Amy Shelton

Clinical Experience

 

 

 

NIU Art Experience ( Saturday School)

​First Experience: 02-08-14

 

         I attended Saturday School for the first day on February 8th 2014. I arrived early and was able to help with registration getting students checked in and figure out where their classes were. I volunteered to help with student’s ages three or five. I didn’t realize how much energy and willingness to share the students would have. It’s been a while since I was around small children, but I was constantly surprised with the random thoughts that many of the students felt necessary to share in the middle of class. Sam and Jess did a presentation on super heroes and had students draw themselves with powers.

While Jessica or Sam were trying to give instructions to the class, one student named Isabella was having difficulty leaving her father in order to participate in class. She didn’t want to be separated from him for longer than a few minutes. I was able to talk to her and get her to come inside the classroom for a few minutes, yet she still had to have her father next to her and refused to participate fully in the assignment given to her by Jess and Sam. Instead, I had her do the same project but without the part she missed about the super heroes. She seemed a little more comfortable by the end of the class.
            In the Illinois professional teaching standards regards learning environment. It states that a competent teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation. Working with Isabella I was able to understand that she the learning environment with multiple students made her feel uncomfortable but with more individual attention she was able to motivate herself to finish the drawing on her own.

The sixth standard, titled instructional delivery, states that competent teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills. This relates to another problem I noticed during the lesson. When students were handed glue sticks and asked to glue their precut drawings to another piece of paper. Students began draw using the glue sticks directly on the background paper. I learned that students need to be told to put the glue on the back of whatever they are pasting down to make sure they don’t make a mess or ruin their paper. In order to encourage performance skills of effective gluing, Sam and Jess now hopefully understand that there should be an instruction for the students before they are simply given the paper to start gluing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Mary : Lesson 1

02-24-14 
Standard 5 (Learning Environment)  & Standard 4 (Planning for Instruction) 

 

         If there was anything that I learned specifically on the first day teaching at St. Mary’s school it would be that lesson plans are merely guidelines and that a teacher’s ability to adapt to changes in the learning environment is what makes one teacher more capable than another.

For example one of the unexpected differences was a student who was having a difficult time feeling confident in putting down figures on the page. She would try drawing a head in the proportions that were laid out, but would erase it afterwards.  The fifth standard in the Illinois professional teaching standards is about the Learning Environment.  One of the knowledge indicators states, “the competent teacher understands factors that influence motivation and engagement and how to help students become self- motivated.” I was able to work with this student by asking her questions about what possible figures represent the part of the body she wanted to show.  I told her she could use different shapes and that all were acceptable. The students sitting around her were also helpful because she was able to ask them if her shapes looked like what she was trying to draw almost every time her peers would respond with positive feedback. This reinforcement schedule was able to help motivate her for a while before she eventually started drawing without asking other students.  Although the student couldn’t finish coloring the drawing like other students, she was able to at least finish the figure outline.

The fifth standard also discusses performance indication by stating; “the competent teacher maximizes the amount of class time spent in learning by creating expectations and processes for communication and behavior along with a physical setting conducive to achieving classroom goals.” One thing we didn’t think about was the physical setting of the desks for a conductive teaching environment. We all stood inside a circle of desks, which proved difficult for instruction. Moving around without every student being able to look the instructors in the eye made if difficult to see where other students were seated.  For plan’s next week we plan to change the seating environment to table settings in groups so that we don’t have our backs facing students.

Our group planned the lesson to make drawings of Olympic athletes, and then color each athlete with the colors of a flag they had been able to select. The goal was to finish the drawings, cut them into three separate parts, and have students trade interchangeable parts to create a whole new athlete. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize how long it would take for students to make complete drawings. Instead, we had to change the lesson plan so they would cut up their drawings the next week. The fourth Illinois Professional Teaching Standard states, “the competent teacher understands when and how to adjust plans based on students’ responses and other contingencies.” By seeing and understanding that many students were unfinished with their drawings, we were able to assess that more time was needed for the lesson plan.  The fourth standard also discusses performance indication stating that the competent teacher establishes expectations for students’ learning.  Our group did this by making marks on each page and telling students to use these as guidelines for basic body proportions. We also told students that they should use the colors of the flag handed out to them, which most students did in order to create a finished drawing. 

 

 

 

St. Mary: Lesson 2

02-26-14
Standard 8  (Assessment) &  Standard 10 (Reflection and Personal Growth) 

        St. Mary’s this Wednesday was one of the most difficult teaching lessons I’ve come across so far in my experience teaching. A few of the students were not willing to cut up the artworks they’d worked on for our “exquisite athletes” project.  The plan of the class was to cut the drawings students had made the previous week into three sections. The top part of the drawing was sectioned for their athlete’s head, the middle was sectioned for it’s torso, and the bottom was sectioned for the athlete’s legs.  Students were asked to cut their drawings and trade with other students until their drawings created an entirely new image.

