After two weeks into my practicum, I started to wonder if I am doing things right.  I wonder if my front-end loading is too much.  Is it “normal” to provide so much background information to art students before their project?  I feel like I have gone to excessive lengths to inspire them but I am only met with stares of boredom.

Should my daily speech only be a welcome and “get to work”?  I don’t know how teachers do it.  Art teachers are known for facilitating studio work in a relaxed environment.  Why do I feel that mine is so stiff?  Maybe it is too early to tell because I also picked up 2 new classes this week.  With the icebreakers and the introduction to the projects, it is making me feel dry in the mouth.

The kids WANT to start making art NOW.  I can sense their anticipation.  They don’t want to do concept sheets or sketchbook planning.  They just want to tackle the project on the spot.  I thought my goal is to show them different ways to approach a topic and inspire them to think beyond the normal realm of art making.  Why do I feel such an urge to just drop everything and let them go wild with art materials?  I think this is a sense of discomfort they feel towards this new approach.  I like discipline, hard work, and creative thought.  I want to view their process.  I don’t know if I have conveyed that thoroughly.

This front end loading seems radical to many students.  I’m putting art into the realm of academic subjects with my approach.  I want art to have the respect it deserves as a school subject.  It’s difficult for me to step into a classroom that has been well set up and to do a 180 with a different set of rules and expectations.  I want them to succeed but I also do not want them to be bored.  I realize that learning patience is a virtue but I myself, cannot wait for them to get started on their projects.

At the end of the day, I believe in my teaching approach for art.  I am doing my best to inspire them with related concepts and artists.  My hope is that they will learn so much more from doing these projects than they ever imagined.