ART: Week 4 - Visual Metaphor

2. Visual Metaphor:
Your classroom is a living breathing organism. Imagine a metaphor which might represent this. It need not be a single idea, nor necessarily a “realistic” portrayal of something. Use your imagination.

You are welcome to create this digitally if you are well versed in programs which allow the complex development of imagery. However, actually interacting with materials, maybe getting a little dirty, may make it more engaging. What would that look like to walk into this metaphor? Use any media you wish, keep your time frame in mind, I will be looking for this next Saturday evening.

Constraints:
Your metaphor should reflect the following ideas: 
-Your values
-Your role in the classroom
-Your students

-Your content
-Your teaching style
-The overall climate/environment.
-Should be completely visual but may contain text as a visual element, a key, or a written paragraph accompanying the visual.
-Layered. (Transparencies, windows, flaps, writing on top of imagery etc)

Please also let us know size and materials when you post. 

Alright. I'm posting now because I can't seem to get back to finish the final product. But I will talk  you through what I was thinking. 

I was going to do a multi-piece image with different canvases highlighting different aspects of my metaphor. Each one could stand alone, but then they would also fit together to make a larger, more powerful whole (like the different elements in a classroom.) I also was planning on doing these in stencils and lots of layers. I bit off way more than I could chew and just could not get it together. Here you can see one, Amphitrite, almost near completion, I'm just not 100% happy with her yet. I'll keep working (again, much like teaching!) It is mixed media with spray paint, acrylic, and found objects. This one canvas is 9" x 12"

Let's see if I can articulate the various thoughts behind my metaphor in any sort of way that someone else can follow...

My metaphor is the sea. Like the sea, the classroom can be stormy and rough or it can be calm with smooth sailing. Sometimes we can get into the flow and other times we fight the current to keep our heads above water. Students choose to navigate their path and steer their own ship as captains, but I am like Amphitrite, the goddess of the sea and a nereid, offering safety and passage as they explore their learning. My students are also like the many creatures of the sea. Some are fish, bright and colorful swimming along. Some are clown fish, others are sturgeon, some are angel fish, and still others are lion fish. Each one blending in at times, standing out at others, all with their own abilities and gifts. Some prefer to be part of a large group, a school, going along with the crowd which at times affords them safety. Some are like sharks, they have to keep moving and they are sharp, keeping others at bay and sometimes causing fear. But if you can get past that, these students are just looking to  survive and are beautiful and amazing in their own right. I think of other students as octopus, with their multiple interests keeping me moving and keeping an eye on my supplies to make sure they are being used instead of left around as they shoot out into the depths and flee into the crowded halls at passing time. So many fish...But we create our own biome, part of a larger ecosystem. Like art, the water is all around. Sometimes we dive into its depths, other times in our larger world it is only in the air.  Sometimes as we explore, we discover treasure and become richer for having dared to go after it. 

Here are some of my sketchbook pages as I worked through my ideas:

ART: Week 4 - Read & React

Read chapters 3 & 4 in “Reflective Teaching” . 

I had read the chapters last week but couldn't find a moment to get my thoughts out on the keyboard. Now I had to go back and re-read a week later to refresh my memory. Ironically, it came at the same time I heard about the undergrad program and completely skewed my point of view - specifically as I re-read chapter 4 on emotion in teaching. What a powerful real world connection to this assignment! 

