Humour, Fairness, Caring, Art as Life

How I came to be here…

As a student, I enjoyed the interactions between my teachers and I.  I was always known to be the shy and well-behaved student who worked hard in school.  Certain teachers that I really gravitated towards were those that were understanding, warm, and humorous.  One of my favourite teachers was my Grade 6 teacher.  He was stern but funny at the same time.  He was well-loved and I admired those qualities about him.  Not only did he instill confidence in all of his students, he made learning fun and exciting.  I never felt worried or stressed in my Grade 6 year because of the teacher.  He pushed me to succeed and rewarded me when I did well.  He encouraged shy students to participate with his humour and never ever made negative comments in class.  To me, he is the ideal role model teacher.  My teaching philosophy is much the same.  I’d like to be just like my Grade 6 teacher by treating my students with respect and dignity in a compassionate manner.  I am someone who enjoys a good laugh and believes that humour should be part of every classroom.  I make a strong effort in getting to know each of my students and to spend time with them one on one.  I believe that a teacher who can have fun while teaching and interacting with her students will create a classroom environment that is not only pleasurable to be in, but also conducive to learning.

On teaching art…

Art teachers are in a special position where they can teach other subjects within their subject. I’ve often found that much of the inspiration for our art project comes from sources and ideas external to the field of “art” or “art studies”. Art education scholar, Arthur Efland explained his views on what the study of art means to education. To summarize his outlook on art education, he believes that art is about the study of experience, nature, and the structure of metaphor (Efland, 2002). It is about finding the connections between various domains of information in one’s “lifeworld” that can relate to or speak to larger, overarching concepts depicted in the form of art (Efland, 2002). In fact, he believes that an art education that fails to recognize the metaphoric character of meanings is without serious educational purpose (Efland, 2002). I feel that Efland’s belief, that art is a metaphor for life, applies directly to how I can approach the issue of teaching art to foster the development of a socially and emotionally competent classroom environment.

On teaching strategies…

I cannot count how many times I’ve been told by friends, family, and acquaintances that I should be a teacher because I have the “teacher look”.  Whether or not I actually possess this look is a question that I have yet to fully answer.  What I am certain of is my love of working with youth.  I think back to when I was in high school and how I really valued the caring adults in my life.  These adults who showed specific interest in my life have impacted me in a very positive way.  They showed trust and generosity towards me and taught me how to be the same.  Now as a teacher, I feel that I can “pay it forward” to the future generations of adults.

I believe in teacher modelling of behaviors.  I treat my students and fellow colleagues with respect and kindness.  I also exemplify patience and a nurturing side when I speak with students who are struggling.  I will take them aside one-on-one just to make sure they are receiving the necessary attention they are craving.  In addition to my warm side, I am also very stern with rules.  When students refuse to abide by the classroom and school policies, I will make sure they are aware of them.  Classroom discipline usually manifests itself in the form of an individual talk, time out, or detention with a followup conversation to follow.  I always make an effort to listen to my students first and foremost.  When I know they require additional support, I will reach out their parents and their counselors.  I strongly believe that students are capable of success with a little extra attention, appropriate praise, and challenges that will keep them motivated.

On assessment…

The best advice I was given about assessment was to be as consistent as much as possible.  I could not grade them differently because of their differences.  I must always look at the work that he or she produced and mark according to my rubric.  I believe in creating the most valid and reliable rubrics as possible but I know for a fact that a “perfect” rubric does not exist.  In situations where I feel that a student’s work does fit neatly into a prescribed category in my rubric, I must use my best professional judgement to gauge what score the student should receive.  I will look at their participation, work ethic, project completion, and overall success of the project before committing to a final grade.

I try my best to be as transparent with my marking system as possible.  I make an effort to hand out my rubric to the class with a clear explanation of what I am looking for.  I will also notify them of any changes that I make to the marking system in addition to any late penalty deductions.  I make deadlines clear and repeat them as often as I can.  In addition to the summative assessment portion, I also regularly check in with each of my students during their process of art making.  I meet with each student one-on-one to discuss their ideas and provide formative feedback.  I will give suggestions and answer any questions or concerns they have.  I believe in the importance of the process in art making (research, concept formation, development of creative stance) over the final end product.  I try my best to give all my students an equal opportunity to succeed in this area before ever settling on a final mark.  This to me is responsible art assessment.

Assessment is also not just for me to judge their work.  I believe that when students assess their peer’s work, they not only learn how to think critically about art work and learn important terminology, they also foster a stronger sense of comradery in the classroom that may or may have not existed before.  (Half of all my classes did not know the other half’s names!).  In addition to peer assessment, they will also complete a self assessment sheet that will give me a truer reflection of what my students are succeeding and struggling with.  These reflections will then be communicated by me to the class as a whole and suggestions will be given for further improvement.

 

References

Efland, A. (2002). Art and cognition: Integrating the visual arts in the curriculum. Teachers College Press.