         Our group had planned for some students to be upset, we even modified the assignment for one of our students named Kyle who we’d observed to be extremely self critical. According to standard eight in the Illinois professional teaching standards, “the competent teacher understands various formal and informal assessment strategies and uses them to support the continuous development of all students.”  The knowledge indicator for this standard states the contempt teacher,

Kyle had difficultly finishing the first assignment, but thanks to one of our teaching assistants he was able to finish putting down the figure on the page.  Instead of having Kyle cut up his drawing we had him finish coloring the first part of the assignment and learn from the other groups about how the exquisite athletes relate to the Olympics.

        We prepared for Kyle’s aversion to cutting up his drawing, but I wasn’t quite prepared for the emotional reactions of some students. One student even started crying at the thought of seeing her drawing cut into pieces. One of these third graders even went as far as telling her peers in her family they don’t share. It was like dealing with a two year old having a nonsensical temper tantrum. But, I was able to talk with them about the assignment and help them realize the importance of the lesson wasn’t to create a drawing of an Olympic athlete, but rather to force them to think about how different cultures all come together.

In all actuality, almost all students were able to participate in the activity and many of them even enjoyed the final results of the project. However, I couldn’t help but notice the only students I paid the most attention to were the ones who had extreme aversions to the assignment.   I didn’t realize the reason till after I’d arrived home that teaching about sharing is actually a really difficult task. But it is also a very important concept for students to learn about. Especially considering that one of the themes in our lessons is world culture.

 

 “The competent teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions affect students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.” – The tenth standard regarding reflection and personal Growth from Illinois State Teaching Standards. On the drive home from St. Mary I drive with another student in our class named Ann Griffin. I pick her up every morning on the way to St. Mary. But on the drive home I was still frustrated from the way the students reacted to our lesson. It took me a while to recognize but discussing the class with someone else who was there to observe definitely helped. Ann also worked with Kyle during the lesson so it helped everyday when we had specific assignments for Kyle that were changed Ann could let me know how he reacted to the changes. I think reflection is an important part of this clinical experience because in writing and speaking about our experience it allows me as a teacher to learn more about ways to improve our lessons. One of the knowledge indicators for standard states “understands that reflection is an integral part of professional growth and improvement of instruction.” I feel that writing and speaking about ways to improve is almost like a critique in artwork. Artists like myself understand that no work is perfect and there is always room for improvement no matter how much success a piece gets, projects can be expanded, they can inspire more work, and at times even better work. Reflection of a classroom setting is much like a critique of an artwork. There is always more that a teacher can do to help his or her students achieve success. I always find myself looking for what I can do more rather than some who try to do the least work possible. 

 

NIU Art Experience ( Saturday School)
​Second Experience: 03-02-14

Standard 11 (Professional Conduct and Leadership)

 

On Saturday, I helped out with the 6 and 7 year olds who were making plates inspired by the ones made in ancient Greece. The student teaching the class was Lauren Tokar. One student in the class named Brody is diagnosed with ADHD. Throughout the class when Jessica was speaking, Brody wouldn’t raise his hand. Jessica reminded Brody that he wouldn’t be called on if he didn’t raise his hand.

 

I was impressed with Lauren’s ability to remain calm and open-minded as Brody kept interrupting her during class.  In the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards the 11th standard deals with Professional Conduct and Leadership. It states that the competent teacher understands education as a profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides leadership to improve students’ learning and well-being. One of the knowledge indicators for the competent teacher is that he or she knows identification and referral procedures for students with disabilities. At the beginning of class, Lauren had informed each of the “helping” students that Brody has ADHD and that he is very vocal in class. She assigned Mark to his table for assistance in keeping Brody calm and occupied during class.  Mark helped him discuss the project on a more individual level.  But at the same time, Brody was able to participate in the class discussions by answering questions to the best of his ability. He wasn’t separated from the class until later when he had already finished his project faster than the other students. It was interesting to see his plate when he was finished along with his story because he incorporated all the techniques Lauren had talked about, as well as making an elaborate story to go with his plate.

“Once there was a king. He had nothing to do. He walked back and forth. Then his wife. She Gave him a easel some markers and some [paper]. He drew a fish. He loved it! He was not board from that day on. People call him the art king.”

 

See, what I didn’t realize is that although Brody seemed like he was being obnoxious during class, he really was paying attention and grasping the assignment. He was more than capable of making a pattern, decorating his plate, and making a meaningful story for the plate. He was even able to participate in the class discussion after the plates were completed.
 

