Standard 1:
Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach
Artifact 1: Jump Ring and Chainmail Lesson Plan
Reasoning: When forming this lesson plan, I utilized previous experience and expertise in jewelry making and metalworking. After assessing the skill level and needs of the students, I aimed to make a lesson that would be challenging for more advanced students, while also functioning as a scaffold for a new technique. I was able to demonstrate the technique, offer potential applications, and relate this lesson to both contemporary and historical art context.
Artifact 2: Tactile Hidden Object Drawing Lesson Plan
Reasoning: This was my first lesson with the high schoolers. After a few weeks of observation and getting involved with student projects, my co-teacher and I were able to come up with an interesting challenge for the artists. Observational drawing and drawing warmups are something all professional artists recognize as valuable, and I wanted to treat these students as if they are professional artists— especially since they were taking the Pre-AP art elective. These are students that want a challenge beyond the basic art assignment, and their skill levels informed our decision for this lesson. Both me and the co-teacher Marisol, were able to use our own drawing expertise to ensure student success and reaching our learning objectives.
Reflection: As a K-12 art educator, I have an obligation to curate the best and most meaningful art experiences for my students. This means that I work hard on my own art practices, and continually hone my own art making skills, so that I can understand potential roadblocks that students might come across. I look for new and better art instruction materials, and am involved in several professional learning networks for up to date feedback.
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Level: Proficient
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Standard 2:
Teachers Establish a safe, inclusive and respectful learning environment
for a diverse population of students
Artifact 1: Parent teacher conference reflection
Reasoning: Through attending student conferences, I was able to see how an established teacher conducts themselves when interacting with their students and their students’ caregivers. I was also able to watch a peer, art education student teacher as she took over the conference lead role. I could easily see myself in the student teacher’s position. I was given tangible conversation starters, ways to work with students that might have fallen behind on assignments, and how to ensure all the students walk away feeling like they are successful and have benchmarks to improve their classroom success. Making connections with students and their families through conferences is an important key to serving students and adhering to this standard.
Artifact 2: Classroom Management Plan
Reasoning: Fostering an inclusive and safe classroom environment depends heavily on envisioning a future management plan. This plan is the ideal situation, but through practicum, we were able to see how teachers work with difficult situations, and received a lot of feedback on what works for a variety of teachers as TVHS. I pictured the physical space of my classroom, and how that might affect student learning. I also had to think of ways to engage students and form ideas of how to be flexible in future situations. I tried to incorporate plans for students that I saw in my observation class, AVID class, as well as students that are on IEPs, 504’s, ELL, and students that are in integrated classes.
Reflection: Planning how my classroom might run, applying advice and observation from my interactions with my mentor teacher, and forming relationships with students, all aid in strengthening standard 2. This is one of the standards that will truly be refined with more experience. The more students I work with, the wider of a scope I can develop for how to best teach responsively for a diverse population of students.
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Level: Developing
Standard 3:
Teachers plan and deliver effective instruction and create an environments
that facilitates learning for their students
Artifact 1: Student Work Analysis Protocol
Reasoning: This artifact, the student work analysis protocol, really informed my decisions in how I can use my instruction as a way to assess for student learning, rather than assessment of learning. The “of” is something that has already happened, and isn’t very dynamic. Assessment for learning is continuous and student-centered. When the co-teacher and I looked at the data from this lesson, we were able to form a better second lesson plan, as well as think about how these lessons could be part of a unit in future classrooms. I never want something in my classroom to be insignificant and forgettable, I want students to think about how the lesson informs their artwork on the next few projects, and how their perspectives might have been changed by the lesson. I think this artifact is a great format for future formative and summative assessments.
Artifact 2: AVID Tutoring Reflection
Reasoning: AVID tutoring was quite challenging for me. As a visual artist, it was sometimes difficult to help students with math problems that I personally struggled with in math classes. However, through the AVID tutoring format, I was able to be more successful and keep the students engaged and thinking through their own challenges. I envisioned a flipped situation where a student comes to my classroom with the same apprehension I used to feel about math, and how I might connect with a student that believes they just “cannot do art.” Or “hate art class.” I believe that pushing through my own preconceived notions about math tutoring helped make me a better instructor, and certainly helped with this 3rd standard.
Reflection: An art classroom that runs smoothly might appear to be very open and unplanned, but actually depends on the pre-planning and constant meta cognitive work that the teacher puts in. Through both AVID tutoring and carefully analyzing student work, I was able to think about how data collection and reflecting are key to my teacher success. As someone that has been bad at data collecting and journaling in the past, I know that the good habits I have been forming in education classes will be extremely useful to my student teaching semester.
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Level: Developing
Standard 4:
Teachers demonstrate professionalism through ethical conduct,
reflection, and leadership
Artifact 1: Setting and Context Narrative
Reasoning: I have always enjoyed writing the setting and context narratives for each new practicum school. I think that any prospective teacher benefits from looking into the school culture, student demographic, and goals/mission statements of the school they want to work for. Wanting to get to know the school and students demonstrates professionalism through leadership and reflection. Being invested in the school I am a part of, even briefly, makes the time I spend there more meaningful and memorable.
Artifact 2: Mid-semester Standards Reflection
Reasoning: This mid-semester reflection shows a snapshot of my development as a pre service teacher. Even now, I do feel stronger in every standards category, while I still identify with the desire to get more experience in future classrooms. I think is is always helpful to look back even just a few months to see where you have come from, and that can inform what I still need to work on now as I approach student teaching.
Reflection: Standard 4 is one of the standards that I feel I need the most improvement. I conduct myself in a professional manner, but have a hard time envisioning myself fully leading a classroom, with all of the students depending on my complete control of the classroom structure. I know that even though I am developing in this standard, student teaching will strengthen this standard for me. While I feel excited about being an art teacher, I need to work on becoming a “leader” that I would want as a student.
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Level: Developing
Professional Teaching Dispositions:
CSU CEP Dispositions Self-Assessment
Self Evaluation Reflection: I feel like my strength lies in Standards 1 and 3. I have a strong grasp of my content area, and stimulating lesson content. I also feel as if I am confident in my abilities to communicate effectively with students, and create an environment that students have the ability to succeed and grow.
During student teaching, I want to focus on strengthening Standard 2, which focuses on teaching in a culturally responsive and diversity-minded way. I already have the knowledge and goals for this standard, but I just need to put theory into action through lesson planning, demos with students, and helping students one-on-one in class. I also need work in feeling confident in standard 4, since it relates to professionalism. This is still a concept I struggle with picturing in action. I know what I *think* professionalism might look like, but I know that doing student teaching will hone these skills.
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Overall, I like having the teaching dispositions as a guideline. It serves as a tool for meta cognition, especially when I think about where I have started a few semesters ago, when I barely understood the intricacies of the standards. I have been heavily using them during this semester to reflect on my goals and values, as well as envisioning future possibilities and applications of these teaching dispositions.