Archives: May 2014

Teaching Surrealism

The Surrealism unit that I taught to the Grade 8 art class in Haida Gwaii was more difficult than I imagined.  When I dreamt up the unit, I pictured it would be a great opportunity for the students to explore their own imagination and use their creative juices to come up with virtually anything.

Surrealism was an art movement during the 1920s-1930s that surfaced as a result of Dada- an anti-war movement that believed in the meaningless of life.  Drawing from such radical beliefs, the Surrealists produced literary and visual works.  One of the most well-known Surrealists is Salvador Dali, a Spanish artist.  Dali was exceptional at tapping into the human psyche and putting these unconscious thoughts onto canvas.  Primarily concerned with the notion of dreaming, many of the works produced by Surrealist artists appear to be fantastical, impossible, and ridiculous.  Wanting to tap into my students’ imagination, I decided to take tis opportunity to create a mixed media project.  I encountered several difficulties that I did not foresee.

1. Need more guidance (tapping into their own imagination and putting it onto a blank sheet of paper is more difficult than I thought)

2. The magazines that I brought out for the collaging aspects were taken advantage of; students would simply cut out images that they “liked” and said it represents them

3. Students had trouble focusing on a central theme.  The project is indeed about themselves but something about them selecting random images that they liked did not sit well with me.  I proceeded to show them my Surrealist project and how to focus their theme on one aspect of themselves

4. Surrealism and strict guidelines are inherently contradictory: Surrealism advocates “automatic” and “subconscious” thoughts.  Limiting these “automatic” thoughts by enforcing project guidelines (I.e. One central theme) makes it easier for assessment but restricts the automatism and freedom that students should feel when making their art!!

These are some of the project obstacles that I encountered when working with this unit and with this grade level.  At the very least, I have identified some of these major issues.  The next time that I teach this unit, perhaps I will have to reassess how I evaluate their projects.  Are rubrics possible for art projects let alone a Surrealist art project?  I think focusing on one central theme is still important.  I emphasized to the class that despite Dali’s “random” assortment of objects within one painting, he still chose THOSE objects over others; therefore, they are actually NOT random but are well thought out.   Together, these seemingly misplaced and strange objects still tell a coherent narrative.  Despite this, I have examples of my students’ work that I would like to share.  I only had 3 classes with them so they are for the most part, unfinished.  I believe that they will look wonderful when complete.

 

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Haida Gwaii – Week 3

This is the last week for me in Haida Gwaii.  Time has flown by surprisingly.  Not only are we nearly finished our field experience, we are almost finished our education degree!  I remember starting in September knowing there was a long and arduous road ahead of me.  Now I only have to do 2.5 months of courses before I graduate!

I had always wanted to come to Haida Gwaii as a teenager because I desired to see the whales.  Although I probably won’t get the chance to see any whales here, I am still pleased with all that I got to see and experience on this island.  I was quite ignorant about where I was coming and unaware of the situation that I was stepping into.  I understand know what it feels like to be the “tourist” and the “foreigner” in a place.  For one thing, I stand out appearance-wise because I am Asian.  There are not many Asians here; I think I’ve seen a total of about 4 which to me is quite impressive.  I’ve been told by others that people have seen me around the island and they know who I am and what I do.  I find that incredibly strange and uncomfortable.  This shouldn’t come as a surprise though because the population of the town (Charlotte) where I am staying is very small compared to Vancouver.  It is not uncommon for passerby’s to wave “hi” or to say “hello”.  I admit that I am not the best at making eye contact and waving “hi” so that alone is a very good indicator of my “foreignness”.  One of the most obvious moments of feeling like an outsider was during the Youth Assembly last week.  As an observer, I had to sign in and watch the assembly from way up high at the work-out room.  Not only were the seats extremely uncomfortable, they were low and for a short person like me, there was no possibility of me peering over the railings to see the event.  Even the taller observers had difficulty watching.  Several of the student teachers with me shared the sentiment of feeling segregated.  We are here to observe and partake in the event but we were clearly separated from the rest of the groups to prevent any sort of interaction between us and them.

Haida Gwaii is certainly a place full of history that is laced with the legacy of colonialism.  If I wanted to live here and be a part of this community, I would need to involve myself in the community, buy a house, and hopefully be adopted into a clan.  The acceptance and integration into Haida Gwaii is lengthy and difficult but not impossible.

This week, I am spending most of the time in the high school teaching ad observing.  I will also take some time to visit the daycare before I go.  I am pleased with all of the places I got to go and the schools I got to visit.  I went on several hikes and have become very good at walking.  When I come to the enormous hill up to my homestay, I do not feel as intimidated as much as I did when I first arrived.  I can now hike the hill without dying and walk for over an hour just back and forth from places.  This is the way it is like living in a rural area.  Without the luxury of a car or public transportation, I have no choice but to hitchhike or walk.  Hitchhiking here is quite common and safe but I have only ever done it a couple of times with a partner.

