Areas of Confidence
STANDARD I
Element c: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
I have seen through experience that a good lesson is one which sparks interest in your students and draws passion from within them to create something meaningful and exciting. This means each project has the capability of being personal and pertinent to the student. There is no concrete visual end point of what the project will look like; it is all about exploration and process. During the creative process the artist is able to build a heightened sense of self. Students are encouraged to treat each assignment as an exploration of the material and the concept, in relation to the self, the community, and the world around them. The creative process instills the idea that failure is a viable and welcome option. Humans learn and grow through the process of trial and error, creative methodology and imagination. As a creative, educator, and life-long learner, I truly enjoy the process of building and completing projects with my students. Each lesson begins with a concept, driven into fruition by the grade level expectations. At my elementary placement at Coyote Ridge Elementary, an IB World School, I was incredibly inspired by the IB program structure, employing the "Points of Inquiry" from the appropriate grade level. Building an "Inquiry Journal" for each project at my primary placement ensured that each lesson included background information/inquiry in the form of "LOOK" activities, ideation in the form of both visual and literary planning strategies during "THINK" activities, and reflection either verbal, written, or visual in the form of the "CONNECT" portion of the journal. These journals are evidence of learning, alongside their final projects which happen in the "MAKE" stage. I have gained so much insight about my personal teaching style and philosophy by working with a variety of schools and communities of learners.
I proudly consider myself both an educator + practicing artist as well. My BFA in Art Education has truly embraced the artist-teacher concept, providing both a broad and focused studio background alongside professional education skills. I have attained a high level of knowledge in art history dating from prehistoric artwork to contemporary examples. Through the PDS model based program at CSU I have learned to meet specific standards through the Center for Educator Preparation, ensuring that my experience was comprehensive and rigorous. My career preparation that was built into the curriculum, including working relationships with school districts in the state of Colorado, have provided me with professional pre-service teaching experiences solidifying my skills as an experienced and highly capable educator. The exploration of teaching children and young adults has really provided me with the tools to make learning accessible and exciting to all. Through my college experience, I have gained strong visual language skills, a critical eye, and the technical skills to find my voice and guide others to do the same. The rigorous nature of the BFA program has prepared me to teach a multiplicity of mediums and teach a variety of learners ages K-12.
STANDARD II
Element a: Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.
Two of my strongest attributes are my high level of empathy and care for my students, alongside my passion for teaching and creating. I understand and exhibit empathy with my students, value effort and creative problem solving, find excitement in the content I am teaching, and care deeply about my students. I am committed to building relationships with my students and creating a safe environment where they have equal opportunities to grow and succeed. Every day provides opportunities to get everyone involved; every voice is vital when it comes to the comfort and growth of a class. My relationships with my students are my #1 priority when it comes to the sense of comfort and well-being in my classroom. Setting clear guidelines, providing structure, and nurturing each individual is vital in a successful classroom. To start each day at my secondary placement, I asked students to respond to a "Question of the Day" on Google Classroom. Not only did this provide everyone time to get settled and provide a little bump up to their grade each day (each was worth 5 points) but it also gave me insight about how each student was feeling mentally and emotionally that day. I used this tool to ask check-ins like, "How are you feeling about your project thus far? Are there any ways I can support you right now?", "What is your happy place (mentally or physically) that you go to when you are feeling stressed? If you haven't found it yet, what steps might you take to discover it?", and fun questions to get to know them. I was able to reach a lot of students through this who were struggling and find ways to support them throughout our private conversations. Students learn more if they feel comfortable conversing openly with their peers and I. Through my student teaching experiences I have been able to build a safe space in each classroom where students could experiment, fail, contemplate, ask questions and interact with the world around them. Throughout my experiences teaching, I have come to form great relationships with my students; therefore, strengthening my ability to create projects that inspire them to create and express their true identities. I have loved getting to know all of my kids and will miss them so much!
Area for Improvement
STANDARD III
Element e: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership.
*Considering the circumstances this category was more so N/A based upon required regulations and strict guidelines put in place by the CDC, TSD, and government officials. Refusal to follow these guidelines could result in the spread of the COVID-19 virus therefore causing full-school shut down, district shut downs, full remote learning, and complete inability to collaborate at anytime in the near future.
Due to COVID-19, there were many stipulations which prevented collaborative opportunities that were out of my control given these regulations were put in place by the CDC to be followed with great care and attention. I was required to sanitize every material after singular use, sanitize each desk upon class dismissal, build and supply individual material kits to each student for remote, hybrid, and in-person learning environments. I was unable to host students in my own art classroom at the elementary level, which meant the capability to use certain materials was also compromised simply because of the presence of carpet. Students were also strictly required to stay within their own square, carefully taped on the floor, only getting up for frequent hand-washing routines, bathroom use, or cohort playground time.
