I picked IS183’s Teaching Institute
internship program because I was looking to grow in confidence and ability to
teach or run an art class in a classroom setting. I also was looking for a
place to teach in which I could consider
and apply the (multicultural) education lessons I have learned from Lesley
University. I hoped that through gaining experience as an educator in an art
school setting (compared to the museum setting I had been previously used to),
I would find my personal style as an art educator, feel comfortable
facilitating and leading lessons in multiple mediums, and that I would learn
about engaging, intriguing, enabling, and encouraging the artists within the
students I would encounter. In addition, I hoped to learn about being
inclusive, involving all types of students who want to participate in the
lessons I lead or assist. (I also learned so many more things that I just can’t
comprehensively include here!)
I have learned so much from IS183’s
Teaching Institute Internship Program.
From my Creation/Curation class as well as the Wire Sculptures in Space
camp, I have learned that journaling can be a wonderful teaching tool, because
it encourages students to be reflective, and it’s great for them to have their
thoughts written down in case you assign a reflection essay or have a reflection
sharing time in class. (Visual journals are also a great way to do this;
students can use combinations of both images and words, so they can utilize the
communication powers of both mediums!)
From teaching my Enchanted Garden lesson, I
learned more about how important it is to be adaptive and flexible as a
teacher. This is because anything can change in your classroom, particularly in
the Community Arts setting; certain supplies may run out or you may forget a
supply (we are all human!), students might have certain needs that contradict
your methods, supplies, or project plans, or you might just think of something
along the way of the lesson that would work out better than what you planned.
It’s best to expect the unexpected; embrace it, even! It’s an opportunity to
grow. (It’s also a good idea to think of the classroom not as something fixed,
but as a living organism: moving and changing, but still “obeying the necessary
laws to live and sustain…” and deserving of respect. It’s like a dynamic
equilibrium. The feeling of the room should be “let it be as it will be…”)
Focus on lesson objectives at all times, but be flexible, harnessing and taking
advantage of exploration, “happy mistakes,” and surprises that may come your
way. It’s a natural experience when it’s that way, and it allows students to
learn naturally, according to each of their needs. (This is particularly
helpful when working with students with learning disabilities.)
From my Monday night classes with Angel, I
learned about how important it is to give students time to absorb and process
information, as well as to give students time to finish projects they start.
It’s also a neat idea to, while students work, weave in some of the lesson’s
content (i.e. vocabulary words or lesson concepts); this allows their hands to
work while their minds spin over and absorb the lesson’s goals. Allowing
students to entirely work through a project does the same thing; it allows
their minds to digest and reapply the information you are teaching, in the
context of their project (hopefully understood well enough through that, that
they can reapply it in the world as well).
From IS183’s (Lucie’s) own library, I
learned about how to encourage students’ participation (and to activate those
students opting out with “I don’t know”); cold call on students, repeat
students’ answers back to them so they can verify on their own whether or not
they answered properly, ask students to explain correct answers to other
students (vs. you doing it), and feign ignorance about the lesson to check
students’ following and understanding. All of these methods will encourage
students to be alert, in control of their own learning, and engaged in the
classroom experience you are providing.
While observing the teachers I assisted, I
also realized how important it is to respect the teacher you assist as much as
you would your students, even if their teaching styles are different from
yours. Respectfully listen and try to abide by your teacher’s classroom setup
and lesson plans. They have been working hard at running their classroom a
certain way, and that should be honored (reminding you that you could learn
valuable lessons from your teacher). At the same time, you are certainly
allowed to make mental notes about what you would do differently… (and you
should!)
I also noticed that if I assisted in
classes I felt might be pressing to me, I stayed more engaged in the lesson as
a teacher. I realized that now is the time to learn alongside the students I am
assisting! I took advantage of the valuable information and methods my teachers
used to teach subjects that were new to me, and discovered possible new avenues
for my own teaching. (I also figured it must be nice for students to see one of
the “grown-ups” learning and struggling, just like they might be, and like any
other human would.)
I also found out that as much as
self-evaluation and hard work can gain, just as much (sometimes more) can be
gained from taking time to rest and take in the world: to let it inspire you
and feed you again before you “get back out there” to design more lessons or
help with another class. Reading about/looking at art as much as possible is a
great way to do this. Also, letting yourself absorb and process just like you
let your students allows you to be open to wherever a great lesson might come
from. Reading about education techniques as much as possible, for the same reason
as reading about art, will help you learn about others’ successes and mistakes
in techniques. You might also be pleasantly surprised by how this will affect
your current and future lessons (it could change how you structure your
activities/content delivery, your medium choices, or even your entire lesson
objectives)!
In addition to the lessons I have learned
and listed (and the ones unlisted but in my mind), some differences between my
own teaching style (which I am currently much closer to “identifying” now) and
other IS183 teaching styles I noticed are as follows:
- I will do my best
never to expect my students’ work to be perfect or “as I visualized.” I should
never try to visualize just what my students’ work will look like- rather, I
could, but I really shouldn’t be so married to these visualizations that I
can’t see past them to the endless possibilities my students could come up
with.
- I will always try
to recognize when I am singling a student out, so that I can prevent this from
happening as much as possible (unless it is in a good way)! I feel that most
issues can be improved with the group’s effort and help, and it’s more positive
and constructive to try and solve an issue that way first. If I do negatively
(or poorly) single a student out, I will always try to apologize, one-on-one,
to them. After all I am only human, too, but it is my responsibility to my
students to do my best to keep my emotions in check and to apologize for the
times I, inevitably, don’t.
- I will try to
prevent myself from needlessly protecting my students when it comes to
mistakes. Unless it is a situation where bodily harm could be involved, I will
allow my students to make mistakes in their projects so they can decide on
their own whether to embrace them or reject them (although I will always
encourage the first!).
My favorite realization I came to is that the
classroom isn’t as scary to me now! Instead, I’m recognizing that it’s just
organic, and that’s okay. It’s natural when it’s that way, and as long as I
don’t fight it, this allows students to learn naturally, according to each of
their needs. (What was even nicer about this realization is that it didn’t wait
to come to me until the end of my internship; instead, I realized this about
halfway through my 4th/6 week!)
Overall, I could not have hoped to gain
more from this internship than what I did. Differing from the original plan, I
only took two classes in the Teaching Institute program, but I had plenty of
introspective writing reflections and art activities to do for them. In addition,
I carried out two lesson plans instead of just one! I also assisted with grant
research work, and curriculum development in the office, which I had not
expected. Last but not least, I learned about so many different types of
learning from my students (including students with disabilities), as well as
about the type of environment I need to provide to all of my students so that
they will learn in the best ways possible.
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