Alex Kolbos Student Teaching Journal

Lincoln East - Spring 2013 - 3rd Term Larry Buller Ceramics Key: Teaching Tips Planning Art Tips Job Search Tips Behavior Classroom Personal Jan. 7th

3/8/2013 8:59:00 PM

Teaching Tips - Dont get stuck teaching/ modeling/ showing/ demonstrating in own personal style. Give a large breath of examples and styles for students to be inspired by and work off of. Explain everything in multiple ways and show that there isnt always one right way. Behavior - First couple of weeks are part of the Honeymoon Stage. Students wont know each other, the teachers, the rules, the agendas, etc. So they will start off shy and quite trying to figure out what is going on, then some will transition (Some more quickly) into testing the boundaries until they know how the teacher and others will react. Whole class is easy to get to listen and stay quite at first but by middle of semester you will have to work at keeping students quiet. I find it ironic (dont know what this really means though) that we work really hard at the beginning for students to break out of their shells with ice breakers and activities at first and then later in Semester we try our hardest to get them to stop talking and such. Behavior

- Got to read through IEP summaries sent by IEP managers. Weird to see how many students have IEPs. Most dont apply too much to Art. Good to be aware of potential problems the student could have/cause but cant be prejudgmental.

Jan. 8th Behavior - Cant get into a habit of trying to talk over students. Thats a sign that they are winning. Must stop and wait/ demand for their attention before continuing talking. Teaching Tips - Must find own personal comfort of teaching style and ways of discipline (within district rules) and such. Classroom - Be super involved in any type of remodeling that happens at the school and especially in your classroom! Really have to fight for space, storage, extra classroom stuff. Construction crew wont think about best way to do something for teaching but the easiest or cheapest way to do something. When other teachers are leaving or getting rid of tables, shelves etc. really go through it to see if you can use it.

Jan. 9th Behavior - Be aware that students might act out bc of something going on you dont know about. Exp: Kendra walked out on us today bc we asked her to face forward 3 times. She just broke up with her boyfriend and has family issues that morning which added to her stress. Behavior

-First couple of weeks be strict about the rules, then start to ease up into the semester. Planning - Definitely need to do something more hands on in the first 2 days. Like make a small simple project or activity. Otherwise students will get bored and start to not like the class. Mix in intro/background info, book work, and lecturing with group work, activities, and projects. Jan. 10th Teaching Tips - Being an art teacher is more about being a good teacher than a good artist. You could be the greatest artist in the world but if you cant get the info/ instruction through to the students then you wont succeed as a teacher. Teaching Tips - Always be aware of the time! Maybe make reminders or set timers or have students remind you or something so you never get caught off guard. Behavior - Sat in on a conference with the girl who walked out on class the other day. She had a lot of family and boyfriend problems that day and got overwhelmed so the councilor went through some of the issues with her in front of us and we came up with some solutions and such. Behavior - Matt (ADD) and Connor do a lot of talking. Matt is always looking for attention from others and has to try harder when apart from Connor. When they are together Connor and Matt still talk but dont distract rest of class. So its almost better to let them sit together rather than constantly telling then to be quiet.

Jan. 11th

Job Search Tips - What if you are asked to teach a class you dont know much about? Most teachers would pass down course plan to work off of in the case of someone retiring. You could ask other teachers for help. Exaggerate a little about how much you know of the subject because you can always take some time to teach yourself as you go or take a summer class or learn online. Job Search Tips - If a teacher takes a sabbatical for a year they are guaranteed their job back. If they take off 2 years then they are only guaranteed a job in the district. People who fill in for that year are more than likely moved to a different position within the district. Behavior - If you have an exceptionally good class, be careful not to let them know they are above average because they will just think their class is normal and the way it is suppose to be.