Considering the climate during my high school placement, I tried my best to present student art to the class and provide opportunities for them to reflect and critique one another's work. Many were unable to see the amazing process happening around the room because of distancing and hybrid/remote learning. Despite the extreme amount of extra work and preparation that went into each and everyday because of COVID-19, I still stretched beyond my role as a classroom teacher; I attended and co-hosted art club once a week where students collaborated virtually over Google Meets. During my elementary placement I assisted in the 5th grade Exhibition Project, where I co-mentored two groups of 6 students. (Again, separating the two at different tables based on their cohort.) I assisted students in establishing a topic(s), finding reliable resources for research, assisting in the collection of required materials for the outreach portion of their project, and completion of a final video to document their work to be shown to their chosen audience/age within the school or community by sending that video out to the appropriate recipients.
Despite my best efforts to accomplish this standard within the confines of COVID-19 restrictions, I still have great plans and high hopes for collaborative opportunities in the future. My elementary mentor and I discussed the introduction of learning stations in the classroom where students could freely explore a variety of mediums--encouraging and assisting one another through the explorative process. I would also love to create collaborative murals, particularly a large origami mandala which I did in smaller individual projects with my elementary kids. We were unable to display anything on the hallway bulletin boards that was not easily sanitized with spray and other students would not touch. It truly was difficult to find ways to get the community involved and find ways for students to satisfactorily collaborate while abiding by the CDC guidelines.
Element e: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership.
*Considering the circumstances this category was more so N/A based upon required regulations and strict guidelines put in place by the CDC, TSD, and government officials. Refusal to follow these guidelines could result in the spread of the COVID-19 virus therefore causing full-school shut down, district shut downs, full remote learning, and complete inability to collaborate at anytime in the near future.
Due to COVID-19, there were many stipulations which prevented collaborative opportunities that were out of my control given these regulations were put in place by the CDC to be followed with great care and attention. I was required to sanitize every material after singular use, sanitize each desk upon class dismissal, build and supply individual material kits to each student for remote, hybrid, and in-person learning environments. I was unable to host students in my own art classroom at the elementary level, which meant the capability to use certain materials was also compromised simply because of the presence of carpet. Students were also strictly required to stay within their own square, carefully taped on the floor, only getting up for frequent hand-washing routines, bathroom use, or cohort playground time.
Considering the climate during my high school placement, I tried my best to present student art to the class and provide opportunities for them to reflect and critique one another's work. Many were unable to see the amazing process happening around the room because of distancing and hybrid/remote learning. Despite the extreme amount of extra work and preparation that went into each and everyday because of COVID-19, I still stretched beyond my role as a classroom teacher; I attended and co-hosted art club once a week where students collaborated virtually over Google Meets. During my elementary placement I assisted in the 5th grade Exhibition Project, where I co-mentored two groups of 6 students. (Again, separating the two at different tables based on their cohort.) I assisted students in establishing a topic(s), finding reliable resources for research, assisting in the collection of required materials for the outreach portion of their project, and completion of a final video to document their work to be shown to their chosen audience/age within the school or community by sending that video out to the appropriate recipients.
Despite my best efforts to accomplish this standard within the confines of COVID-19 restrictions, I still have great plans and high hopes for collaborative opportunities in the future. My elementary mentor and I discussed the introduction of learning stations in the classroom where students could freely explore a variety of mediums--encouraging and assisting one another through the explorative process. I would also love to create collaborative murals, particularly a large origami mandala which I did in smaller individual projects with my elementary kids. We were unable to display anything on the hallway bulletin boards that was not easily sanitized with spray and other students would not touch. It truly was difficult to find ways to get the community involved and find ways for students to satisfactorily collaborate while abiding by the CDC guidelines.
How 'Teaching dispositions' support professional goals
Throughout both of my placements and my college education as a whole, I have always been seeking opportunities to grow in my profession and as an individual in order to provide the best experience as possible for all of my students. Every critique session I had with my student teaching coach, came with pages full of notes and key points for me to try out, remember, revise, etc. I made sure to take notes in my journal or on sticky notes anytime advice or guidance was provided to me--from anyone! My mentors provided me with so much advice, insight, and support that I could never truly thank them enough.
I have been very grateful to have the time to reflect on my ability to teach throughout this process. Referring to the teaching dispositions is integral in ensuring that I am providing my students with a satisfactory and holistic education. As a lifelong learner, I would still like to continue working on the goals I established with my student teaching coach as I go into the depths of the field. My ePortfolios, journal entries, reflections, physical teaching journal, and hands-on experiences are all extremely important places of reference as I enter the beginning of my career as an educator. I plan to continue to grow in the following aspects based on my experiences student teaching at Fossil Ridge High School and Coyote Ridge Elementary, an IB World School:
- Add a variety of artwork and artist examples to promote diversity
- Blatantly connect material to real world issues/applications both verbal in class and in the lessons I teach in order to reflect real-world importance
- Create open ended questions to prompt interpretation and thought
- Continue my own research and professional development to discover what I want to learn and integrate into the classroom
- Build community through leadership opportunities
- Observe other teachers; continue learning and growing
- Employ self care to prevent burn-out