To summarize, chapter three discussed Hnadal and Lauva's framework for understanding the structure of teachers' practical theories. Three different elements are discussed: "teachers' practical theories can be understood as the intermingling of personal experiences, transmitted knowledge, and core values." They go on to say that meaning is given to an experience is highly dependent on (but not determined by) an individual's central values, personal experiences and received knowledge. (p.26) 
Later in the chapter Dewey is referenced. He criticized the tendency to "place too much emphasis on the immediate proficiency of the teacher and the lack of emphasis on preparing education students who have the capacity and disposition to keep on growing." (p.29) This really gave me pause and I started reflecting on the way we conduct PD as well as my recent experiences designing and facilitating PD for my teachers in the district. Recently in a survey of PD, a group of teachers were complaining that the PD (not mine - whew!) did not encourage them to grow and in fact was doing the opposite, stagnating their development as young teachers. It was so refreshing to hear teachers speak up and in such a thoughtful, reflective way.  They could have written some of the statements I read in this chapter from Dewey. 
As I got to the section on transmitted knowledge, I was reminded of my concurrent assignment in Human Learning and the concepts of modeling. We pick up (nee learn) from seeing others in action, reading about others, and discussing with peers. I definitely see the connection to our educational lineage project here as the question on page 34 asks, "What are some of the key experiences in your life...that have influenced your current ideas about teaching and yourself as a teacher?"

Chapter 4 - or what I like to call the emotional chapter. 
I was caused to think of that piece of proverbial wisdom from one of my heroes, Maya Angelou, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Maybe it is because I am an art teacher, but so much of my teaching is the reaction to a situation based on intuition. I am most inclined to think that even if you know all of the procedural knowledge that goes along with teaching, as you grow into and become that great teacher much of those skills become habit and a part of your teaching reflexes. I love how our assignment on metaphor was such a part of the reading too. 


This week, reflect deeply on this question of yourself:

1. “What motivates the impulse to teach?” pull from the reading over the past three weeks as well as this weeks thoughts. A Simple question, but very complex to answer :) 

This question is so thoroughly juicy it is sticky sweet. First I would like to quote Edmundson from our reading in chapter 4, "The process of human growth -- when it entails growth of the heart as well as the mind -- is never particularly clean or abstract. To grow it is necessary that all of our human qualities come into play, and if some of those qualities are not pretty, then so be it (p.48)" This question is ripe with growth potential, so therefore I may not be able to make this very "pretty." 

I truly believe that the best teachers hear a calling. We are summoned, we are submerged, we are compelled to be teachers. Whether we are formally in the profession or not, some of us are natural teachers and others are always crafting our skills. I think for myself, I am motivated to teach because I want to make a difference in the lives of others. I am emotionally driven by my experiences to share my joys and help others find their own. I am definitely of that camp that asks students to find a meaningful life. However, that means to me that an abundant life will follow. I also think I have a respect for knowledge and what that does for society. That probably drives my desire to "inform" people. This can be both a virtue and a vice. However, more than just a desire to correct or inform people, my impulse is to teach and help people make their own discoveries to share; to learn from each other.  I am a collector of knowledge and want to share that enthusiasm with others. I find beauty in making the world a better place where we are kinder to each other, where we support one and other, and where we create things that leave a mark on our past.  I am an artist for all the reasons Edmundson states that we read, "so as to discover ourselves and others, and to come to know previously unrecognized aspects of ourselves. (p.47)" and as a teacher, working with students who are also embodying the spirit of an artist, I teach to discover, to know that which was previously unrecognized, to see how others think about, feel, and inhabit the worlds in which we live.

Reflections & Reactions:

To Kelley, wk 4 -
Like you Kelley, I always loved children as a kid / teenager. I loved to babysit and take care of kids, creating projects with them and playing games, running around and nurturing their imagination. When I was in college and started to do field experience work (where it wasn't an art room per say, but tutoring or after school programs), I discovered that kids say the darndest things. At the time I was actually quite disturbed by some of the things I heard and had to fight the urge not to flick them in the head. Kids were just so mean to each other! I guess I had forgotten. When it came time to student teach, my top choices for placement were elementary and high school. There was NO way I was going to a middle school - - that time is horrible! I am so glad that I was assigned to a middle school because it totally changed my mind about that time period and being with kids. Much more my speed. I could be goofy and sarcastic and still have students interested in learning. I liked being able to support them through a time I know is tough for many kids.

