i'm missing home
It's raining again, I thought today would let up some, but the rain is definitely pouring down. I was supposed to go to Sectionals this weekend with the team Briefcase (the best co-ed team in Illinois, ranked 10th or higher in the nation)...but the last in a series of impromptu tryouts fell one day after the deadline for roster additions. So, I skipped my fall league game, and I'm sitting at home (pam and howards that is), to write e-mails and work on paintings.
This week was my first full week of actual teaching: I had one project bomb, one class go awry, and one bloody fantastic lesson. These kids are priviledged as hell, and making them work hard for something is exceedingly difficult because most haven't had to work hard for anything their whole lives. If something is broken: buy another. If you try hard and fail, you've wasted your time (so why try at all?) These sentiments are most impressive in high school, but in middle school they aren't as prominent. I speak about this behavior because friday I came out to the upper school boys' ultimate practice...which was (essentially) a giant group of boys running willy-nilly around a sort of field space, hucking it, and catching..as if playing football. I settled a few disputes about possession, had them set up a field and play 7 v. 7. They HATED it, and I felt more of a burden than a useful resource. Nevertheless, one of the main leaders of the group was enthusiastic about my helping them. I may return next friday, but this time without my advisory.
My advisory: a kind of homeroom situation, this group of kids checks in with me tues-thurs, and had an extended class every tuesday and friday where we go over conflict resolution, character building and goal setting cirriculum. It's a small "side class" all teachers are required to teach. My classroom from 1:20-2:10 is full of buzzing, giggling, rambunctious tweens who find pencil launching and games of tag around the art projects far more interesting than writing down academic strengths and weaknesses. I don't blame them! I told them all about my interest in ultimate (I've slowly let personal details leak into lessons, not wanting them to deter from the plan and launch me into a long story about a glorious tourny..etc). I made a pact that if they focused for 30 minutes, intently, on the project at hand--we'd go outside and play. They were ecstatic and HIGHLY focused. It was AWESOME. I'm no longer above bribery.
Friday was a different situation. They looked at me with fear in their eyes when I said we'd play with the high school kids. When none of them went to attempt play, I felt guilty and selfish.. A few of the boys started in, but the girls were none-too-thrilled. I felt like I'd failed as a teacher/role model, and I worried I'd lost their trust and focus. But as I've learned, surprise donuts heal all wounds..
Not to say I've been using this for any other class. My art classes are regimented, serious and surprising. I'm finding out that my expectations for these kids are somewhat unattainable. I give them challenging assignments and expect fantastic results. Some perform beautifully, others falter. The 8th grade class is getting the most challenge from me. They've chosen this class for their elective, and will remain in my class for the rest of this semester. We made these awesome wire portraits last friday, which was the first in "whimsical/craftsy" exercise after many more academic assignments (stool still life, negative space designs with cut paper, Picasso upsidedown sketches...etc). I think their fun, but then again i've never enjoyed batiking, rug making, marbling paper..hmm.. it's a new era..
Speaking of, I took down this installation of ceramic portraits done by the entire middle school, and I did it UNGRACEFULLY..but not on purpose! When I was touring the school, the principal told me she hated these pieces, and wanted something new. She was endlessly encouraging of me, and my role in taking these down. I felt like I was totally in the clear. None of the other teachers seemed to care either. So there I went, I took all 100 of them off of the wall, and called Ray to make repairs to gaping holes, etc.. As i did so B. Castilla (spanish teacher) asked me what I was up to, I told her.. and that was the last time I ever saw her look me in the eyes. She has been avoiding my gaze ever since. She's so upset with me..and I didn't know why? Everyone has been easy to get along with, but slowly teachers are beginning to show their true colors, and the days of formality are over. I am less experienced, I am younger, and I am definitely from another school of thought..these things are becoming more apparent as the weeks roll on. I only wonder who/what feathers I'll ruffle next. They really don't have a clear idea who they've hired yet ;) This is both exciting, and terrifying..
I just bought some neat-o shirts from this sweet shop called the Paper Doll. One has a squirrel drawn with just black line playing a snare drum, the other has a doll head with antlers coming out, and a bird perched on the left one. I hope to dress these up a little and wear them to work on monday and tuesday.. anything to get away from the Ralph Lauren, J Crew uniform. I've already ruined my nice suede shoes, so it's either focus more on being good to my things, or accept the fact I'm a messy individual, and just buy some merrells. eh.
This week my lesson plans are:
6th: scraffito with oil pastel and india ink symbolizing a scene from every day life (see greecian vases)
7th: learning to draw animals, exercises with pencil to figure out proportions, etc.. will move on to a bigger drawing and then take a portion of the drawing and transfer it to lino block for an abstract design (COOOL)
8th: mount wire portraits, and begin value project (each student is given a black and white copy of an eye, enlarged. then students grid this image and transfer it to four other sheets. On these they use white charcoal, scratchboard, regular graphite and pen/ink to make images of eyes). I just don't know if I should go here first, or introduce more line drawing..hmmmmm..
