the parents

The parents of our little lovelies play a huge role in just how lovely they really are.  In a classroom where some parents do not even know what classes their son or daughter is enrolled in to the poor students whose parents walk them to each of theses classes, it is difficult to determine what to expect from parents.  My students with the "it's just art" attitude usually do not have the parental support for succeeding in all classes including art.  I have actually participated in the behavioral problem phone-call home and received this in an earful.  Given that art is an elective, do the students accountability to be respectful and teachable go out the window?  I think not.  This parent did not understand by little Billy couldn't just draw all period and get an A.  It's a CLASS!! And, a college prep one at that!  He, just like the rest of the class needs to participate in all parts of the academia, not just what they deem necessary.  On the brighter side, parents can be an amazing resource for the students and for the teachers.  Making sure that their child is prepared everyday is a start, and makes a huge difference, especially in the art classroom, where unfortunately students must provide some of their own materials.  Parents that ensure these materials are available on time, usually are the ones that encourage their students to take every class seriously and for all its worth!   There is so much more to say about parents, both positive and negative... I will try to touch on their effect on the kids as much as possible.

the dreaded phone call home..

First, I want to apologize to my readers.  I feel like I mostly am ranting in this blog.  I really am very happy as a teacher, but am responding to prompts sometimes from my school.  They all seem to have a negative connotation though :(  Again this week is about Rick.  I have decided that we are now playing a game.  Who can frustrate the other more, he or I?  I am really, very upset by this fact, given that I still see a little bit of myslef in him.  He's back in class, attitude and all.  Finally at my wits end, Mom and Dad were called.  After hours of phone tag, I finally reached Mom...to be cont...

1/2 failing...

No one in my class is actually failing, but I really feel that they could be succeeding more.  I just don't think that they "get it."  This is by no fault of theirs, I am just still learning how to convey the lesson with meaningful instruction, useful demonstrations and practical application.  It's not everyone, but enough to make me worry and second-guess myself.  I guess I do not have an actual solution to this problem, but rather an action plan.  I will continue to search for ways to engage my little lovelies, hopefully inspiring them to allow information to penetrate their brains.  I thought I was stepping out of the box, but I guess I need to leap out of it!

what if?

Rick has just stopped coming to school.  I really do think that he hates me. :(  What else can I do? I told him that I would like to "start over."  He didn't care.  He proceeded to ask the other art teacher if she had space in her sculpture class next semester right in front of me.  My heart sank.  Am I really that bad?  Have I really made his semester so miserable that he feels he needs to switch out?  I am still trying to find out exactly what it is that I did to make him feel this way.  The only conclusion that I can come up with is that he was expecting an easy class that he has taken twice before, and I switched it up on him... which is hardly reason for the kind of disgust and disrespect that he displays daily.  Still, it makes me sad that I have failed him at all.  The idea of loosing even one student feels like fell short of my obligation as an educator.  I am supposed to be the one to engage him no matter what, that little thing called "differentiation of instruction."  My other students see his public displays of frustration and they know that he is the one out of line, but I still cannot let it go.  I have failed...I am the worst teacher ever :(

manners? what happened to them?

Is there no etiquette anymore? Seriously, what happened to some of these kids?  They are great kids, really they are, but they have atrocious manners!  Since when is it appropriate to talk when someone else is talking?  Turn-taking? Yeah, right...me first, me first, me, first!  Snacking in art class went from munching on cheese-its to preparing peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while simultaneously crinkling paper bags as much and as loud as possible during lecture.  See the pattern?  I am eliminating this horrendous pattern once and for all.  Today my art students will be in charm school...

creative? or just getting by?

Given that I teach art, one would think that all my students' assignments require creativity and individuality.  In a perfect world this would be the case.  However, some of the time I feel that my students are seeing how they can skate by faking creativity and individuality.  Some students have mastered the art of pretending to be creative.  So, I think to myself, "this is bad, right?"  Is it though?  Is it so bad to make up creativity?  Or, is that just the point?  I encourage creativity and individuality as much as humanly possible, but I plague myself with the question of what creativity and individuality really is... Someone once asked, "Does art imitate life, or does life imitate art?"  Do I allow my students "fake" creativity by imitating what they have seen around them, given that they ARE problem solving, or do I expect so-called original ideas? Now, with that asked, do I myself even have these original ideas, of which I am expecting my students to produce?

see-saw of success

Success is an interesting concept.  I never could have imagined how much the definition of success would change according to those who gain it.  What is successful in one class may be failure in another.  I guess that's not such a foreign concept, just one that I have yet to experience, but encounter frequently now from the position I hold.  How do I tell if my assignments are successful?  How do I tell if my students are learning?  It just changes so much from class to class that I found myself running around in circles trying to figure out just this!  So, so far this is what I have got; success is a see-saw.  The harder I work to life my students the higher they fly, thus springing me to success on the other side as well.  Sounds pretty cut and dry, eh?  Not so much :(  But, at the very least, I can determine if a particular lesson was successful due to the assortment of frazzled look's on my students' faces.  At that point, I either do mental somersaults and backflips for joy or I run screaming into the streets.  It's a tossup!

happy belated new year...

So, I am still catching up to life after being in the mountains relaxing and trying to not "internalize" my stress... just what the doctor ordered.  It was amazing holiday season surrounded by all my favorite people, with all the sweet goodies in which I could indulge at the tips of my fingers, anytime.  Sadly to say, it had come to an end... back to reality.  I kinda missed my little rugrats :)
After walking away for two weeks, I analyzed some situations, gained some perspective and re-energized for my last month of student teaching. I can't believe I am almost finished... So, here goes.  The students are in the middle of an interior design project that is supposed to bring together most of the skills and processes that they have learned thus far, as well as introduce a practical means for art, for those skeptical of its existence, of course.  So far, so good.  Then Rick decides to cop an attitude...again.  It is so crazy to me how the "problem areas" of the other classes rotate and this one particular student remains constant.  He hates me.  I have an idea of why; because I make him do work.  He has taken the class multiple times and thinks he knows how it should be run and that he can teach it.  Why he has chosen to take art 3 times when he doesn't seem to have any particular interest in the subject, behooves me.  I am assuming he thought he could take it again and expect an easy A.  Sorry buddy, I run my class differently.  You will think and produce work in my class.  You will respect yourself, myself, the classroom in its entirety, including supplies, as well as your peer students.  Rick does none of this.  There have been student conferences, parent conferences, detentions, etc.  Nothing.  Nada. Ziltch. No go.  Nothing gets to this kid.  Today he received his first red card, coincidentally the first red card to be distributed by me.  He cannot enter back into my class with our a conference with an administrator and a parent's John Hancock.  He gave me some lip, asked if I "really wanted to do this to him," and proceeded to give the lamest attempt at talking me out of my decision.  Word to the wise, you have to be nice, even if it means kissing up a bit, in order for people to show mercy upon you.  Arguing and insulting my teaching is not, may I repeat not, the best way to accomplish this.  He left the room and I cried.  He's just a kid, and my heart breaks to do that, even if he was acting like jerk.  What if?  What if there is something that I don't know.  What if there are no role models at home to teach him respect in the first place?  What if I was the straw that broke the camels back and he goes home to a knuckle sandwich? All these questions are still running through my mind, even as I right this.  I am scared.  He must really hate me now :(  I hope not.  I really hope he respects me going through with my word.  I like Rick.  I see a little bit of myself in him, may I repeat a little bit.  He has such a positive energy when he wants to... How do I get that back?