ART: Wk 3 - Reflections & Responses

In response to Kelley Schotte:
Kelley, it is always so interesting to hear things from your elementary perspective. I am not sure I would have the patience to handle fights at this st/age, where children really are figuring out these social skills and how to deal with their emotions on such a very basic level. I am lucky at High School when I can cock my head to the side, look at them and just say, "Really?" Most of them realize instantly there is a much more adult like way to handle things. I guess the flip side of that is when they have a much more personal issue such as pregnancy or wrestling with coming out or even something milder (to me at this point) such as a girl/boyfriend breaking up with them that is when I would be there to model behavior such as compassion, or decision making. Oh my gosh, I totally just talked myself out of thinking HS level was easier! It is just different! 
I wonder, do you think you accept others' or rebuff others' thoughts and opinions more? Sometimes I take into consideration another's beliefs so much, because I am in that mode lately of responding to my "customer's" needs, that I find it harder to find the path that is headed in the right direction (so to speak.) It is easier with school age students to stay on my own course. Is it the same with elementary kids? or do they take you on a journey through t heir minds' eye? I imagine that might be awfully fun!

In response to Katie Amos:

"Right now my 1st graders are working on murals for their zoo. So, I have half of them doing murals and the other half working with pattern blocks. Half way through we switch. I would love to incorporate another station, but it is a lot to manage. I know classroom teachers use centers quite often. I haven't used them much, because I'm unsure of myself and I only have them for 45 minutes. Do you have any suggestions on implementing more centers into my classroom? How can I model and explain all of them but still have time for the students to work?"

Katie, that is such a great question about centers...I was thinking about that myself. I wonder if you could observe another classroom teacher and pick his/her brain about how they go about setting up centers. That would be a lot to handle with materials. I wonder if there is a lot of repetition in the classroom centers so students get a chance to visit them often for directions and follow up. Hmmm...I am going to have to look into how they work at some of our schools. Thanks for the inspiration!

Reflections in response to my responses:

Seems like the elementary posts are really catching my eye this week. I wonder if it is because I am gearing up to start curriculum writing with my kindergarten music and art teams. I want to be able to meet them where they are and honor the differences in our practice. Yes, I am certified K - 12, and yes I have experiences in elementary, but they were so long ago and were not nearly the same as setting up and running my own class. Something else to be considered is that my point of view as a teacher when I had access to elementary was very different. I was just starting out and I hadn't solidified my practice. and in a funny way solidifying my practice was more about figuring out what I needed to be flexible about. I learned to sway like a tree in the wind so that I wouldn't break.


In response to Livey's post this week:
"On  a plane ride home from NAEA in New York, my good buddy and amazing colleague, Whitney Carnahan developed what she has coined "The Templeton Theory".  Templeton being the character from Charlotte's Web.  In the story, Templeton is the rat that really enjoys his vacation to the carnival.  He gathers all of the goodies that have been left behind and sings about his joy in the over abundance of goodies.  Whitney was making a connection to feeling like Templeton after all that she had learned at the conference.  She was overwhelmed and overfull of new and inspiring information.  She started asking herself many reflective questions like, "Out of all the new stuff that I learned, which one's are right? Which ones are wrong? Which learning methods should I take with me and which ones will be best left in NYC?  How am I supposed to know what to use? And WHY AM I SO OVERWHELMED AND STOKED ABOUT THIS THINKING AT THE SAME TIME?"  She felt like Templeton,  overwhelmed in ideas like he was overwhelmed by fair fare.  She was having a difficult time sorting out what she saw and how to best use it.  Then today I asked for her permission to share her theory and asked her to share a few words that would encapsulate how she now uses her Templeton Theory in developing her practice as an art teacher, she says, "(Reflective teachers) pick and choose what works for you and your students and what doesn't, There is no 'right' way. Just whats best for you and your students. We're all wired differently and therefore all have different teaching styles. There's a million different theories about teaching out there and we have to grab onto what we need and when we need it.  And then, comp up with the perfect concoction for our classroom."  I wish I had been as wise as she is when I was her age!!  I had once thought that absolutely everything that I was told to do had to be implemented as prescribed and as soon as possible.  However, she has found the key.  To take all experiences and teachings and wonder-moments, and translate them through the lenses of the students, then artfully craft how to use them in such a way that will encourage all students to become the very knowing, kind, empathetic, and sincere people that they can become."

