First days...
Wow. This is unbelievable. I am completely thrown into it. Not only am I the first and only Art Teacher at my school...I am also basically the Fine Arts "Department Head" because I am in charge of ordering all supplies, writing all grants and curriculum and coordinating any art shows that I want to go on. I LOVE the idea of art shows for my students. I have an office with my very own desk AND they said they ordered a new PC for me for next Monday. Uhhh....
I'm in total awe. I'm just completely blown away. In complete control of WHATEVER the hell I want to teach these young adults? No way. I am completely trusted and respected too.
Never had that with any of my previous jobs, that's for sure.
It really is the trust that gets me...
I mean, nothing has to be "okayed" really. No one looking over my damn shoulder. Peering at me while I'm planning. No one hassling me for shit or telling me what's not right or that I suck. No icky co-workers either. Their Advanced Algebra teacher,(Mr. Yang I think?) has been especially such an immense help. Go figure, I fucking hate math.
The staff there have been so completely welcoming and warm and damn, just all around smiles and respect and support. I've NEVER had this anywhere! They think everything that I want to propose is good and exciting. I am totally included and welcomed.
The students....MY students.
I have about 15 in each class and I teach only two classes, which is ideal.
My first class is 95 minutes long so there's SO much we can do in there. Problem is there's a couple of students that like to cut up just a wee bit when I'm talking. One girl in particular likes to semi-glare at me for no reason. Which I respond to with a squinty evil glare of my own and then a smile and when I called role today,(she grunted when I called her name) I told her that I've always loved the name "Violet", which is her name....I finally did get an embarrassed smile on that one.
My 4th period is GOLD. A lot of eye-contact and the respect, skill level and previous knowledge is so high with most all of the guys. There's two really savvy, talented girls in there too.
One student already keeps a sketchbook and he shyly showed it to me today. I loved it.
I was told yesterday that this school is part of a "Public Alternative School System" to which I was like, "ohhhh, shiiiiiiiiit." inside. (which explains why it pays) But it is quite the opposite of what anyone would have preconceived ideas about! I wish this would have been around when I was in High School. I hated High School. I never went.
So many of the students are there because they missed too many days or they want to get away from gangs or what not.
My students range in ages from 16-19 and WANT to graduate. (they need Art I. to do this, btw.)I told my kids today that since they are here, I know they LOVE my class because if they didn't, they could leave at anytime. "You choose to be there and so do I."
I like that I can be open with them. I told them today, after discussing the fact that I want them to keep a sketchbook and that it would be part of their Quarter grade, that they should know that I plan on treating them like college students since that was what they were going to be soon anyway.
"I want a dialogue you guys. An open exchange of ideas and expressive thought along with artistic freedom within the guidelines of the assignment...as long as it's not you drawing the middle finger and telling me to go to hell, it'll probably be okay." (I scored laughs.)
Everyday we have a 10-minute warm up (it's called a "bell-ringer" when you give them something to immediately do when they come in the door, I didn't know it had a name!) with them going through my hefty stack of art magazines and picking out one piece of artwork that they like and writing three things down on a notecard about what they do/don't like or what they notice about the work. I then have them cut it out (collage purposes later), show it to the class and present what their thoughts are, with my help only now of course...they will get better the more they do this.
"I want you all to get used to looking at art, thinking about it and being able to articulate what your thoughts and feelings are.
"Your interest and response are as valid as what you create. It all matters."
My actual classroom is "Language Arts" before Art and it is as visually bland as you can get.
It will change.
I'm in total awe. I'm just completely blown away. In complete control of WHATEVER the hell I want to teach these young adults? No way. I am completely trusted and respected too.
Never had that with any of my previous jobs, that's for sure.
It really is the trust that gets me...
I mean, nothing has to be "okayed" really. No one looking over my damn shoulder. Peering at me while I'm planning. No one hassling me for shit or telling me what's not right or that I suck. No icky co-workers either. Their Advanced Algebra teacher,(Mr. Yang I think?) has been especially such an immense help. Go figure, I fucking hate math.
The staff there have been so completely welcoming and warm and damn, just all around smiles and respect and support. I've NEVER had this anywhere! They think everything that I want to propose is good and exciting. I am totally included and welcomed.
The students....MY students.
I have about 15 in each class and I teach only two classes, which is ideal.
My first class is 95 minutes long so there's SO much we can do in there. Problem is there's a couple of students that like to cut up just a wee bit when I'm talking. One girl in particular likes to semi-glare at me for no reason. Which I respond to with a squinty evil glare of my own and then a smile and when I called role today,(she grunted when I called her name) I told her that I've always loved the name "Violet", which is her name....I finally did get an embarrassed smile on that one.
My 4th period is GOLD. A lot of eye-contact and the respect, skill level and previous knowledge is so high with most all of the guys. There's two really savvy, talented girls in there too.
One student already keeps a sketchbook and he shyly showed it to me today. I loved it.
I was told yesterday that this school is part of a "Public Alternative School System" to which I was like, "ohhhh, shiiiiiiiiit." inside. (which explains why it pays) But it is quite the opposite of what anyone would have preconceived ideas about! I wish this would have been around when I was in High School. I hated High School. I never went.
So many of the students are there because they missed too many days or they want to get away from gangs or what not.
My students range in ages from 16-19 and WANT to graduate. (they need Art I. to do this, btw.)I told my kids today that since they are here, I know they LOVE my class because if they didn't, they could leave at anytime. "You choose to be there and so do I."
I like that I can be open with them. I told them today, after discussing the fact that I want them to keep a sketchbook and that it would be part of their Quarter grade, that they should know that I plan on treating them like college students since that was what they were going to be soon anyway.
"I want a dialogue you guys. An open exchange of ideas and expressive thought along with artistic freedom within the guidelines of the assignment...as long as it's not you drawing the middle finger and telling me to go to hell, it'll probably be okay." (I scored laughs.)
Everyday we have a 10-minute warm up (it's called a "bell-ringer" when you give them something to immediately do when they come in the door, I didn't know it had a name!) with them going through my hefty stack of art magazines and picking out one piece of artwork that they like and writing three things down on a notecard about what they do/don't like or what they notice about the work. I then have them cut it out (collage purposes later), show it to the class and present what their thoughts are, with my help only now of course...they will get better the more they do this.
"I want you all to get used to looking at art, thinking about it and being able to articulate what your thoughts and feelings are.
"Your interest and response are as valid as what you create. It all matters."
My actual classroom is "Language Arts" before Art and it is as visually bland as you can get.
It will change.