My perceptions of the First Nations people, in particular the Haida, have changed.  I didn’t know much about the Haida or who lives on Haida Gwaii.  I’ve learned that there is more diversity here than I thought.  There population is mostly Haida but there are many who are also mixed with other European ethnicities.  The Haida are very proud of their artwork: carving argillite, wood, and jewellery.  I loved the jewellery so much that I bought myself a custom made Haida ring from a local carver.  The work is impeccable and gorgeous.  I am very happy with it.  My time here allowed me to learn about the importance of their potlatches, art, and preservation of their language.  My knowledge is still very limited but my time here has peaked my interest in learning about the Haida nation more than ever.

Although some days were grey, wet, and boring, I do not regret my decision to come here.  It was an experience of a lifetime.  I have added the experience of working in a rural environment and with Aboriginal youth to my repertoire.  This is something that I would not be able to do in the big city of Vancouver.  I met great people and had the opportunity to spend time with the other student teachers from UBC (who I never met).  Overall, this has been a very positive and life changing experience and would recommend Haida Gwaii to anyone!

For more photos, visit the CFE Gallery page! 🙂

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Haida Gwaii – Week 2

My second week in Haida Gwaii passed by a lot quicker than the first week.  I was more settled in and the daily life became routine.  Personally, I like routine and appreciate the times when my day is predictable.

The week started off with a surprise visit to Sk’aadgaa Naay Elementary in Skidegate.  I was expecting to stay at QCSS but the moment I stepped into the staffroom, I was going to be shipped off.  I was happy to comply as it was somewhere I wanted to visit.  When we arrived at Sk’aadgaa Naay, I found myself gravitating towards the art room.  There was a resident artist working with the children so I thought it would be a nice place to begin my day.  The resident artist was working on a clay project with the Kindergarten class.  They were working on a project to make sea creatures on tiles based on photographs.  These photographs were taken at the nearby beach where the children went to look for sea life.  The students really seemed to enjoy making their projects and some really were quite impressive considering their age.  I went around to all of the students to see what they were making and if they needed any help or recommendations.  The most pleasant and refreshing part about working with this age group was their open and honest curiosity about strangers.  They would come up to me and introduce themselves and ask me who I was.  I was so pleased.  I began to reminisce about the times when I worked in daycare and preschool and how sweet they can be.  Working in high school for the last 10 weeks had primed me to be a bit defensive when approaching new students.  Being in a classroom where the students are excited to meet you is very delightful.

The later part of the afternoon, we worked in the greenhouse with the Kindergarten class.  We helped them filter out the soil and mix it in the greenhouse.  It was a new experience for me because I have not worked in the garden as much and I quite enjoyed it.  Getting my hands dirty with the children was certainly a rewarding experience.  I am surprised at their strength and motivation for learning.

Back at the high school, I also taught my first lesson.  This was the introduction to my surrealism unit with the Grade 8 class.  The objective of the project is to create a mixed media work based on their dreams or any aspects of their psyche.  I began the class with a brief history on surrealism.  I threw out several questions and received solid answers.  There were a group of boys that were very disruptive and I knew this coming in.  My biggest challenge was making sure they participate and listen.  The activities that followed were: group discussion on a surrealism image and an entire class discussion on their observations.  I felt that spending a solid half hour of the class on talking about the various facets of surrealism, dreaming, and juxtaposition will help them with their own project.  I provided books and magazines to start them off.  About half of the class started to work while the other half were still stuck on an idea.

The most pleasant revelation that came to me this week was how well the students were working and listening in class.  What was it about these students that keeps them focused?  It then hit me:  these students don’t have their cellphones out!  I talked to several teachers about the school policy on cellphones and they said that it is very strictly enforced.  Teachers will not put up with students who deviate from the rules and any student who does, their cellphones are immediately taken away: no if’s, and’s, or but’s.  I was amazed.  This was what high school was like for me.  I cannot believe that I have gotten so used to the cellphone toting and using students I had in my school.  When their cellphones are away, the students will actually pay attention.  I think this crackdown on cellphones in schools needs to happen more often.

Other highlights of this week include kayaking from Spruce point and observing the BC First Nations class and the Haida class.  One of the elders would come in to teach some Haida to the students each class.  It was very interesting to be a fly on the wall for that one.  We also attended the SHIP program (Skidegate Haida Immersion Program) this week.  This was one of the events I looked forward to during this jam-packed week.  This program started 16 years ago in an attempt to save and revive the Haida language that was lost during the residential school years.  Due to the oral nature of the Haida language, the loss of their language is inevitable if forced to abandon it for English.  The program relies on the help of Haida elders whose spoken word is recorded and later translated into English for future generations to learn.  Through the hard work of the elders and the organizers, the Haida language has been effectively saved by archiving what was formerly (and still is) an oral language.  The elders I met were extremely helpful and generous.  I left feeling satisfied with my experience there.  Finally, we went to the 2nd annual, Youth Assembly.  This is a 3 day event that is held only for youth of Haida Gwaii.  Elections are taken place and the students talk about pertinent issues on the island such as: fisheries, communication, energy, mapping, finance, art, and more.  The winning team wins a $1000 and a trip to Gwaii Haanas.   I also went to the beautiful Haida Heritage Centre for more of an enriched learning experience.

