Yesterday was short since it was Pep Rally and Amy came for her last observation. In the role of art teacher I am always writing a letter of reference, and I now keep a copy template for modification. I wonder if there is such a thing as "too generous" in what I give out. I had that conversation with my students in that I am generous as a middle school art teacher and my transition to high school teacher needs to be re-adjusted. I will take their finished products to Susan and have her help me adjust how to grade at a high school level. Their work through my eyes is simply amazing, I see them as incredible students who allow themselves to stretch beyond their comfort zone, and have the space to do so. They earn solid "A"s. I like the view that you walk into the classroom (life) with an "A" and everything after is living into it.
Friday, every class had "one minute no talk time." I will think about how can I have them learn how to self-monitor, or what is it that has them more off task than on? What is it about the content or teaching that is not feeding them - do I need to build in share time in a talking about what you are learning time, like a mini-positive feedback thing?
The Curriculum Dilemma
The curriculum has it that every semester the kids are whipping through 12 assignments. These become exercises with very few creating something worthwhile, far less earning high grades, and a proportion failing or doing incredibly poorly (leading to increasing misbehavior tons of ISS, phone calls home). Evidence - Susan's classes. The curriculum is inherited as is the philosophy behind it. The rationale is this: Art One needs to be put through the paces so they can manipulate the media with ease by the time they reach Art 3/4. Blaming poor use of materials on poor preparation (exposure) in Art One leading to breadth, coverage.
This Wisdom weekend is especially exciting because we go into the inquiry of how the models we live in are all inherited, everything we measure against is created by someone else. The model is a prescribed formulae for being. We can step outside of that and create our own models, define ourselves because we can identify what is and what is not, then explore what is for me and what is possible - a pardigm shift.
The world we live in is one of survival. Getting through, getting by, kinda like that conversation about the curriculum - let's push the kids through and have them churn out work because they will be poorly prepared for what's ahead (more so it sounds as though the teacher will be frustrated at having to teach them what they need to know to do amazing work). If the conversation were really about the child then surely would it not go: what does the child truly want to learn and walk away with? Surely every child wants to do well, have something tangible in their hands that says "I am an extraordinary artist" "Wow! I created that" and "I am soooo taking art again" which to me reads - taking time, really learning what needs to be learned, and completing what was begun. I am commited to 100% success for all learners and I query where the old model has that available for everyone.
Don't ask me yet what I know about looking through the filter of 3 models: world, being, and language. It's all exciting and gives me access to something else beyond my range of vision.
Oh, by the way, it's raining all day today, rained most day yesterday and the heating is on - toasty warm.
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