While student teaching at my first placement at Cache La Poudre Elementary, I gained new perspectives and learned strategies for how to manage time, how to develop rules and routines, and how to work with diverse learners. After learning how to be consistent with routines and gaining a better “teacher voice,” my overall classroom management improved. I learned new strategies to effectively manage time using a timer system as well as a regular music/meditation practice at the beginning of each class. Additionally, I developed my skills of being clear and concise with my language while making sure to adjust my tone and vocabulary for different grade levels. I also gained more perspectives and experiences with differentiation, learning to be attentive to and differentiate for many types of learners. At CLPE, a high free-and-reduced lunch and trauma-informed school, I learned how to work with students with emotional trauma, English Language Learners, and students on IEPs. Overall, I think my first placement helped me gain perspectives of all the small details that go into teaching while becoming more aware of the effect my language and actions have.
In my #transition to student teaching at Poudre High School, I have adapted to many differences in the culture and structure of high school versus elementary. During my initial transition to Poudre, I found it strange to go from communicating with K-5 students to high school students, many of whom are almost adults. I have been adjusting to the new climate of high school art classes, such as the more laid-back environment, longer classes, and more student-driven work time.
One specific adaptation that differs from elementary school is more frequent and consistent grading. Especially because of the IB program at Poudre, I have to adjust to making grading a greater part of teaching. At high school level, grading must be done more frequently and with more diligence because students’ grades hold a higher stake. Along with grading, incorporating pre-assessments and formative assessments has also been somewhat different. To monitor student progress and recognize when interventions or adjustments need to be made, I have been using consistent check-ins and discussions with students, like at elementary school. Since high school student are more independent, however, I have adapted to using google classroom as a way to implement formative assessments in the form of short assignments and reflection questions.
As an art practice to represent my transition from elementary to high school, I created a series of improvisational meditation drawings. Drawing improvisationally acts as a metaphor for my #transition to my new placement at Poudre High School. For this drawing, I reacted fluidly to the sound of song, moving the marker across the page to align with my reaction to the musical notes. The process was immediate and meditative, which you can see through the gestural line quality that appear to be only scribbles.
This meditative and improvisational drawing technique is representative of my transition to Poudre High School and acts as a metaphor for how my teaching and learning is transforming. Just as I drew with the flow of the music and reacted spontaneously to changes in remedy, I am continuously reacting to my learning experience at high school by being flexible and improvisational. I feel like I learn new things everyday and practice implementing new practices as I go along. Especially with the diverse needs of my students in MYP Design: Foundations of Art classes, I always have to be ready to adapt the way I teach and structure my classes.