You Got Mail

Youth Art Month

"The Arts are not the frosting on the cake....they are the cake." -CEO VSA Arts-


This was the sight from Indianapolis as students from all over the state were recognized for their artwork as a part of Youth Art Month. Four out of five students from Burris attended the event, which included a guest speaker from VSA Arts. Going to these events always reminds me of the reasons why I want to be an art teacher. At the event, I met part-time art teachers who were able to work magic with their students.

This fact poster was eye-opening to me.

I was so proud of Philip! His artwork is a self-portrait of himself as President of the United States. I wish I could plaster this picture on the office doors of the IDOE. As art programs are being cut, students like Philip are losing their opportunity to express themselves. Picasso once said that all children are born as artists. We grow up and become afraid of making mistakes. Philip taught me a great lesson today--
I should not sacrifice my creativity in fear of failure.

Story Self-Destruction

Inservice Day

I don't get to teach kindergarten art classes, so I thought it would be fun to observe them in action. My goal is to include the kindergarten classes in my Expressionism unit coming up in a few weeks. I am so glad that I made the decision to make the visit, because I could have never guessed how interesting and fun the kindergarten environment at Burris would be!

Students were broken up into three stations:

1. Science - learning about volcanoes
2. Art/Thinking - building patterns
3. Health and Wellness - tasting and describing healthy foods

A timer was set and students would move from one station to the next My favorite station was the volcano station. The college teacher in charge of the activity started with an introduction of volcanoes. She used a large visual and had students point to parts of the volcano. Also, students watched a music video about volcanoes before constructing one of their own using Styrofoam cups, baking soda, and vinegar. This activity got me so excited that I ran back to my classroom and brought back an art supply to show the students. This object, a pumice pad, is created by grinding down solidified foam from the base of volcanoes. I let each student touch the pad, and even the college teachers took an interest!

I left the kindergarten room feeling a sense of awe at the ability of those young learners. I have been given the opportunity to come back and assist in an art activity this Friday, and it will be so exciting to see how the students respond to my instruction.

More than Plein Air

This is my third week co-teaching and we are finally starting a new group of artists! I created a colorful mural that describes the three main artists will will be studying: Edgar Degas, Mary Cassat, and Claude Monet. After my second benchmark meeting, I decided that my goals this week would revolve around planning and supplementing art activities. I have focused a lot of my time on building relationships with my students and the Burris faculty, but it is about time that I start making my mark and putting my curricular knowledge to the test!



As an introduction to Mary Cassat and Impressionism, my classroom teacher and I will be reading this story, told from the point of view of a young student writing a book report. One of the challenges of reading this book is that it is very small. I came up with the idea of scanning the images into Power Point so that all of the students would be able to see the pictures. I will be curious to see how the students respond to this from of presentation.

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Relationships

Principle 10: The student teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well being.


This week, my classroom teacher provided me the opportunity to introduce myself to the Burris faculty by writing a paragraph about me in Owl Pellets, the faculty newsletter. It has been easy for me to forget how big the Burris K-12 environment really can be. I spend most of my time down in the art room. This fact encouraged me to make a personal goal of finding ways to create new alliances outside of the art department.

My classroom teacher was unable to attend a social committee meeting after school one day, so I took her spot as the secretary for that time. While I didn't say much at the meeting, I learned about many of the things the Burris community does for its own, including carry-ins on PBA days retirement dinners, and surprise mailbox treats. I have heard of schools planning activities like this, but I never really reflected upon the effect that such things have on the school environment. There are not too many professions that collectively and consistently provide opportunities to celebrate personal accomplishments or appreciation for others.

One of the criticisms that I have of Principle 10 is that is does not include relationships with students. One of the main reasons I love teaching is that you have the opportunity to meet so many wonderful young people. Even the ones who are...not so wonderful...challenge me to face my weaknesses. My second weekly goal for week two was to spend a lot of time identifying my students be name. Miss Berry, Burris' vice principal, is probably one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met. She says hello to each student she sees in the hall and can call almost all of them by name. A name seems like such a small thing, but I am learning that it is a big deal to students. Already in my second week, I have learned that you do not want to get a name wrong. While my students have been kind in correcting me sometimes, I can tell in their eyes that they want to be recognized. To make my task of learning ten classes of twenty students each more of a challenge, many of them were allowed to switch seats this week.

Flexibility is the key to teaching.

My third goal for week two involved blue, gold, and a lot of cheering! I wanted to really tap into the school spirit of Burris by attended a sporting event. Dressed in my brand new Burris Owls t-shirt, I met my classroom teacher at a middle school basketball game and helped her sell tickets to fans. This was a great opportunity to meet the families of students and greet members of the community. Mrs. Stokes, my classroom teacher, informed me that she knew almost everyone on the middle school teams.

I am constantly learning new things from her, but I think this week she taught me to hold on to the faces that I see each day. I could tell that many of the students recognized her presence at the game and appreciated her support.

Orientation Week

TELL ME...and I forget

SHOW ME...and I may remember.

INVOLVE ME...and I'll understand.

-Chinese Proverb-

I have been told for five years how to be a successful educator, but have forgotten so much of it. I have gone to workshops, conventions, and I have been shown by experienced professors how to manage a classroom. I have remembered some of what I have been told and shown, but I have remembered much more of what I have been involved in . As of this week, I am finally involved in becoming a licensed teacher, and everything that I have learned and valued is being tested. I love it.

I am no stranger to the students at Burris Laboratory School or my classroom teacher. While I have been given a warm welcome and feel at home in my school environment, I am seeing everything with a new pair of eyes. The artist in me is longing to gain control of the intricate details of daily life: student and faculty faces, parent involvement and procedures, extracurricular commitments, and even the lunch menu.

This week, I chose to focus on three goals that would improve my knowledge of the Burris community.

Goal 1: The student teacher will learn the procedures of the school and the art classroom.

• Student teacher will keep a copy of the student handbook in her possession and complete the Student Teacher Checklist provided during Student Teacher Orientation Day.
• Student teacher will create a classroom floor plan to familiarize herself with classroom materials and safety.

Goal 2: The student teacher will develop a dialog between herself, the students, and the faculty of Burris.

• Student teacher will create a seating chart for each of the art classes that she interacts with in order to foster relationships with individual students.
• Student teacher will attend faculty meetings and eat lunch with colleagues to increase visibility of herself within the school.

Goal 3: The student teacher will learn the layout of the school in order to efficiently serve the needs of the students and faculty of Burris.

• Student teacher will lead students from the art classroom back to their home classrooms.
• Student teacher will offer to run errands for the classroom teacher.

I am so excited to keep this documented account of my experience and growth while at Burris. Each week, I will outline new goals and describe teachable moments that have impacted my philosophy of education or the way I see myself.