It's almost 3pm..I need to get to work! Until..
This week was my first full week of actual teaching: I had one project bomb, one class go awry, and one bloody fantastic lesson. These kids are priviledged as hell, and making them work hard for something is exceedingly difficult because most haven't had to work hard for anything their whole lives. If something is broken: buy another. If you try hard and fail, you've wasted your time (so why try at all?) These sentiments are most impressive in high school, but in middle school they aren't as prominent. I speak about this behavior because friday I came out to the upper school boys' ultimate practice...which was (essentially) a giant group of boys running willy-nilly around a sort of field space, hucking it, and catching..as if playing football. I settled a few disputes about possession, had them set up a field and play 7 v. 7. They HATED it, and I felt more of a burden than a useful resource. Nevertheless, one of the main leaders of the group was enthusiastic about my helping them. I may return next friday, but this time without my advisory.
My advisory: a kind of homeroom situation, this group of kids checks in with me tues-thurs, and had an extended class every tuesday and friday where we go over conflict resolution, character building and goal setting cirriculum. It's a small "side class" all teachers are required to teach. My classroom from 1:20-2:10 is full of buzzing, giggling, rambunctious tweens who find pencil launching and games of tag around the art projects far more interesting than writing down academic strengths and weaknesses. I don't blame them! I told them all about my interest in ultimate (I've slowly let personal details leak into lessons, not wanting them to deter from the plan and launch me into a long story about a glorious tourny..etc). I made a pact that if they focused for 30 minutes, intently, on the project at hand--we'd go outside and play. They were ecstatic and HIGHLY focused. It was AWESOME. I'm no longer above bribery.
Friday was a different situation. They looked at me with fear in their eyes when I said we'd play with the high school kids. When none of them went to attempt play, I felt guilty and selfish.. A few of the boys started in, but the girls were none-too-thrilled. I felt like I'd failed as a teacher/role model, and I worried I'd lost their trust and focus. But as I've learned, surprise donuts heal all wounds..
Not to say I've been using this for any other class. My art classes are regimented, serious and surprising. I'm finding out that my expectations for these kids are somewhat unattainable. I give them challenging assignments and expect fantastic results. Some perform beautifully, others falter. The 8th grade class is getting the most challenge from me. They've chosen this class for their elective, and will remain in my class for the rest of this semester. We made these awesome wire portraits last friday, which was the first in "whimsical/craftsy" exercise after many more academic assignments (stool still life, negative space designs with cut paper, Picasso upsidedown sketches...etc). I think their fun, but then again i've never enjoyed batiking, rug making, marbling paper..hmm.. it's a new era..
Speaking of, I took down this installation of ceramic portraits done by the entire middle school, and I did it UNGRACEFULLY..but not on purpose! When I was touring the school, the principal told me she hated these pieces, and wanted something new. She was endlessly encouraging of me, and my role in taking these down. I felt like I was totally in the clear. None of the other teachers seemed to care either. So there I went, I took all 100 of them off of the wall, and called Ray to make repairs to gaping holes, etc.. As i did so B. Castilla (spanish teacher) asked me what I was up to, I told her.. and that was the last time I ever saw her look me in the eyes. She has been avoiding my gaze ever since. She's so upset with me..and I didn't know why? Everyone has been easy to get along with, but slowly teachers are beginning to show their true colors, and the days of formality are over. I am less experienced, I am younger, and I am definitely from another school of thought..these things are becoming more apparent as the weeks roll on. I only wonder who/what feathers I'll ruffle next. They really don't have a clear idea who they've hired yet ;) This is both exciting, and terrifying..
I just bought some neat-o shirts from this sweet shop called the Paper Doll. One has a squirrel drawn with just black line playing a snare drum, the other has a doll head with antlers coming out, and a bird perched on the left one. I hope to dress these up a little and wear them to work on monday and tuesday.. anything to get away from the Ralph Lauren, J Crew uniform. I've already ruined my nice suede shoes, so it's either focus more on being good to my things, or accept the fact I'm a messy individual, and just buy some merrells. eh.
This week my lesson plans are:
6th: scraffito with oil pastel and india ink symbolizing a scene from every day life (see greecian vases)
7th: learning to draw animals, exercises with pencil to figure out proportions, etc.. will move on to a bigger drawing and then take a portion of the drawing and transfer it to lino block for an abstract design (COOOL)
8th: mount wire portraits, and begin value project (each student is given a black and white copy of an eye, enlarged. then students grid this image and transfer it to four other sheets. On these they use white charcoal, scratchboard, regular graphite and pen/ink to make images of eyes). I just don't know if I should go here first, or introduce more line drawing..hmmmmm..
It's almost 3pm..I need to get to work! Until..