Teaching Philosophy
Teaching is about meeting students where they are, whether that’s limiting the scope of assessment during a once in a century pandemic to ease stress and hardship for students or simply making sure there are large crayons available during a crayon activity for those with fine motor skill difficulties. Part of meeting them where they are is also making sure they understand the skills they are being taught in the classroom, so there’s no “why do I even need calculus?” In the art classroom this boils down to Studio Habits of Mind (SHoM) or Portrait of a Graduate (PoG). In SHoM, students understand the breakdown of the classroom, that they are learning skills to create from a purely craft standpoint and a standpoint of observational skills. Or that they are learning community skills that will help in any other situation if applied right, as they learn to clean their stations and keep portfolios neat and organized. PoG, on the other hand, takes a more real-world approach to showing students the skills they learn in a classroom. From the community aspect of organization and team projects to the communication skills offered through critiques and art history presentations they may take part in.
In my classroom, both will be integrated in different ways throughout the school year. The SHoM touches on the importance of art and art classrooms not just for the sake of how they effect other classes or their future careers. Adding PoG will allow me to show my students important life skills and how they can apply them. This is not to say the art won’t be important, knowing how to express feelings and ideas through visual language is very important. Almost as important as understanding how to have a civil conversation over complex and difficult topics, from social issue art to the art that simply divides a class by preference. My classroom will be one where each student is met where they are and learn to properly converse with teammates.
Classroom Management
The main idea for my classroom is organization and choice, I feel it is important for the allowance of student led decision making to encourage autonomy and a feeling of ownership over their classroom and artwork. This decision making will allow for certain choices like working on the floor instead of at their desk from time to time. However, organization is key and a foundational studio skill that must be taught early on. Materials will be clearly labeled and given their own “place to live,” and students will be given instruction on how to use each material and store them properly.
Set up
My desired classroom is one with color coded tables, and seats numbered 1-4. There should be a rug area for the beginning of class to say hello and discuss the expectations of the day. As well as another rug area (or the same rug with colored bins along it) for games and books. Materials will have a “place to live” that is labeled and not in the way. But low enough for the students to access them when they need to.
Rules/Routines
While I admire the aspect of a freedom of choice for my students, I also think rules and routines are a key element to make that possible. Rules will be clearly listed and gone over at the start of the school year. Whenever possible I will touch back on these rules, and how putting things away properly or staying at their seat instead of taking over someone else’s workspace relates to the listed rules. There will be a set routine of entering the class and going to a designated area to go over the expectations for the day, and what we will be doing. At the end of the class, at least 5 to 10 minutes will be set aside for cleanup and, if possible, reflection on what happened during class that day.
Misbehavior
In instances of misbehavior I like to approach the situation with kindness and understanding, but a hard line that will not be crossed. Students should understand why rules and lines are made; so, if a student is misbehaving, they need to understand what they did wrong, how to correct the behavior, and why. My plan is to have two sections set up in the classroom, one for praise, and one for taking a break. If a student is not listening or continues to misbehave, they will be asked to go take a break. How to do so will be shown through interactive modeling in the beginning of the school year. If a student finishes early and has behaved well, they will be allowed to go to the carpeted area where some interactive activities and books will be placed for them to interact with. If a student has trouble behaving, I will add in a small reward system for when they do behave. This could be a sticker system or clothes pin, just something to remind them that staying on task is the goal, and when they are, that they’re doing well! In an instance of severe misbehavior, the initial response from me will differ. Either the student will be told to go take a break or told to go sit outside of the classroom. Once their peers have been put back on task, I will go talk to the student. If needed, I will also email their parents to ask that we speak to discuss the issue.
Differentiated instruction is very important to me; so, things like scaffolding and differentiated goals will be prevalent in my classroom. I want every student to have the tools they need to succeed, because we all learn differently. From IEPs to being visual instead of auditory learner, all differences should be met and helped.