Service Learning: Lesson 1 Reflection
“Musical Watercolors”
1. Relate this event to theory, research and readings. What is your interpretation of these events based on current class readings and discussions.? What worked well for this art experience? Why?
Since this was our first service learning experience, everything was new and informative. Having time to introduce myself to the students, and gauge their level of interest in the class, was helpful before starting the demonstration. -Reassessment was informal, question based, as I gathered if the students had worked in watercolor before, I also asked what kind of music the students liked listening to- as a way to possibly bring them back in to the lesson, if they seemed to grow disinterested in the music we had picked for the class.
Preparation for the class was making sure that our group of teachers knew exactly how the lesson demo would flow, so everyone would have an idea of their responsibilities for the duration of the class. Getting to know our students during the first class, will help us form bonds with them for further service learning classes.
What worked well: Some of the students were particularly interested in getting started with their watercolor pieces. Even before the demo, A few students demonstrated that they were already familiar with the materials, and they had an idea of what they wanted to create during the class. After my teacher demo, students started drawing and painting right away. We didn’t have any issues with students that weren’t interested in the project, and most of the students said that they really enjoyed songs we picked for the lesson. Everyone tried all of the materials we suggested, and were excited to try our “special technique” of using a white crayon on white paper, then painting colors over the top—revealing the crayon drawing beneath. Students were working on art for almost the entire class period, which is great.
I believe that the use of drawing and painting combined, is a fun activity, and students had a good amount of choices in subject matter, colors, technique, amount of crayon drawing before painting. Also the ability for students to move on to a new painting if they were tired of working on a previous one, kept the lesson constantly moving along. The students didn’t ask very many questions about the art making process, but we came around with various suggestions of options if they wanted to apply them, and some were interested in using the salt technique.
I tried to implement the ALOHA approach that Alison Cope had suggested. Ask, Listen, Observe, Help, Ask again! Using this acronym as a guiding principal really helped as the class went along.
2. Consider the meaning your teaching experience has for you as an individual. What does this experience mean to you personally? What didn’t work well for this art experience? Why?
This teaching experience was really uplifting and inspiring for me as an individual. I was a moderate amount of nervous/anxious before our first lesson, especially since I was going to be the lead teacher and demonstrator. I wondered what kind of connections I would be able to make with students. Would I be able to make the lesson fun, memorable, approachable for all student abilities? What roadblocks would I encounter in the classroom? Overall, I felt like there were very few bumps, and I am really pleased with how the class went.
During my demonstration, I didn’t ever have full visual attention of the students. Almost all of them were looking down at their papers, or at something besides my demo. I understand that some students might not like to maintain eye contact, and I personally am able to listen closely without looking at what is happening. Based on how quickly the students got to making art, they were listening, despite not making eye contact or watching my technique. This was extremely informational, since I was worried at first that because my demo wasn’t interesting, they might struggle with their watercolor paintings. I wonder if the next class demo will be similar?
The only other concern was how to “wind down” the class experience. Some students got tired of painting, and sat quietly to themselves. Most students kept working until they had to leave, which meant that the studio space needed more cleanup. I think next time our goal will be to make sure we are having the students finish and cleanup their area before time runs out.
We were extremely prepared for our technique and materials, but even with all of our preparation, being in the classroom and working with the actual students is hard to perfectly plan for. I think going forward, we will have a better idea of how class time will progress.
3. Relate your interpretation of the meaning of your teaching as it pertains to your education as a future art teacher. How will you configure or reconfigure your future actions as an art teacher as a result of this experience? What would you do differently? Why?
This first lesson made me experience what it was like to see a single lesson plan through, from initial ideation, to drafting, lesson writing, planning with materials, demonstrating, and then finally— letting the students use our lesson, and express themselves creatively. I think leaving space for the students in the lesson plan is the biggest takeaway. As teachers, we are supposed to be their guides and help facilitate creativity and discovery. Lesson plans can get very dense and technical, which is important for the teacher, or for other education professionals, but the lessons should be very approachable for all students. The more words and definitions and rules, the less creative the student work will be. I will try to remember that in any future lesson plans.
Planning these service learning plans in a group is also very helpful, but can also be challenging. Constant communication and questioning is important to keep everyone on the same page before the lesson begins, otherwise the students will be confused or frustrated. I think in the future: having groups meet in person to run through the next lesson plan is extremely beneficial. Compared to email or text communication, short meetings allow everyone to have a discussion simultaneously, and makes it easier to flesh out ideas.