Jan. 14th Teaching Tips - When doing a demo, think about when to break up a process and how much to demo before stopping and letting the students try it. Leading the students in a step by step demo as they do their own project does not always work because it is harder for all to see from their desks and some will be faster or slower than others. Some students might even try working ahead and miss instruction. Jan. 15th Teaching Tips

- Small age gap is good and bad. Its bad that some kids might not take me as seriously or test my authority but then since I am so close in age I can still remember vividly how their minds work. I can help bridge that gap for Larry Teaching Tips - Pick your battles with students and with teachers and administrators.

Jan. 16th Classroom - Wedging table should definitely be made of cement! More porous than wood Easier to clean (scrap off) Doesnt move or stretch like cnavas Art Tips - Rehydrating tricks: Form leather hard clay (or clay to dry to work with) into a block then use stick (like end of thick brush) to puncture holes (not all the way through) about 2-3 inches apart from each other, then fill with water and let sit wrapped for a day and check it. Wrap projects in wet paper towels if too dry or over weekend to prevent from drying out. Have a slop bucket (Recycling) for leftover clay. After soaked in water for a few days then place on a slap of cement (wedging table or porous surface) in blocks like sheet cake. Take off the edges as it dries and re-wedge the clay.

Jan. 17th Classroom

- It would be nice to have designated spots/ storage for clay at different stages, so students and teachers wouldnt have to go through a bunch of bags of clay to find the right plasticity of clay. Teaching Tips - Give instructions and expectations on listening before giving a demo (at least for the beginning of the semester) so you dont have to continue trying to teach them how to listen during instruction. Jan. 18th Personal - How do I see the students? Am I treating them like part of the job? As one of the obstacles or tasks of the job? Or am I loving and caring about them and my job is for them? Dont get stuck treating them like a task but remember to treat them as people as well. Invest in them. Figure out what makes them tick, what makes them different. Show them you care about their life outside of the classroom. Classroom - Put a microwave in the ceramic room! (Dry clay out faster and for lunch)

Jan. 22nd Classroom - Buy lotion with budget money! Stuff like that and klenexs can be paid for with dept funds. Personal - The students that want to hang out in the art room or hallway or with a teacher during lunch are usually the kids without any friends who need someone to talk to. Take that opportunity to talk with them and invest in their lives.

Teaching Tips - Get in the habit of posting the daily learning objectives so you remember the goal of the day and so students know what is expected. -Always access a lesson before moving on just bc you finished the lesson. Make sure the learning goals were reached by the students. - Teaching is a lifestyle choice, you will be a teacher in your school and you will be seen as a teacher when your out in public. To show kids they really matter, participate or attend after school activities/ sports. - Go into Parent/Teacher Conferences knowing what you will say about the students. Be ready to say where they are doing great, what they can improve, and what you expect in the their future.

Jan. 23rd Teaching Tips - Sometimes you do have to go through and re-teach elementary stuff like how to hold a paint brush, how to draw a good line, curve, how to set up and use a grid. - Have T.A.s or students that are ahead of class do as much of the tedious busy work you need done, like getting materials ready, cleaning, organizing storage, etc. Get them started on it at beginning of class when others are still coming in or after opening instructions. Jan. 24th Classroom -Maybe have emergency kit with cough drops, first aid, rubber gloves, snacks, water bottle, tweezers, etc Personal

-Taught Mackenzie (Cerebral Palsy) how to throw today. We had 2 Paras helping on either side of her to help steady and guide her arms. I taught them and 3 other students at the same time. She basically did all the touching of the clay but they moved her hands where they needed to go. She loved the feeling and how much she got to touch the clay. They were actually able to form a pot out of it!

Jan. 25th Behavior - Need to take time sometimes in middle of project to stop the class and refocus the students and give a pep talk to reinforce expectations and direction for the project if they start to falter a bit. Also good to do when behavior for class becomes an issue. - Explain what effort you want to see and what the craft level should be like - Expect greatness from the students and make sure they know that - Let them know that if they are getting frustrated with the project or something in class, let them take a break so they dont rush the project or ruin it. Teaching Tips - Have students, who say they are done, self access their work to see what could be improved and do it, then ask their neighbors what they think they could add or change to make it better before deciding they are done. Art is never finished only abandoned Andy Warhol Jan. 28th

Jan. 29th Personal - Taught Jacob how to read a clock today he still didnt listen very well. I dont think he thinks he can learn just like I dont think he believes he can do math or English, etc.

