The Beginning of Something New- Ark Community Charter School

    This is my first week at the Art Community Charter School! I am working with a great elementary art teacher named Ms. Helen. So far it has been exciting and I have been picking up some great ideas from her. Having many years of experience with younger children, this placement seems to come very natural to me. Although I am adjusting to the different culture and class size. All my classes have 10 students in each, and the students are in grades kindergarten and 1st.....but you cant let the young age fool you because these students have developed some big personalities already!

    One thing that I have learned from being at the Ark is that the students really enjoy working with me! I get hugs and compliments every class. The students really know how to cheer you up and no matter how wild they get in the classroom, you have to smile. I realized that most of them just act out because they want my attention. Instead of scolding them like most teachers, I just give them my attention. I realized that some of the more misbehaved students really just want me all to themselves. When I work with them they surprise me with the most intelligent conversations, and beautiful art work. I rather give my students a chance rather than constantly put them in the time out. Giving them more attention is really beneficial and they really are glad that I care!  

    I also have learned that directions, and repeating and repeating is very important. Directions must be given with every single step....even explaining how to roll up a glue stick and how to put it on the paper. If you are not specific with what you want out of them, then you are asking for trouble.

 

       Below here is images of the kindergarten students work. After being read "The Little Red Car," the students had to draw places of where they wanted to go. It was funny to see that most of them wanted to go to the city, beach, Disney Land, and space. The students then had to take a toy car and drive from one place to another in order to make their trip. On the last day we all sat in a circle on the floor and had to tell each other where we were going and what kind of roads we were on. It was interesting to see that students can have such struggles just to tell their stories. I thought this was a great exercise and it helped the students talk about their work at such an early age! When we were finished we got to all dance to the "Car Wash" song, and I could not stop laughing!!! My students are the cutest and greatest dancers!!! They would even call me out if I stopped dancing. So if you ever enter my class, make sure you are ready to dance! 

  

 

    In my 1st grade classes, the students were finishing up on their quilt that was inspired by Amenia Robinson and Faith Ringgold. This quilt was so great and all that is left to finish is the text the students are putting on it. The students came up with words to put on it after reading a Martin Luther King book. I'm just amazed that the students this young can make something this beautiful.

My last week at A.P. : (

     During this week, my students in painting/ drawing began to complete their pointillism projects. With only 2 days to complete them, I was really glad to see the skill and effort put into their work.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------
    While my stay at Averill Park I have noticed an issue that most likely happens at other schools as well. I saw that some art teachers like to steal other art teacher's supplies. While getting ready for my own class, I noticed that all of Mrs. Valenti's markers were missing. The most strange part about it was that all the blues and purples were replaced with brown, yellow, and grey markers. So therefor they had to have a big box of markers in order to switch. So was the teacher who stole are marker trying to make it not so obvious with half the box was empty? I couldn't believe someone would intentionally plan something like this just to get a few colors. They couldn't just leave us a few purple or blue markers either? No, they took them all! Thieves!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    At A.P I also learned this week that other teachers do not like it if you copy their wardrobe/ style. Over the last 2 months we had a plan to dress just like one of our co workers because we had a joke with him about it. So for awhile he knew we were going to have "plaid day". Turns out, he didn't think t was funny at all and thought we were picking on him!!! I thought plaid was a common style, I was shocked that he was mad for us admiring him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Lastly, In my studio classes all the students have finished!!!! Because they students did so great before I left, we had cupcakes, lollipops, and played a game that I made. It was art Jeopardy. It went soo well, and we reviewed on vocab terms, artists, and color schemes. I was happy the students were engaged and participating. While being at A.P I have taught the students a lot, but they also helped me learn how to be a better teacher aw well. I really am going to miss my students and Mrs. Valenti! This was such a great experience and it will be something I will carry throughout the rest of my teaching career. And I will always make sure to keep and extra eye on my markers in my own class room : )

Still working hard!

    I am so happy with my students. They have been doing so great with their cardboard projects! One of my worries was that the students' art work was going to look very similar, but they aren't! They are very different and each have their won personality. Being a self portrait, this has turned out great and they look so interesting.

    I am also happy because students and teachers come in and compliment my project that the students are working one. Because it is something no one has done before at this school, the students are interested and wan to know exactly how their work will turn out. ALL my students are participating and many asked if they can hang their work in the hall. At Averill Park, they hall way is a very special place to have your art work on display. I am so pleased that the students feel so happy abou their art work as I do!!! Yay!!

 
 

 
 
 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my drawing class, the students have just begun their colored pointillism project. Mrs. Valenti and I set up a still life for them. They will be zooming in on a spot they are interested in drawing with a view finder. It was kind of funny to see which students would take the challenge and pick harder still life items to draw.

 
 

 

Work in Progress

    The students in my studio classes are on the ball!!! All of them are caught up and are ready for the next steps. I am so happy and surprised it is still going so well as planned. I noticed that if I keep on them constantly and separate certain students on and off, they actually get the work done. Today I had the class to myself because Mrs. Valenti was upstairs. The class worked hard through out the whole class and did such a good job. I hope this great work continues through the last week I am here!