At the end of the day the student teachers discussed how approaching Brody with various tasks tends to benefit him. We commented about his work and his ability to participate in class. As someone who has worked very hard to accommodate my own learning disability, I could relate to Brody very easily. In today’s society if a student is labeled with a learning or behavioral disability, they are often thought of as less intelligent than other students.  Brody reminded me that even though he has a disability. He just needs a bit of adjustment to the curriculum in order to exceed like other students.

 

One of the performance indicators for professional conduct and leadership is that a teacher uses a variety of instructional and intervention strategies prior to initiating a referral of a student for special education.  Lauren at the beginning of Class had asked Mark, a volunteer, to help keep Brody engaged in class Mark had worked with Brody the previous week and seemed to be doing well making up creative adjustments to assignments in order to keep him engaged.

One thing that was difficult was adding onto lessons when students finish assignments at different times. Jessica ran out of things for the students to do, so I had suggested that students go around and discuss what they’ve made in their drawings. Many students were able to recognize that the outsides of the plates were patterns and were able to explain what they liked about each other’s plates.

Students did however start to get a little antsy in their seats after they’ve finished talking about their own artworks. But overall, the class was very well behaved and I think it has a lot to do with the way Lauren managed her classroom. 

 

St Mary Lesson 3 and 4 
03-03-14 & 03-05-14

 Standard 3 (Diversity) , Standard 6 (Instructional Delivery) , Standard 7 (Communication)

 

The third standard for professional teaching is diversity. The standards define diversity in the terms of how a competent teacher would understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. When I was observing the pre-kindergarten class on Wednesday the class was learning patterns. Ann had asked students to gather in front of the blackboard where she had multiple shapes in repetitive patterns. Many of the students understood the lesson right away and were able to complete the worksheet assigned by Ann and Sarah. However, I was one student, Regan, was having a lot of difficulty completing the worksheet. I walked over by Regan and asked her if she needed help, but she seemed embarrassed that she needed additional instruction. One of the knowledge indicators for diversity is that a teacher understands how students learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values. I realized that it wasn’t that Regan was having difficulty understanding what a pattern was, but rather, she was having difficulty drawing the shapes on the paper. She even looked up at me and said, “it’s not fair, mommy doesn’t teach me this stuff.”  This was extremely upsetting to me. At first I was upset because the girl didn’t have parents who cared enough about her to spend time teaching their daughter how to draw a triangle. But then I realized, there is no standard for pre-k kids for what they will know before entering a classroom. Yes, many of the students completed the task with ease, however, that does not mean that every student will know how to do each task before. It’s important to recognize this and as I did be able to help the student without making them feel ashamed of not knowing how to do something. I reminded Regan that it’s all right. School is a place to learn new things and it’s all right to not know them ahead of time. I got her to understand what a pattern was she made a few different patterns with only minimal mistakes. 
The sixth standard for professional teaching is defined as instructional delivery. On Wednesday at St. Mary, I had made a power point presentation about ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese sculptures. I wanted to engage students to start thinking about how sculptures have the ability to tell stories about the past. Unfortunately, the lesson didn’t go as well as I would have expected. I started out by asking students how they would define a sculpture. Expecting students to raise their hands. I should have thought about how I wanted students to respond before teaching the lesson. Many of the students just started out by shouting out answers. I later realized if I wanted students to raise their hands, I need to establish that as a procedure before having it as an expectation. Also, I defiantly could have made the lesson more engaging for students by using images that they could more easily relate to.  One of the knowledge indicators for instructional delivery is that the teacher understands the cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning and how these processes can be stimulated. In order to make a more engaging lesson for the students next time I plan on making the images more intriguing and relatable. Only one of the images really worked which was an image of a Greek sculpture form the Olympics that I related to a previous lesson where we had talked about the athletes coming together in the Olympics.  Students were able to understand that the discus player was Greek because it related to a part of Greek culture and the Olympics. However, the other images didn’t necessarily work well with the theme and teaching students how to relate the images to them in current time. The performance indicator for the standard states that the contempt teacher develops a variety of clear, accurate presentations and representations of concepts, using alternative explanations to assist students’ understanding and presenting diverse perspectives to encourage critical thinking.  One way of doing this was by explaining a concept in a clear way that is suitable to students in different learning stages, much like Piaget’s theories of cognitive development. One must know what stages students are in in this theory in order to communicate best. One of the students, Ben, was having difficulty finding something that he could make that represented a part of him. I talked with him and asked him to explain, not just things that he liked but rather what makes him who he is as a person. He explained that he was from Texas and that it makes him think differently about the weather. He decided to use a cowboy hat as his idea for his sculpture and was able to create a nice smooth hat by the end of the class period with some help.  Overall I think the clay lesson went really well and students really seemed to enjoy working very physically with their hands. 
 

