Without art, the earth would just be 'eh'

My wish and hope and desire is to become an art teacher. Someday I will get a masters degree in fine arts, but the job market for art teachers is, well...limited. And shrinking fast. In fact, the middle school I teach in no longer has any extra curriculars: practically no sports, no music, no shop, no Home EC, no computer classes, and definitely no art.

I'm not one to give up on something I really, really, really, REALLY want, so...I started an art club! I feel invigorated and excited again about teaching after our first art club meeting on Thursday. Nine students showed up for the first meeting and I feel that more will come to the next. We had a marvelous time drawing shapes and creating a still life (well, one little guy drew dinosaurs and fish- the important thing is that he had a good time). I gave quite a bit of positive praise to everyone and let the students draw as they saw fit (hence the dinosaurs). While none of the students have a lot practice, they all tried their hardest and they produced wonderful drawings that I will proudly hang on the school's walls, proclaiming to all who pass by that art does exist in this place!

Basic Drawing
Our very first object.

This whole process was enough to make me giddy, but what really made me happy was how relaxed and at ease I was with my art lesson. It came so naturally! I joked around with the students and let my guard down, which I NEVER do in my normal classroom. It's hard for me let go of control enough to joke around with 23 eleven year-olds and just trust that we can come back down to a calm level (I wonder why). It was different with these guys: a smaller group, they all wanted to be there, and were therefore well behaved no matter what I did (like dropping all the still life objects in the loudest possible fashion. I then bowed). But it wasn't just that- I wanted to be there. It's important for the teacher to enjoy what they're teaching, and I'm afraid I've lost sight of that a bit in my English classroom.

M. C. Escher
Someday they'll be doing work like this!

In fact, there are many teachers that I know who feel drained, unappreciated, bored, overworked or a thousand other negative sensations that don't help us teach. Teachers are also blamed quite a bit for things that are wrong in education. It all adds up. It is such a pleasure to find something in the classroom that cancels all that out. I don't know why it took me so long to start this club, for it awoke my joy of teaching again. These little jump starts are sometimes all it takes to make it to tomorrow.

Speaking of jump starts, somebody out there got the bright idea of giving the image of a teacher a make-over. Apparently, the image of an apple, the ABC's or a pencil as the representation of a teacher seems old hat to some. I have honestly never thought about this before, until a friend sent me the link below. Now that the out-of-date image of a teacher has been brought to my attention, I agree that it might actually need a bit of an update. In this age where image is practically everything, teachers have a particularly negative one. I've always been partial to the classic icons of education, but the idea of 'connecting the dots' on this website might just capture the scope, purpose and delight of teaching. Check it out.

Inspire Teachers

If you have any suggestions for my art club, let me know. We'll be making African masks this Thursday! 

Journey into Literature Circles: Part 1

I have begun my first trip into literature circles. If you aren't privy to teacher speak, that's a small group within the class that is reading a book together. Each small group reads a different book and is responsible for their own comprehension (with a nudge here and there from me). This is how reading works in the real world- there is no all-knowing-presence, guiding us into further understanding. We either figure it out for ourselves or talk to somebody who's read the book too. It's authentic, engaging and high level learning. That's why I'm doing it. Doing it well is another matter altogether.

Everything I've ever read about literature circles emphasizes PLANNING AHEAD. Plan for different reading levels, plan for group dynamics, plan for student jobs and separate discussions. No wonder I've never tried this before- I wouldn't have had the managerial skills as a newbie. Managing these small groups is similar to standing guard over a pet store without cages. Problems are inevitable. I guess I'm brave enough to try it now (Or foolish. I guess we'll see).

One question: How can you plan for students taking responsibility? Once you relinquish control over the flow of conversation or the direction of ideas, you also give up the ability to plan for what will happen. I guess it's an issue of trust really. Do I trust my own students to take their learning into their own hands? I've seen the potential of student centered learning- it can be powerful, memorable, and full of meaning. It's not forced down their throats- it comes from what they want to know. I would like to trust my students enough to take this step without regret.  However, I'm a control freak and that's like asking me to cut off my own toe. Not that easy, mates, especially when I am responsible for the progress of 75+ students. Will they stay on task? Will they have meaningful conversations? Will they actually gain a deeper understanding of the text than if we did a class novel? Will they leap over the desks to stab each other with a pencil when my back is turned? Sadly, that has happened.

On the positive side of things, I can't seem to contain their reading rate. In order for them to have discussions about the book, I want them to remain in the same section, but some kids are just ripping through and practically finishing the book in one night. Woohoo for kids liking their book! That's the beauty of finding a book on their level that they find interesting- it's a glorious union between mind and ideas that pays no attention to time. However, it'll be interesting for the students to have discussions about said book if one of them has finished and another is on page 20. That would be unforeseen challenge number one.

I've decided (and research seems to agree) the best way to go about these all-important weekly discussions is to give each student an alternating job that helps them prepare certain details to share with the whole group. I think I'm going with: Discussion Director (comes up with questions, keeps talking on track), Summarizer, Word Watcher (defines important, unknown words), Illustrator (draws important scenes) and Illuminator (finds important sections to focus on). I've found a plethora of materials for these jobs, namely at English Companion and Super Teacher Worksheets (if you're interested). I completely buy into the idea of borrowing from the great minds who have come before- what's the use in reinventing the wheel? (Unless you can make it better of course...)

I'll be adjusting the amount and criteria of each job due to the fact my class sizes vary from 15 to 23, and the small groups range from 3 to 5 students. And we're in the middle of yet another district-mandated testing week. And the heating at school doesn't work well at the moment, so nobody wants to sit next to the windows (which actually have cracks about half an inch wide that let in the brisk-mid-west-January air). Add to the mix all the differing student personalities and you've got a spicy dish full of new and exciting flavors. Just a few more things to take into account and plan for. Ah, the unseen workings of a teacher's mind- kind of a complicated place. If the students only knew.

I've got possible solutions to the challenges above, and I'll be trying them out in the next few weeks. More updates on this new adventure to come as we journey onward into the land of literature circles...