Teachers establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment for a diverse population of students.
A teacher can design the most amazing lesson plan in the world, but if there are no classroom routines and the classroom is not a welcoming environment for students, they will not be engaged in the learning process. Art teachers are the gatekeepers of artist examples and it is important we introduce students to artists from a variety of cultures. Differentiating lessons is a must to meet the needs of all learners and teachers need to provide opportunities for all students to succeed. I rate myself as proficient in this area because I try to be cognizant of the needs of all learners and to be aware of the diverse populations of students, but this is an area where I could always improve by reflecting on my teaching practice.
ELEMENT A: Teachers foster a predictable learning environment characterized by acceptable student behavior and efficient use of time in which each student has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults and peers.
A predictable learning environment is a MUST for students to be able to focus on their learning. Routines that cover how students enter the classroom, get started for the class period and clean-up ensure students always know what to expect. By having students set weekly goals and reflecting on if goals were met it gives them structure and some direction on their plans for the week. Expectations for students are that they do the work to earn a daily point. This includes being on task and cleaning up their area properly. As I got to know the students better I noticed they would be honest with me as to whether or not they earned their daily point. The weekly goals and daily points will be something I will enact in my fuure classroom. It is a small part of the overall grade, but is an effective way for students to hold themselves accountable.
ELEMENT B: Teachers demonstrate an awareness of, and commitment to, and a respect for multiple aspects of diversity, while working towards common goals as a community of learners.
For this soda can art lesson students first looked at work from contemporary artists Leah Aripotch and El Anatsui. Aripotch uses made-up creatures to comment on those who view themselves as outcasts of society and El Anatsui takes recycled materials and makes immense wall hangings to represent the discarded refugees. Showing contemporary artists helps to connect art to the daily lives of students and providing them with non-conventional art materials makes art accessible to students who may not have many supplies at home. This has been a particularly important concept to emphasize to them during this Covid-19 shutdown. I created this flyer in Adobe InDesign to give students information about El Anatsui and created a QR code with a link to a video of him talking about his work.
ELEMENT C: Teachers engage students as individuals, including those with diverse needs and interests, across a range of ability levels by adapting the teaching for the benefit of all students.
By providing lesson themes focused around enduring understandings and big ideas students may approach the lesson in a multitude of ways. In a choice-based classroom students may extend their learning by making their projects more detailed or work at the level appropriate for their learning plan. These were the lesson concepts:
Students will explore how art is used to document the human experience.
Students will explore how digital tools can be used as a medium to tell a story.
Students will use visual images to communicate an idea.
In this link to the middle school animated films the viewer can observe the wide variety of skill levels accessible in one lesson.
ELEMENT D: Teachers work with families and/or significant adults in the lives of their students.
It is important as teachers to be aware that there is more to teaching than the immediate classroom. Student success depends on a partnership between the guardians and teachers to work together to find the best education plan for each individual. I was fortunate to be able to attend student-teacher conferences and meet some of the families. It is nice to be able to show families the work their child has made and share how they have grown since the beginning of the term. Another way to interact with families is through a student art show. The Chappelow student art show was at an ice skating rink in Greeley and it is such a positive experience to see the joy on a child's face when they show the families their artwork. Art shows are a great way to advocate for the art program and show families the body of student work to explain the goals and successes of the art curriculum.