Confidence, Skills, Passion, and Appreciation

Overall this class has been both an eye opening and a transformative experience. I was intrigued to take this class because I have always considered myself somewhat of an artful person. Although I cannot draw or paint on any sort of professional level, I have always loved being creative. Lately, I have found myself more caught up with the hustle and bustle of everyday life and places where I used have a creative outlet have become blocked due to my negative attitude. School used to be a place where lesson plans and bulletin boards gave me a sense of satisfaction and a place to hone my creativity. The past two years I have been feeling more and more pressure from above. I feel more of an obligation to get my students to a certain level rather than teach them in a creative and motivating way. This class has forced me to not only think twice about what and how I teach my students, but it has given me an opportunity to challenge my negative attitude that I have recently adopted.

There were two challenging parts of this class that rose above the other challenges. Firstly, I struggled with some of the creative aspects of this class. As mentioned above, I have developed a creative block and a defeatist attitude. I was convinced that I had lost every creative bone in my body. Each week was a struggle to pick the topic, picture, song, ect… I was never quite sure of myself until the final product was completed. I also consider myself a bit of a perfectionist so I needed every project to be perfect or I was not satisfied. I have to say that during the past few months, I believe that I have grown in confidence and creativity. In the beginning I was so afraid to show anyone my pictures for fear of failure and embarrassment. I have since gotten used to sharing my work with others. I even became so used to the fact that people would be looking that I allowed myself to be put on camera for the final project. I also realized that I should be confident with my initial choices because I can always adjust them later to make them work. In addition to a boost in my confidence I have also noticed that my creative side is showing through a little more. I have taken the initiative to incorporate more creativity into my lesson plans and into my classroom. I took the time to make my classroom environment more inviting and engaging. I created interactive bulletin boards, warmed up the space with pillows in the book corner, and rearranged the table groups. In terms of lessons, I have learned to take a different approach in planning. Instead of focusing solely on objectives and standards I have also taken into consideration current trends and students interests. I feel like I am still covering the standards, but I am just considering my students much more. I believe that this class has made me think more abstractly and for that I am thankful because I am climbing out of the rut I seemed to have dug myself into.

I have also openly struggled with the technology that was required in this course. I am a self confessed illiterate when it comes to any sort of computer program or technology, but I feel that I have given my best to learn new programs that will be useful in the future. I have learned to conquer many different programs that I did not even know existed before. I learned to use a camera properly, how to create a movie with effects and transitions, how to use animation, how to mix audio, and how to upload my work to multiple sites. The struggles I have had with both technology and creativity have made me push myself and do things that I never thought I could do before. I have realized how important it is to challenge myself so that I can grow and be a better person. When I was frustrated with the technology I often turned to others for help just like my students turn to me for help in the classroom and when I finished each module I felt a sense of accomplishment just like my students do when they complete something challenging. I am reminded that we all have different strengths and weaknesses and that my experiences are not that different from my students. I believe that good teachers should get to know themselves and their students to be able to teach in the best way possible. In having these experiences I have learned more about myself and can use these experiences to communicate and help future students.

I have gained confidence and skills in this class, but above all I have a greater passion for art in education. I have always been an advocate for the arts in schools, but being such a new teacher I have never really had a reason why I believed it should be there. For the most part, I understood it to be an area that many students excelled in and it would be a shame to see those talents go to waste if art programs were lost. While I still believe this to be true, I have learned that art is much more important. As Phillip W. Jackson stated, creating art makes the artist awake and aware. Art teaches us to look and listen carefully as it takes on nuances. The artist has a heightened sense of life because they are aware of their surroundings. I have begun to implement more art inside my classroom because I am now aware of its power to make people more aware of their surroundings and themselves. As a result of my appreciation and understanding of art I have certainly become more aware of what is around me. I have become more appreciate of the arts because I now know exactly how much work is put into everything. Having explored the nature and design of movies, music, TV, architecture, interior design, and fashion, I have a better understanding of what captivates audiences and keeps them interested. I then translate this understanding to my own classroom. For teachers to captivate their students they first need to know the individuals in their classrooms…get to know everyone’s story so that they can speak to the core of the individual. Just like a photographer gets to know a camera or a musician gets to know their instrument, their art is better because they understood how their tools and subjects worked. While studying the NDCE I noticed that there was a certain level of intimacy or passion involved in each area. Teachers should also put forth that same passion and enthusiasm to make their students want to learn as well. Teachers should also consider spending more time on planning. Lessons should be organized, simple to understand, and innovative. Innovation is a similar theme I found running through the NDCE. I have read about how editors and interior designers will play around with various ideas before choosing the right one. In the same sense, teachers should try new ideas and learn to use colleagues who are wonderful resources. I have also learned that the NDCE is purposeful and thoughtful. Great art should be thought thorough carefully. The same should be done with our classrooms, students, and lessons. Finally, teaching is about overcoming obstacles. Teachers have daily obstacles to overcome. Perhaps resources went missing, or the schedule has shifted or a student is acting up…whatever the obstacle may be it is put there for a reason. I have learned thought this whole process that obstacles are put in front of our paths to challenge our beliefs and passions. When we overcome those obstacles it proves how badly we want to continue. So no matter how big or how small the obstacle may be we have to learn to face it head on.

Although this class was more demanding than I could have ever imagined, it has also been more worthwhile than I could have ever imagined. I have gained confidence and learned about believing in myself and in doing so I realized that believing in me is at the heart of teaching. We want our students to believe in themselves and try new things that they may be afraid of, but to do so we must first believe in ourselves. I have gained a passion for art in education and have also gained a greater appreciation for the world around me and the work of art that is in all things.