 
 
 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    In my painting and drawing class, the students began their pointillism project in black and white. What I really enjoy with this class is that they are so well behaved and want to impress me. With the studio classes the students get the work done because they have to. In this class, they want everything they do to look flawless just to impress me and prove to me they can do the work When I am in this class I dot feel like I am baby sitting and the art work comes out the best I have ever seen for their age group!

 

 

Gridding + Gesture Drawings

    In my studio class it went a lot better then I expected. After a horrible start back from break, I was shocked to see how much more motivated my class was. According to my calendar I created for my class, today was the last for the students to complete the gridding. Many of them moaned and groaned that they couldn't do, but guess what?! They ALL completed the gridding! Many of the students are even ahead of the schedule now. I am so happy to know that these students can do assignments and get them done on time. I feel much more stress lifted off my shoulders because they did such a great job today.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

      Next in my painting and drawing class, I started a lesson that begins with gesture drawing. This lesson focuses on learning how to draw a still life and use the pointillism technique. The students had to learn the importance of quick loose drawings in order to create a precise image. For the first step the students had to do many practice exercises of 20 second long gesture drawings. After awhile I would increase the amount of time for each drawing. When the students begin next class, they will have to gesture draw the still life object they brought in. The students will learn how to create different values from the object by using the pointillism technique in black and white. The students will then become confident in both techniques and later this week they will start a large still life and sketch it by gesture. The student’s still life will then also be completed with the pointillism technique although this time the students will use primary colors. The primary color scheme chosen will make the students aware of light and how to create secondary colors. From this lesson the students will understand the importance of quick sketches and how to create different hues. They will also learn how to draw, cut with a xacto knife, and make illusions with small dots.

       Learning how to create quick gesture sketches and mixing different hues are the first step of becoming a successful artist. These processes that are taught are the foundation to any art education. It is important for students to learn how to let go and create loose drawings so they can make art work that is proportional. Students in high school have a hard time drawing what they see, and usually draw what they think they see. Students aren’t taught the importance of letting go and to create searching lines that will help them define their image. Learning how other artists do gesture drawings and the students doing many quick sketches themselves will help them get use to using this technique. In an art class it is very also important to learn how colors combined make other colors; especially when far away and colors give the illusion of becoming different hue. Understanding how to create successful pointillism will help the students see the similarity of mixing colors and overlapping dots to make another hue.

Recycle Art

      This week we have gotten back from Christmas break and my student are not excited about doing any work. Despite the lack of motivation, I am also filming my lesson and how I  teach in my classes. The students are not responding positively and do want to speak or work at all because they do not want to be in the video. So this week has been a struggle to get back into gear. I am hoping that their attitudes change and their work at least turns out great.

      The lesson that we are beginning in my studio class was focused around recycled art. I figured this would be good because the students were previously working with xacto knifes and this topic is very common to their every day life. This lesson is on the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.) In this lesson the students will learn the importance of reducing waste in the world and how to help sustain a clean environment. The lesson will also examine many artists that create ecofriendly art by the materials they have chosen. This type of art is known as “garbage or recycled art.”  Because the students are learning to be ecofriendly, the class is going to use recycled cardboard as their canvas. On the canvas the students will be learning how to create a self-portrait with extreme lighting. (The self-portrait was chosen because it is the class’s main struggle.) The student’s art project will consist of gridding a photograph, cutting into the cardboard to make a relief silhouette, and painting the silhouette with monochromatic colors. The colors schemes chosen will also be used to help create a mood or feeling. The students will express who they are through their color choices. While creating these art works, the students will be helping the environment by preventing this cardboard from going to waste.
 

     I chose this lesson because learning about how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is very important to not just our society, but to the whole world. Students are barely taught on how valuable our word is and that of taking care of our planet is very important. Learning about recycling can help us save money and from polluting the world. In an art class this is very important subject because many materials are used and sometimes even wasted. Artists also use very toxic materials, and as a class, we want to make ecofriendly decisions. Understanding how we can use materials that are in the trash instead of buying all our products from an expensive art store is possible. Creating the art work from cardboard will help the students realize other options they have for a canvas. This assignment was also chosen because the students have had a major difficulty developing a portrait. Having my last opportunity to work with these students, I hope to get them past their struggles.

     So far during this lesson the students were exposed to different artists who use garbage materials such as Robert Bradford, HA Schult and, Tim Noble and Sue Webster. My students were not really sure how to take it when I told them that their project was going to be on cardboard. I explained the benefits of using cardboard in the environment and how it is keeping the materials from going to a landfill. No, I could not get any students to speak during my PowerPoint except for maybe 2 students, but I was happy that no one has complained about creating this assignment because like most studio classes, 1 or 2 students don't want to do the work. The only time I could excite the students was when I gave them horrible statistics on our American lifestyle of wastefulness and information on our landfills.  

      On a positive note, all of my students have been working hard since I explained to them that there will be a goal needed to be achieved at the end of every class. I have students who usually never do the work, actually working! For the first two days the students will be working on gridding their portrait onto the cardboard. So far the students have really gotten the hang of it and do not need much assistance.                     Also, I was happy that Mrs. Valenti and I thought of a neat idea we could do if the students continue to stay on track. We thought it would be great if all the students brought in some trash that we could use as a group to build a class sculpture. It fits perfect with the lesson and maybe some students will respond more. I just have to keep thinking of more ways to engage the class and get my students to WANT to be active in class.

(This is an example of what a finished product

will look like.)