LESSON 1 - The most arduous part of the experience this week was being the first one to teach. I didn't know what to expect, how the kids would act and if the timing would work out. Preparation could only go so far without knowing what's ahead, the rest is up to improvisation. In the end, I ran out of time because the kids were half an hour late, so the activity wasn't completed. What I should have done better was allotted less time per section and the lesson so the corpses could finish.
During my lesson, sometimes kids would ask "out of the blue" questions which distracted my focus on what I was teaching, and I felt the need to answer their question in depth. After seeing Michelle teach so effectively, I have to remember to focus on a goal with my lessons whether it's making an exquisite corpse or completing a stop-motion exercise and concentrate on getting the information out rather than appeasing the childrens' endless curiosity.
Another difficult thing was not being able to give the kids my individual attention so at the end of it, I felt like I wasn't being a good teacher since I didn't see everyone's drawings or interacted with all of them.
LESSON 2 - The hardest part of being a helper was not hovering or drawing for them. I was really interested in each kids' endeavor but I didn't want to disturb them if they wanted privacy. A lot of kids said they couldn't think of anything or they didn't know how to draw a certain thing, to which I would ask them questions about what the basic shapes of that thing is or questions to spark their imagination.
LESSON 3 - During the stop-motion with toys, I was worried about the caliber of the activity and whether the kids would understand the lesson and co-operate with each other. The one that ended up being the most tedious was getting them to work together. Some kids are natural leaders and some decided not to touch the toys at all. Some kids WANTED to animate but one was already taking the role of a director. Instead of talking to each other, they were set on whatever they came up with themselves. I tried to get the quieter ones to participate and the strong personalities to calm down.
2.) What was the most interesting, fun or successful part of your teaching and/or preparation experience this week? Did you finally get through to a non-responsive student? Were you able to present your lesson effectively?
I loved feeding off the energy that the kids have. It was a reminder of my childhood days and how I was ecstatic about drawing and seeing ANYTHING visual. With every simple doodle by a teacher, a picture or animated video -- they were fascinated! It's really moving to be that person to contribute to their curiosity. The children loved watching their stop-motion films and flipbooks because they made something come alive! When I saw them watching their results - I saw their ambitions grow and it excited me.
I really enjoyed being a helper because I could pay attention to each kid and establish a personal connection and lend them a hand specifically to what they needed. It was a nice break from being at the front and center of attention.
I thought the stop-motion toys lesson went much better because I got to accomplish my syllabus and I had a more straight forward goal, with references to movies.
Also, some kids loved to ask me to draw an animal or face for them on a separate sheet of paper to keep and I found it incredibly entertaining how much they appreciated it. It was also great practice for playful drawings.
3.) A reflection upon the week's prompt as listed below:
Describe what you experienced in teh first two weeks working with the kids. What was your experience going into the classroom? DId you feel prepared? Excited? Nervous? What were your first impressions of the kids? did any of them stand out? What are you impressions of Inner-City Arts?
The first time I heard about Inner-City Arts, since we had to bring all the materials and it wasn't in the best part of town -- I thought we would be going to a shack with nothing but a beaten down room. When I got there it was absolute paradise with trees, sculptures, every art facility you could think of, a beautiful array of plants and student-made artwork everywhere. I was eager to go back after that initial tour. Upon meeting Jan, our Orientation leader, I sensed a lively energy from her. I learned so much from that lesson she planned for us such as: ask questions. when demonstrating - explain the process, even the thought of not knowing what to do. have things written down so kids can connect verbal and visual. the set-up is important - there is a flow to keep in mind. being specific with time will help kids gage time later in life. when i kid is feeling bummed out about their artwork, don't disagree - instead, find out what doesn't work for them. when walking around, don't hover, make comments but be present and ready to help. discussing and comparing the features of each work afterwards teaches kids how to look at art and expands their vocabulary.
On the first day, I loved the kids' spirit. It's always nervewracking right before the first lesson, not knowing how to handle 38 kids' attention. On the first day, I bonded with the table right in front. It included Brandon, Zeus and Kevin.
On Stop-Motion day, my group had a few troubles. Brandon was being a dictator rather than a peer, he had a vision and wasn't willing to compensate it for any of the girls' ideas. Another kid didn't want to participate, while Kevin complained it was dumb. It was hard trying to encourage combining both their ideas.
So far, everything has been incredibly fun and rewarding. Hope it continues!