I love your colleague, Whitney's, Templeton theory. So true. And as it gets closer to conference and San Diego I will have to remember it all the better. I kind of see it also like allowing the ravioli to cook or some sort of science contraption (an old fashioned barometer, maybe?) where the ideas that resonate the most with me seem to bubble to the surface and stay lodged in the front of my brain where I can access them for what is needed. 

"To get back to answering the question, I believe that some of the obstacles the arise are being called a "firebrand" or "too progressive" or any other quip that is directed at the person and is meant to be demeaning (but secretly we take them as a complement and evidence of our ability to teach and learn from a multitude of vantage points).  When teachers attempt to claim that they have the right answer for their students and it is outside of the prescribed set of methodologies that the school board has approved, the teacher runs the risk of becoming an outsider or even possibly penalized for not following what is board mandated.  Also, when the teacher attempts to defend what they believe is right for the way that they teach they are asked to provide research based seasonings why they had changed the paradigm or the methodology.  I find, that to make change in an atmosphere where the solutions to most problems are proscribed, the only real obstacle becomes learning the "language" of those whom are scrutinizing your reasoning.  You can't, and get away with it very often, say that I am "doing the right things for the right reasons" and everyone believe in your gut instinct.  If you decide to look at why they are not, or may not be receptive to your ideas, the best thing to do is to ask Why? Why not? and upon what are you basing that decision, then research your booty off learning what they know through the lens in which they had learned that method.  If you do this, you can greet your obstacles between you and what you feel is right, is to adopt the language, then use this language to support your reasoning.  This is not subversive or manipulative if you inform them that you are willing to learn about their reasoning and then show them how it relates to your idea.  In this era of accountability, I believe it is paramount for all instructors or practitioners in education to understand what it is that the other's expect them to do, and then ferret out why that way has been adopted by so many." 

I find your comments as being labeled a firebrand and the struggle to follow our gut interesting too. I often think I feel a little off in my current surroundings because I am no longer surrounded by my art department but a mixed bag of different core subjects that are more analytical. I find I often have to justify what I am thinking and why it will work well for teachers. And I have to fine tune my language to fit their preconceived notions about what education is or is not, what instructional strategies we are using, but don't refer to by name, etc. I am sometimes called the "curriculum translator" by my teachers because they write what they do, and I help them craft the language so it will be understood and lauded by the Board instead of misunderstood. (oh the Fine Arts, what a different beast we are...) But it is exhausting to always have to explain yourself instead of celebrate yourself. To make room instead of being given room, or even earn the space. It is nice and sustaining to be recognized instead of feeling deflated because once again you were overlooked or misconstrued all due to a lack of acceptance of multiple ways of doing.

ART: Week 3 - Read & React

Read: Series Preface/Preface, Chapters 1 & 2 Reflective Teaching

An Introduction Liston, Daniel & Zeichner, Kenneth. 2nd edition (2014) 

Write what-if questions and post them on LORE for contemplation and group feedback. 

My What-if Questions:

• What if ALL teachers were encouraged to attend conferences and attain learning outside the district? 
• What if ALL teachers were encouraged to join their professional organizations? 
• What if teachers paired up with another teacher to explore their own learning, their practice, learn together and support each other?
• What if we designed our own professional development? What if we were required like other professions to attend "Continuing Education" seminars to stay certified?
• What if we weren't so exhausted at the end of the day from all the thinking and being on our feet?  