Saturday School Response 3

03-15-14
Standard 4 (Planning for Instruction)

 

         This Saturday I helped with the art express student’s ages 8 to 11 taught by Amy Henkel. I arrived early and asked Henkel if there was anything I could help with but she responded saying that she didn’t need anything at the time. When I asked her what she planned to do, she had difficulty explaining and instead told helpers to just watch as she did a demo for her class. During the lesson, students were very disengaged. Students didn’t understand the lesson. By the end of the lesson, I’m not sure Henkel understood it either. 

Really what this all boiled down to is lack of planning, Henkel planned an activity that would last ten minutes and tried to stretch it out for a three hour long class. The fourth Illinois Standard for Professional Teaching lists planning for instruction to be based upon understanding knowledge of the discipline, students, the community, and curriculum goals.  Students were able to understand Henkel’s demo but it only took the first ten minutes of class to complete. This falls upon the understanding knowledge of the discipline. In this specific case, Amy should have understood that her activity was only going to last a few minutes due to experience of doing the activity before. The fourth standard also lists one of the knowledge indicators for the contempt teacher to be able to understand how to develop short- and long-range plans consistent with curriculum goals, learner diversity, and learning theory. The planning for the class didn’t seem to be consistent with any kind of long or short-range plans other than completing the first part of the assignment and then waiting on the rest of the time until all students were finished with previous assignments. While waiting for the image transfers to dry, Henkel handed out a worksheet on cross hatching and stippling but didn’t even explain to students what the terms meant.

           The fourth standard also states a performance indicator for the contempt teacher is creating short-range and long-term plans to achieve the expectations for students’ learning. Henkel’s performance showed that she did not create a plan that allowed for long-term planning. Students that were easily finished with the first task were bored and unmotivated for the rest of the class period. The last forty-five minutes of class were spent playing the game “heads up seven up.” When Henkel asked students what they learned during the day, not a single student mentioned any of the concepts Henkel intended on teaching. The students’ disengagement really indicated the lack of long- term planning.

         Overall, I was extremely disappointed in the lack of planning on Henkel’s part. At the end of the day Henkel even said she wasn’t sure if she was cut out for teaching. I found this statement to be extremely discouraging.  I tired to reassure her and give her some advice like possibly giving students three things to remember at a time, planning for the allotted time, or taking time to explain concepts behind the works to help students understand their assignments. I went home confused and exhausted. But to be fair, I’m sure some of the students did the same. But I learned a lot about what not to do rather than what to do in the classroom.  I know that Amy Henkel has potential to be a really great teacher, but even the best teachers don’t do their greatest work when they don’t plan for instruction. 

St. Mary: Lesson 5

04-02-14

Standard 2 (Human Development)  & Standard 9 (Collaborative Relationships)

 

            On Wednesday the 2nd we had a lesson plan for St. Mary’s third grade class to create tie-dye prints on paper inspired by West African, Japanese, and Indian tie-dye techniques. We began the lesson starting with a PowerPoint on where tie-dye originated. The previous week students had difficulty sitting still during the PowerPoint, so this week I’d written in the lesson plan a stretching technique to help students shake out some of the excess energy they had before class. I’d seen this technique work with the kindergarten class to get them to calm down before a big lesson. However, I soon learned that this technique is not as effective for a third grade class. If anything, the shaking out just ended with students looking at us with very sassy faces and disinterest.  In the Illinois professional teaching standards second standard, human development, states that the competent teacher understands how individuals grow, develop, and learn and provides opportunities that support intellectual, social, and personal development of all students. One of the knowledge indicators for this standard is that a competent teacher understands how students construct knowledge, acquire skills, and develop habits of mind. The difference between the kindergarten class and our third grade class is that the kindergarden is still in their preschematic stage of development while most students in the 3rd grade are in the schematic period according to Lowenfield’s theory of artistic development. In Piaget’s theory students are still in the Concrete Operational Stage of development.  One of the performance indicators listed under the second standard is that the competent teacher also analyzes individual and group performance in order to design instruction that meets learners’ current needs in the cognitive, social, emotional, ethical, and physical domains at the level of development.  I made an attempt to make a change in the lesson due to behavior in the previous lesson, which is at least a part towards making improvement, but the change didn’t necessarily meet the level of social domains for the students at their current age. Students were looking around to see if any other students were watching them and seemed embarrassed by the task at hand.