Teaching Tips - Graded first project today. Most assess themselves lower than I grade them. Good to grade hard on first assignment but not to crush their moral. Jan. 30th SNOW DAY Jan. 31st Teaching Tips - When giving PowerPoint over historical lesson or artist ask a lot of speculative questions and try to get discussion going to make it more interesting. Be Passionate and knowledgeable about it so they can get more engaged. Find out the weird facts that are interesting. Feb. 1st Teaching Tips - Subbed today for the first time but here are the things I should have changed: Coil design demo would have been perfect for making a video for them. I wouldnt have forgot anything and it would have been easier to keep in a linear fashion. Should have connected better how this design process and experimenting would benefit the final product. Show what an actual finished pot would look like.

Feb. 4th

Feb. 5th Teaching Tips

- Helped with Parent Teacher Conferences this is what I came away with: What to talk about: Praises/ Successes Problems and Improvements o Social, Academic, Behavior, Work Ethic Expressions at Home o Any questions, concerns, stories they have told? Future o College, taking advanced classes Would be nice to have the student pics, seating chart, rubric, and maybe a pic of their work close at hand to refer to and to help jog memory of what they did. Feb. 6th Classroom - Laminate every sign in an art room for easy cleaning - Have a do not touch sign to be able to move around with projects drying or still lifes, etc. - Have well labeled shelves for different stages of clay: Bonedry (ready to fire), ready to be glazed, and ready to get final firing, and finished work Behavior - Be aware that the next day students might bring up what was talked about at conferences the night before. Had a few students come in kinda frustrated about some of what we told their parents (some was not communicated accurately from the parents to the kids though) so be very clear to parents. Feb. 7th Behavior - Darby answered his phone today in class. I realized we should have been harder on him earlier on when we would catch him texting so that it wouldnt have come to this point. He of course thought he had a good excuse for it and was reluctant on giving over the phone. I just had to be firm and consistent with him (without raising voice or drawing to much attention) and

maybe should have had him step in the hall to talk about it right then instead of after class. Feb. 8th Teaching Tips - Early in semester maybe 2nd week or after first small project, teach entire class how to wedge and have them all wedge clay so that you dont have to do it for them later. Otherwise you will always be wedging clay and getting it ready for them. - Always make examples of the project before teaching it so that they have good standards to be able to base theirs off of. Behavior - Had a student kick over a trashcan and refuse to pick it up during Lunch duty today. I was only asking him to pick it up but it escalated to his friend shoving me and them both calling me F***er and a few other choice words and a bunch of taunting. Ended up writing a referral and they were suspended. Best thing to do in that kind of situation is to stay calm and cool and not act weak. Do not raise voice and try and make sure there are witnesses of the incident.

Student Teaching Journal

Randolph Elementary - Spring 2013 4th Term Liz Chaffee Key: Teaching Tips Planning Art Tips Job Search Tips Behavior Classroom Personal Refrences

3/8/2013 8:59:00 PM

March 4th: Ask question and then have all students share answers with friends at their table. All students get to participate and doesnt take much time, listen for what answers they say then go over all the answers heard. Ask for volunteers to read essential questions and objectives and such. When students shout out a random thing, just acknowledge quickly and redirect and keep going. My turn: Mr Kolbo, Your turn: (Kids reply) Change activities very quickly every 15 mins or so. Switch from Anticipatory to demo to work time to walkabout to self assessment etc. The Art of Teaching Art to Children Regio Amelia

5th Papermaking (Test group) 4th Piet Mondrian (middle end) Taking up 2nd 3rd - LOVE (towards end) Taking up next week 2nd - Butterfly metamorphosis 1st Hot air balloon K Jungle March 5th: Creating a Creative Classroom Environment Allowing students to add, change anything about their project Taking breaks to do class brainstorms out loud Introduce to multiple ideas, examples, images Have students do walkabouts to see other classmates work Lots of stimulating images around the class Many choices of material Choice of how or where to work

March 6th: If a kid is upset or crying, the best way to help them recover is distracting them from what happened. So today we had a crying student come to us for a buddy room. He wouldnt calm down until Mrs. Chaffee asked him to help us with a job. It worked perfectly. Later Miguel was angry and violent until I asked him about a cool rocketship in the hallway and he immediately wanted to tell me about it.