1. I am asking you to select two to four questions (the authors pose’s as you read) that you find challenging, difficult or even inspiring. Restate the questions on your blog and then respond, reflecting your thinking about them. Remember to be reading each others’ responses and starting conversations.!!!!!!!!! (note passionate and firm explanation marks:))

Q1: (p. 4) Do you think that teachers should play leadership roles in curriculum development, program development, and school reform or just stick to their work in the classroom? Absolutely! They should play a role in all those arenas. Besides students, teachers make up the bulk of the population in a school and are the ones who were trained in pedagogy. They are the ones with insight into the way their students learn. What becomes an issue is when teachers are only ever exposed to their own way of doing things. It is important for teachers to be learners for life and model this behavior for their own students. Teachers should also act as change agents making a positive impact in the world around them.

Q2: (p. 13) In what ways might the structure of classrooms and schools contribute to and/or discourage teacher reflectivity?

I am speaking from a HS perspective, but this may be the same in some instances for other levels. The structure of the school day is one that keeps a teacher on his or her feet. With just a few minutes between classes to set up, take down any needed class prep, go to the bathroom, make copies, get supplies, check emails, make phone calls, etc. etc. it is hard sometimes to find the needed time to slow down and think. Our lunch time even was only 21-24 minutes (barely enough time to think about what you were eating let alone anything else, really!) I sometimes felt I had the luxury of reflection when classes would be deep in to a project and no one needed assistance. My husband teaches social studies and loves to talk (lecture vs storytelling - a debate for another time…) so he argues he has even less time then I ever did. I think that some people are just more prone to naturally reflect and others less so, but definitely the structure of a school day does not encourage or nurture it. 

Q3: (p. 13) Some argue that teaching is too demanding and complex to expect teachers to be very reflective about their work - - What do you think?

Being a part of the local school PD (run by a teacher team) I suggested we had teachers blog their reflections about the action research they had chosen to do. It was shot down as something the teacher body would have a problem with (it would be one more thing they had to do, it would require that they "put themselves out there", it would point out people who didn't get it, etc.) Yes, I think it would have been a culture change, but one for the better, not worse. We could have made it work! We could have been "yeah, ands!" not "yeah, buts…"

Q4: (p. 14) Think about this statement. Do you agree or disagree? What specific implications do you see in Stenhouse's view for your own teaching? 

This is partially how I see my job now, to be the one who digs up cool stuff to ponder. Part of the reason I do like this side of my job so much is the luxury of time. I have time to deeply think about things that normally I'd have to set aside in order to do lesson planning, or supply ordering, or grading - - the list could go on and on. When I did go to conferences, I always lamented not having just one more day to process all the wonderful things I had heard and learned. I wanted to make a master plan of how to integrate all this neat stuff.  I would get so aggravated (and still do) when I was turned down when I asked to be able to go to conferences (on my own dime). I need(ed) to be bombarded by new ideas so I could "digest" them under my "own judgment". I was refueled by this and it kept my passion burning. Passion and energy begot more passion and more energy.  

2. This reading covers a lot of territory. Pay close attention to the section on the three attitudes which are integral to reflection in action. Address each idea as it relates to you. 

Three attitudes which are integral to reflection in action: Open-mindedness, Responsibility, Wholeheartedness.

• Open-mindedness: I would say that I am currently in a critical frame of mind when it comes to open-mindedness - to an extent. I'm leaning back more into the sophisticated  frame of mind at this moment as we transition into our new curriculum writing cycle. I desperately want to grow with this new go round and really provide an opportunity for our students and teachers to integrate more artist studio habits of mind. We have some teachers so entrenched in teaching the E&P in such a way that their program numbers are dwindling (they are all about the data to the detriment of their program.) I need to remember to keep my open mind and listen to their concerns, reframing the conversation to see it from all sides. 

