grade teacher there and let me observe and interact with the students for a few hours in the afternoon. After having some field placement experience with special education it was interesting to compare a full classroom of students to one on one teaching. In this second grade class there were students at many different levels, especially in reading. There was also one boy who was autistic in the class and had frequent outburst and need a lot of attention. It was very interesting to see how special needs are delt with from the general education point of view compared to the special education teacher. I also had the change to do some field placement work during mayterm in a middle school art classroom. This class consisted of eight students, six of which were classified under some type of special needs. All of these experiences were great ways to view different teaching styles and techniques.
Since the setting of a large class creates the challenge of stronger class management it was interesting to see the ways Jan used to keep the kids focused and on task. The middle school art students I had observed had little trouble staying on task, unlike the elementary kids who needed to be reminded of the present topic and work. When the class got loud or out of control Mrs. Holsopple used techniques to get the kids attention back. One of the techniques she used was clapping a simple pattern of claps and the students would clap back. Another one that I really enjoyed was when she would say the first part of a compound word and the kids would finish. For example she would say, “When I say cow you say boy” and then say “cow” with the kids following with “boy”. After doing a couple of these she asked who could tell her a compound word. I was really excited about this because not only did it get the kids attention it helped them learn compound words.
Another aspect of teaching that I got to experience that I have not dealt with much before was a child with emotional problems. During my field placement I had a chance to talk to the special education teachers about children with behavioral disorders, but did not have a chance to watch a teacher work with a student. While at Parkside one girl was being disruptive in class and had to be told to sit in her seat. Instead she went to the corner and sat on a pillow, not following the directions. Mrs. Holsopple then told her she lost the privilege of attending the assembly that afternoon. Later she explained to me that she came from a bad family life and acts out for attention because she is lacking it at home. She explained that even though sometimes it is important to put consequences with her actions it also helps to give her more attention. An example of this was in a past week when the girl had started to act up, she put her on her lap and kept teaching. The extra attention settled her down right away and allowed her and the rest of the class to keep learning.
I walked in the back of the room just in time to hear the last page of the book that the teacher was reading. About three-fourths of the first graders turned around to see who was entering the room, which followed by them announcing to the teacher that there was a visitor in her classroom.
Caitlin Lanctot, a Goshen college graduate, is now an art teacher at Park side Elementary. She was gracious enough to let me sit in on two of her afternoon classes. This was so exciting for me, not only could I compare it to my field placement, but I have hardly any experience in an elementary art room.
I had previously been in a middle school art classroom last may and was able to compare what I observed in the different classrooms made up of very different age leveled students. It made me more aware of how different activities and lesson plans are needed for certain age levels and grades.
I think the biggest difference overall from the middle school students to the first grade classes I saw was their shorter attention span. The middle school kids have projects they work on for days or even weeks depending on the project, where the first graders had projects that lasted for only their forty-minuet class period. The first class listened to a book about summer and then got paired up in groups to think of a picture they wanted to draw that described summer. They then got to go outside and draw their pictures with sidewalk chalk. While they all had come up with great ideas of swimming pools and fireflies more chalk ended up on the students than the ground. The second class learned about a tribe in Africa that was famous for their beadwork. They then had a chance to make a bracelet out of an old toilet paper roll and a necklace with plastic string and beads. This class stayed on task very well even though there were many beads that ended up on the floor.
Although they only had the attention span for a one-day project, they had almost four times the enthusiasm as the middle school students. They were so excited to do the activity planned for them. The first class was slightly distracted by being outside but the second class was focused on the jewelry and made some very creative pieces.
I enjoyed watching Mrs.Lanctot’s technique while dealing with the first graders. One thing that really stood out to me was an activity corner she set up for the kids who finished projects early. She called it the art smart corner and it was filled with things from picture books of famous arts to building blocks. When students were finished with their projects they got to go to the corner so they did not distract the other students. Also She had a game called “statue” that the kids played while waiting for their classroom teacher to come get them. To play the game one student called out a noun and the other student made a statue of this item. To play though you had to stand still and not talk, just like a statue. This was such a great experience and I loved watching the kids create
III. Watch a movie about a teacher and compare teachers in media to real life
Randomly last year I bought a movie off the five-dollar rack at Wal-mart. It was a film from a few years ago entitled “ Mona Lisa Smile.” It had a cast of almost all women, including Julia Roberts, who I like as an actress, so I bought. I finally got the chance to watch it one rainy afternoon at college. I hadn’t really read the description but had heard from my friends it was good. It turns out that it is about an art teacher, played by Julia Roberts in the mid fifties. I become completely fascinated by the movie and often think of and compare it in some of my classes.
The story line follows young women who get a job at an all women’s college on the east coast. She is very excited for her new job, picturing a room full of girls who want to break the mold of the typical housewife, get and education and become independent. It takes very little time for her to realize her students are the exact opposite. Not only do they have intentions of becoming the traditional American housewife, they almost resent her for not encouraging them. Through struggles and a few fights, Roberts’s character uses art to show how each individual has the right to be unique.
One of the moments that stand out for me in the movie is a scene between Julia Roberts’s character, Miss Watson and her student. The student was one of her favorites and she helped her get accepted to law school, only to come to find out she has eloped and plans on being a wife and mother. While almost screaming with frustration Miss Watson tries to tell her that she can be both. To her surprise, her student tells her that while she realizes that, law school was not her dream, being a wife and mother is.
It’s a touching story with great art history, but I find a few ideas a little too realistic. Starting with the scene I described, I feel that there is a line teacher and educators should not cross. When I am an art teacher I want to be as encouraging and helpful as possible to my students. Learning form this scene, I realized that you could only do and say so much for your students. I feel that it was inappropriate the way the teacher handled that situation. It was obvious she only wanted the best for her student, but she did not take time to step back and analyze what her student may want from her education. Its almost comical thinking about how odd it would be to see a teacher show up at a students house and discuss life issues with them now days. No matter the time period, some of the actions of the Miss Watson in this movie are very unprofessional or acceptable in today’s society.
Actions aside, the motives that moved Miss Watson to help her students are very inspirational. I also enjoyed the way she did conduct some of her lessons in the classroom and the way she challenged her students in and out of school. It was obvious she was a teacher that would be remembered. I always enjoy this movie because it brings me back to the reason I want to teach, especially art. She emphasizes that there is no right answer and pushes her students to see the beauty in everything, especially themselves.
No comments:
Post a Comment