This week was full of educational and fun activities that kept us busy.  Although our time at QCSS was limited compared to the first week, it was well worth it.  After all, we are here for the true Haida Gwaii experience.

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Haida Gwaii- Week 1

The first week has been a very eventful few days.  I arrived first on the weekend and then had the opportunity to explore Yakoun Lake.  Going through the logging trails and hiking for several minutes was my first introduction to Haida Gwaii.  The second most noticeable thing about Haida Gwaii was the rain.  It rained A LOT the first days of the week.

The first day of my CFE, I had to walk to QCSS (Queen Charlotte Secondary).  I walked with a couple of the other teachers and it took longer than I thought.  The weather was somewhat warm and I was over dressed.  It took about 30 minutes and we were curious as to where to walk.  The first day was mostly filled with introductions.  We met most of the teachers and the administrative staff who were all very pleasant and inviting.  Keith and I met our sponsor teacher, Katie who showed us her schedule and the art classes she was teaching.  Her classroom was very spacious and it included various materials.  As Keith would say, they were “kitted” out.  The art room had a printing press, kiln, loom, and a variety of art materials including glass and soldering irons.

Katie was very laid back as to what we wanted to do for our CFE experience in her class.  Since there were two of us, she said that we could discuss what we want to do.  The most important thing about our CFE was to come out of it feeling like we have learned something and gained an appreciation for what Haida Gwaii was all about.  This fact was greatly emphasized by the principal, Kevin May as well as the other teachers in the school.  We not only will be teaching some lessons to the students, but will also partake in a variety of out of school activities planned for us by the district.  I also made sure to observe other classes while I could.   I knew that the majority of the population is Haida but I was surprised to see how many Haida students did not look what I had erroneously believed to be “Haida”.  Many were fair skinned and some had light hair.  There was also a good number of non-Haida students who I would classify as having a European background.  Most of the teachers if not all, are not of Haida descent but have lived here for a number of years.

This week, I was lucky enough to participate in a variety of activities inside and outside of the school.  I had the opportunity to go clam digging and tour Masset.  Clam digging was great fun despite the wet weather.  The students were very proficient in digging and taught me how to do it.  Although my socks got soaked, I am very pleased with the experience.  On the last day of the week, three of us were given the chance to tour Masset up in the north of Haida Gwaii.  The superintendent, Angus Wilson, spent the day driving us up to tour the city.  We first went to Old Masset where the houses seemed to be in poorer condition compared to those in Charlotte and Skidegate.  The winds were extremely strong as well and the rain clouds were blowing in.  We then went to Masset to visit GMD (George M Dawson) high school.  This high school, I’ve been told, is quite different from QCSS.  This school is quite large and the number of students were on the decline.  Due to the declining enrolment, utilizing the school to its full capacity was impossible.  In this case, the supply was outnumbering the demand.  We also visited Tahaygen Elementary school in Masset.  This was a nice school with a small number of students.  Other places that Angus took us to was to Port Clements and their multiplex.  This multiplex is divided into an elementary school as well as a community centre and a library.  Due to the small number of people, a single building to house the facilities and needs of many makes sense.  One of the highlights for me was going to Toe Hill beach and White Creek to collect moonsnail shells!

Next week, we have some fun activities lined up for us.  We will be going kayaking and attending a session with the S.H.I.P. program (Skidegate Haida Immersion Program) where elders come to educate students about the Haida language.  I am very excited for these two activities!

This week took some adjustment for me.  Usually it takes me at least a week to settle and feel comfortable.  I needed to get used to the rain, living arrangements, and grocery shopping.  In addition to that, the hill that I have to walk up every day to get home is absolutely killer!  That is a really good workout!  The skies are very grey and for someone like me who requires brightness to feel happy, it was certainly a big obstacle I had to overcome.  I can safely say that after a week, I do feel more comfortable and settled with my routine here at Haida Gwaii.  It helps immensely that I am rooming with Keith.  Initially we did not have access to the telephone or the Internet.  Having a companion to ease the transition was certainly helpful.  The school itself has been extremely welcoming.  All of the teachers learn know our names within a day and will gladly greet you and help you along, especially with transportation needs.  I am lucky to be working in such a warm and friendly school.  The upcoming weeks will allow me to dictate what kind of lessons I can teach to the QCSS students as well as the ones in the elementary school in Skidegate when we go visit.

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Finishing Practicum

The last week of my practicum was rather relaxed.  I was celebrating my time with the students and knew that I had made it.  I worked so incredibly hard and I wanted to celebrate my own hard work along with the students’ hard work together.  This meant enjoying our last day with treats and a movie.  Burnt popcorn and running around to thank all those who helped me was very rewarding.  I shed some tears when a student of mine presented me with a ceramic heart.  It said “thank you” and I burst into tears.  This student on the first day of teaching her class, came off as a bit arrogant and maybe even a bit mean.  Little did I know that getting to know this student was one of the most gratifying experiences ever.  Lots of hugs went all around.  I will miss all those who have supported me along the way.  🙂

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