• Responsibility: I am constantly thinking about what ripple effects my actions are going to have. If I push too hard, will it appear as a top-down curriculum? even if it is written by a team of 6 teachers and not me? Responsibility hits me hard in many facets of my job, not just with teacher teams writing curriculum but in representing the fine arts in our district for our students and for the teachers. Where can I step up to make our voice heard? When do I need to step back? When do I need to push others forward? When do I need to push myself to learn more in order to do more? 

• Whole-heartedness: I think I may do this to my own detriment. I constantly try to take the perspective of other teachers, especially in other content areas. Since I am leading areas that aren't my content, I want to make sure I listen extra carefully to understand their concerns. However, since I don't teach their content I'm missing a normally helpful component - the ability to professionally judge the content sniff test. Sometimes you just know when you are being fed a line because a student just doesn't want to put in the extra effort and sometimes you can tell that a student really meant to do better. Not having taught a content, it is harder to sniff that out in teachers. Or maybe that's because I like to assume positive intentions in people. 

I would say because I hold myself so responsible for not just the students of a few classes, but to a much larger audience of an entire district, I am putting a lot of pressure on myself (too much really.) And I want to do right by teachers for those students. I need to take to heart what is said on page 13, "Reflective teachers are not some sort of special superwomen…are simply and unabashedly committed to the education of all…and to their own education as teachers. When they make mistakes they are not overly harsh toward themselves. They move on."

3. Do a little digging. Do you know wrote your curriculum? When was it last changed? How is it different from(or the same as) your own schooling experiences?

Our visual arts curriculum at the high school level was last written between 2008 - 2010 with the idea that it was a "living document" and could be changed as needed (before that it hadn't been touched since 1999). Each course was written by a team of teachers from across the district that were teaching the course. I remember thinking at the time, "Wow, this is malfeasance, not allowing teachers to update curriculum for so long." It was a very basic curriculum with very little meat to it, very little addressing anything other than "you will teach these elements and principles" and nothing in the way of DBAE's areas of art criticism or aesthetics. Now we have a system in place where the curriculum is "evergreen" - digital and able to be updated whenever deemed necessary. However, teachers rarely get together to make changes so it is again frozen in time, with almost as much time passing before it is planned to be formally changed again. Luckily, I think what was written last was a strong curriculum that addressed needed updates. Formally, nothing has changed from the state (in terms of standards) but it does seem that as time has crept on that changes, updates, and a revisiting of the philosophical underpinnings of our curriculum is essential. [Part of the extended time line is in part due to logistics. The teachers that teach the courses are needed to write the curriculum, and because teachers teach multiple courses, with only so much time available at once to work, each of our 15 courses has to be scheduled out over a set  number of years. Throw on top of that there is one facilitator that works with each group (as well as the middle school and elementary courses and each grade level's music & theatre courses for a total of 57 curriculums) and there is only so much time in the day to get these people together. ] 

I would say our latest version of GLE's that drives our curriculum isn't that different from my high school art education. The approach may be different, a little more structure due to the increase in testing culture, but the same focus on media skills and the E & P. I'm hoping we change that with this go round. The biggest difference I see from my years of schooling are in the elementary levels. When I went to school in the '80's, it was a lot more arts & crafts based on the season and/or holiday. There is much more structure to teach artistic concepts and skills (again media and E&P focused.)

4. Review the findings from the first two weeks, identify two or three areas you want to work on through out this class. Be specific, state them as goals. I will be asking you to keep these goals in mind as we progress.

When I did my self-audit, I was thinking of myself in my typical classroom with high school students. Because I am no longer in a typical classroom setting and instead I am working with adult learners, my growth goals are referring to my work with curriculum groups in the first stage of our revision cycle - research and current reality. I would like to help teachers interact with new information (the NCCAS Core Arts Standards, New School Art Styles, etc.). I want to do this in such a way that teachers feel prepared to tackle a new transformative curriculum with an open mind and a "what if" attitude to be change agents in our established school culture.

Goal #1-  By the end of the year, I will raise my score on helping students process new information from a 1 to a 3.

