My Practicum

My Practicum

These last few weeks I've had the opportunity to observe a High School Art classroom.  This was my first experience observing high school students and overall it was a very eye-opening experience.  I observed a teacher who teaches mainly Media Arts classes consisting of Graphic Design, Photoshop, and Photography.  She has taught at this high school for over 10 years now and has taught basically all the courses one could think of.  One of the first things I learned about her teaching experience was that when she applied for the job at this school, they claimed they would hire her under the pretense that she would be in charge of the Yearbook.  Ideally, the art teacher shouldn't be asked to take on an extra duty that is outside of their expertise.  It made me realize that their are duties that are given to teachers that go beyond their job description, and teachers are expected to perform/do these duties without question.  

I had the chance to briefly observe the other art teacher's as well.  I found it interesting that one of the art teachers was told he would teach a stained glass class and he had no experience with stained glass what so ever.  Yet, he was able to create a curriculum that was quite engaging.  He actually gave me some good ideas of some possible art projects I would like to do with my students.  One of the teacher's has the largest art classroom I have ever seen, equipped with three kilns and 2 throwing wheels (though only 2/3 kilns and 1/2 wheels is actually funcational).  I'm glad that I was fortunate enough to observe some of the other art teachers because I learned that every teacher has a different personality and style of teaching.  Some are more laid back and relaxed while others are more assertive and blunt. I see how some students bond with their teachers and come to them for guidance and advise.  I feel this bond is necessary between teacher and student.  I understand not all students are going to want to come to you, but it's important to be accessible to students who may need you.