Zeman Elementary Susan Otti

3/8/2013 8:59:00 PM

Video Lesson/ Demonstrations: (Like a tutorial) -Leaves time to take care of last second stuff while playing -Cuts out example time bc you can fast forward through the tedious stuff -Keeps kids interested -Easy for all to see instead of fighting over a spot to see and moving chairs, etc -Can add your thoughts about artistic reasoning -Can stop and add in stuff you had forgotten -Can go back in and edit in thoughts or material or cut out useless stuff -Can show in examples like slides -Can ask questions and pause video -Show in steps and let them work in-between steps and -Show/ Express final expectations -Dont forget to tell information to a class -Have a Script with vocabulary you want to cover, points you want to make, and directions, etc -No longer than 10 mins -Make sure to have good angles and lighting so everything is easy to see in video -Change of environment is sometimes fun for kids -Prepares you for the lesson, kind of like a dress rehearsal -Set up a border for reference of your work area so you dont accidently work out of sight -Change camera angles -Self Critique -Kids can do a self critique on the video after they are done so you can go back a watch them -Can do with a partner -Have prompt questions posted so they know what to answer. Teacher tips -Job is not to clean up after kids, that should be their job -Stay organized and make sure the kids know your organization

-You have to be invested and excited about it otherwise they wont be - Order of Importance: Behavior, Organization, Lesson -Have small projects ready for kids to work on if they finish but they cant be too fun bc they will rush through their actual project. -Add fun interesting facts about artists and art not just date and location -Take a whole day to talk about the art in history for each new project -Use visual thinking strategies -What is goin on? What do you see that makes you think that? What more can you find/ see? Art Applications/ websites: -Reflection -Play Art -MoMA -MoMA Art Lab -Google Art -Artsonia -http://www.vtshome.org/ -Teachertube.com -Rubistar.4teachers.org Fundraisers: Artsonia.com Originalworks.com Art Lesson Ideas: -Usually have to add deeper meaning/ instruction to beef up project and fit own purpose -Lets kids bring in project ideas they have seen -Pintrest.com -Artsonia.com

Professional Colloquium

3/8/2013 8:59:00 PM

Breakout Teacher Panel A: Focus on connecting with students and their strengths, not weaknesses You cant teach someone you dont know. Trust and dont judge students but still hold them responsible Assessment comes from a word that means to sit next to so its not a judgment its a You do not treat every student the same, equality means treating each student in a way that will help them succeed. Breakout Accelere Student Panel B: Teachers who care make a world of difference Be a caring Parent for them in school and show you care about what goes on outside of school Figure out why someone is misbehaving, dont just tell them to stop or change Discipline by redirecting, not by negative Positive interactions will save all the time you would have taken with negative interactions Communication with students on expectations Facilitate interactions and relationships with others students (cooperative learning, group projects) Use breaks and Lunch duties to get to know students Scaffolding isnt demonstrating then letting them do it, its demo, then student assisted demo, then student and teacher work through the process, and then students do it on their own. Make students feel important and tell them of their potential. When student is having problems, relate to them on how you have had similar problems and how you overcame it.

We dont have to diagnose what is going on with the student but we should accept them knowing there could be something going on with them we cant see.

Future Ideas: Take first day (or parts of class for the first week) to get to know the students and for them to get to know you. Have a pre semester survey for students with a question asking what will be the biggest struggle for them in the class or in the semester. Along with other questions.