Goal #2 - By the end of the year, I will raise my score on organizing students to practice and deepen knowledge from a 1 to a  3.

ART: Wk 2- Reflection on Adair's Post

I think that we retreat into an objectivist stance when we aren't as comfortable with the unknown that lays ahead of us, whether that is with classroom management, or lesson planning, or student engagement or whatever. I definitely think that we as teachers are juggling many balls and sometimes we need to feel the solid ground beneath us. As we grow as teachers, it becomes easier to let go because we can rely on experience to steady our feet. I definitely think it is wise to take what you can handle and tackle it a bit at time so as not to feel overwhelmed. The more success you have the braver and bolder you will be about being able to try something new. Maybe balls at first were difficult to juggle but as they get easier to manage you might decide to toss in a flaming baton!

ART: Week 2 - Read & React

1. Read and Reflect on Parker Palmer: Chapter 3. Read: Marzano, Chapter Three. Go to the appendix and on Pages 185-226 is a Teacher Scales for Reflection. (http://www.marzanoresearch.com/reproducibles/becoming_reflective?___SID=U) Take yourself through this process and reflect on your findings in your blog. Please remember to be reading others blogs and responding as well.

-Compare your notes on the 12 qualities with your findings in the Scales exercise. Are any themes emerging? Comment on your discoveries.

After reading Parker Palmer; Consider these additional thought questions:

2. -Consider the idea of OBJECTIVISM.
-Is it present in your class room and teaching in anyway?
-In your history, do you recall teachers who were more like Abba Felix? -Consider for a moment, some aspect about teaching and art (or what ever discipline you teach) which you feel passionate about, are there things which occur that get in the way of that passion? Explore this idea. 

Summary:

Marzano- This chapter outlines the types of goals that a teacher should attempt to set and examine about their own practice. It provides some questions and scales from a teacher to model the practice of self-reflection. 

Parker Palmer-

Palmer examines the typical structure of a classroom with an authoritarian teacher as the instructor and proposes an alternative learning structure when students arrive at the point where rote learning stops. He cites the story of Abba Felix to illustrate his point.

Thoughts as I read:

Marzano. Why don't we purposefully utilize these 3 stages (cognitive, shaping, & autonomous) when introducing new strategies? It seems like many times we, teachers, are left to our own devices and maybe expected to go through these stages on our own? (i'm thinking of our district PD here) Rather then continue to push through new plans every year, why don't we slow our roll and maneuver through these three stages? Being in the classroom, sometimes it is hard to synthesize what we learn in PD amongst all we are responsible for teaching. (I need a mental DVR so I can re-watch trainings for when they are relevant for my teaching!) These three stages made me totally think of what I was going through after seeing Olivia Gude and going to the the NAEA/MAEA conferences. I started to transform my teaching in response to student needs, but I had to grapple with my own understanding and got through the stages over the years. 

  That leads me to another tangent...How do we transform our teaching (and go through these three stages) as art teachers if all we are ever exposed to are our district PD sessions? Fine Arts teachers (and probably many elective teachers) are often turned down for PD requests b/c 1) it usually involved travel; 2) it didn't relate directly to our school improvement plan (b/c it was always literacy / math  / science focused); 3) impacted a small number of students / teachers (expectation is to come back and share what you learned with other teachers. As singleton (or near singleton) teachers there were very few teachers to share with.); and 4) wouldn't improve scores (how very unscientific!). Which, okay, if I was on the other end of this and had to figure out criteria for how to approve requests, this would look good at first. Smart and responsible even. But how about looking at how this leaves certain subjects out. It is the "invisible" neglect of certain skills and abilities that we are teaching in our schools. It is demonstrating an opinion and value of the arts that may be unintended. But I want to scream, "HOW CAN THEY NOT SEE THAT?!" If subjects are taught, they should all be deemed "worthy" of development and content related growth (not all pedagogy is created equal for every subject.) 

   While reading this chapter, I also thought about how many of these skills / strategies would I be able to get to? Yes, they are valuable to have in my tool belt, but unlike a social studies or english class, how often are we as art teachers instructing in ways that we would want to ask students to respond as a group? I found myself interacting mostly one-on-one. Very little time was spent on direct instruction and the majority of time was students working on projects. The descriptions of the strategies just struck me as more one-directional instruction than collaborative or mentor-like.

Parker Palmer. Ooh. I needed that. Something about reading that shook me out of a little funk I was sitting in. I took a lot of notes in the margins as I read. Thinking I will have to look up the book this came from. 

   I was a little stumped by the term 'objectivism' and was glad that Amy had put it in our notes before we started. I think I get it, but I keep throwing myself by thinking about it in terms of Ayn Rand's philosophy (which I take issue with.) But relating it in terms of education it starts to come together for me. The definition of objectivism: the tendency to lay stress on what is external to or independent of the mind. In short, I keep thinking of it as the beginning of education. If we stop at the facts and rote memorization of information we won't be able to go any deeper with our content. It will breed frustration in teachers and boredom in students. So, in my mind there is a time and place for that kind of learning, but if that is all there is then learning won't continue. 

    Reading this really made me think of the way I have taught over the years. With the adoption of NCLB and a turn to enforce teaching through standards (which were elements & principles based), we started to teach what I thought of as more concretely. I knew that students needed certain information about the elements / principles (as outlined by our state grade level expectations in micro detail) in order to perform well on tests. And I always empathized with students who didn't feel especially artistically talented. I wanted to make those kids who were "book smart" feel successful. And I wanted to help my SPED kids with learning disabilities feel successful. It was all very well-meaning, but I unintentionally stripped the class of the  intrinsic rewards that art offers. What I determined after many years of teaching was that there was a balance (it is all so very zen) between teaching through different art media skills, breaking down the elements & principles, all the info contained in looking at and examining artworks/artists in art history and the hidden curriculum that art teaches not listed in the standards or our curriculum documents: What it feels like to be inspired by an idea and communicate it visually, to be creative, to see things from different perspectives, to share your experiences. All of these things have to be fostered as they are learning facts and tidbits. The facts have to be useful when applied to experiences that engage. I find that the way we have chosen to assess standards drives teachers to teach in an objectivist way. If all the tests are looking for are facts and information, and a school's future is dependent on the performance on those tests, it is very scary to leave the learning of those facts to "chance". You feel a responsibility to your students to have given them exactly what they need directly. 

   As I made the switch to more inquiry based, learner directed lessons, I had to practice a letting go of sorts. I had to let go of my ego when I realized we weren't turning out as many highly skilled works of art to hang in the hallway. The learning that was happening was way more valuable, but I didn't realize that until later. I just went along on faith. It helped that we were having waaaay more fun than before though. We were not only learning, but building a community and that in turn made kids excited to learn together and unintentionally more curious. 

   I have a neighboring teacher who is definitely an Abba Felix. She is bravely allowing her students to explore their own learning. Whenever I get all wrapped up again in my old habits, I go talk through things with her and she helps me to "let go." Another neighboring teacher is very rote, step by step and follows a more objectivist path. In talking with her, I've noted a couple of reasons why she teaches this way: 1) it is easier to know when a project will be over and to plan for supplies, 2) she is able to direct students into making art she finds "beautiful" and not "ugly", and 3) She doesn't give them enough credit, thinking they won't understand what will be on the test (I've often heard the excuse, "they won't know that" or "they can't learn that"). She is very much the "Ok...Go!" kind of teacher with out a lot of follow-up instruction.

   I think as a learner, I need a little bit of both. I need straight up information in small bits with plenty of opportunity to apply it. I need some experiences to tie my learning to and it will stick. But, it can't always be completely ambiguous. Sometimes I need an expert to reinforce or confirm my thinking or encourage me in my efforts. More of a community based effort.