Student Teaching - High School Placement
"Expressive Landscapes" - High School Unit Plan
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge - The competent teacher has in-depth understanding of content area knowledge that includes central concepts, methods of inquiry, structures of disciplines, and content area literacy. The teacher creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge, and evidence-based practice.
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 5 - Instructional Delivery - The competent teacher differentiates instruction by using a variety of strategies that support critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and continuous growth and learning. The teacher understands that the classroom is a dynamic environment requiring ongoing modification of instruction to enhance learning for each student.
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 5 - Instructional Delivery - The competent teacher differentiates instruction by using a variety of strategies that support critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and continuous growth and learning. The teacher understands that the classroom is a dynamic environment requiring ongoing modification of instruction to enhance learning for each student.
Description and Rationale:
Expressive Landscapes is a lesson designed for a higher-level painting course or an advanced studio class. This distinction is because students already have to have some artistic knowledge of painting landscapes and color mixing. In this lesson, students learn about expressionist artwork and are shown examples of landscape paintings with expressionist qualities. Students are asked to paint a landscape that represents something to the artist, whether it be their favorite place or a place from their favorite movie. This connection can help the students be more engaged in the lesson if they can paint something personal to them, but it also allows them to create artwork with meaning. The students must think about what colors and painting techniques they must use to evoke the emotion they feel from this unique landscape, an essential quality of expressionist work. For the class I taught this to during student teaching, I wanted them to step out of their comfort zone of photo-realism, which many of them focused on. I hoped the students would learn that artwork doesn't always have to depict something accurately. It can be expressive, bold, and deeply meaningful to the artist.
Evidence and Student Examples:
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Student Teaching - Elementary Placement
"Pinch Pot Animals" - Elementary Unit Plan (5th Grade)
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 2 - Content Area and Pedagogical Knowledge - The competent teacher has in-depth understanding of content area knowledge that includes central concepts, methods of inquiry, structures of disciplines, and content area literacy. The teacher creates meaningful learning experiences for each student based upon interactions among content area and pedagogical knowledge, and evidence-based practice.
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 5 - Instructional Delivery - The competent teacher differentiates instruction by using a variety of strategies that support critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and continuous growth and learning. The teacher understands that the classroom is a dynamic environment requiring ongoing modification of instruction to enhance learning for each student.
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 5 - Instructional Delivery - The competent teacher differentiates instruction by using a variety of strategies that support critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and continuous growth and learning. The teacher understands that the classroom is a dynamic environment requiring ongoing modification of instruction to enhance learning for each student.
Description and Rationale:
Pinch pot animals is a lesson designed for 5th graders, although it can apply to younger and older grades with a few modifications on difficulty level. Students must learn several clay techniques, including coil and pinch pot, and then use them in a final project where they turn a pinch pot into an animal of their choice. Students are given the tools and instruction to help them create any necessary shape for an animal sculpture and attach it, but it challenges them to form their design/animal. This information gives them enough to be successful in the unit, but they still have to work through creating an animal themselves. This lesson engages this group due to the self-choice aspect and the fact that they are making animals, a trendy topic amongst elementary schoolers. Students also learn what glaze is and how to use glaze in an appropriate way to create good craftsmanship. Once again, students can choose colors or designs they want to apply with their glaze. However, they need to demonstrate that they know the boundaries and rules of glaze and how to get even coats. I enjoyed this lesson, and it was my favorite from this placement since every student was so creative, and barely any sculptures looked the same. It allows the student to be individualistic at a young age due to the information being a part of this lesson and that they practice before getting the project's freedom.
Evidence and Student Examples:
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Assessment Methods
High School Placement Assessments:
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 7 - Assessment - The competent teacher understands and uses appropriate formative and summative assessments for determining student needs, monitoring student progress, measuring student growth, and evaluating student outcomes. The teacher makes decisions driven by data about curricular and instructional effectiveness and adjusts practices to meet the needs of each student.
Formative Assessment Description and Rationale:
A formative assessment used at my high school placement was a mid-way critique. For a lesson titled "Unconventional Surfaces," students were asked to show their paintings midway through the work days. Everyone met in a circle, and we went around discussing everyone's work, focusing on strengths and areas of improvement. Before beginning the critique, students are made aware that this critique is a formative grade as it lets the teacher see where they are at in the progress of the project and their ability to give constructive criticism using the unit's vocabulary. The students were given a half-sheet with some tips for the critique and told what they could say about their pieces. Describing and explaining one's artistic choices during the critique is another great formative assessment. It allows the teacher to see how students do with artist statements before having them write an official one at the end of the unit. I enjoy using mid-way critiques for big projects because it helps the student grow, to get advice from others, and it helps me as a teacher see how I can help a student or what struggles they may be having before turning in the project for a summative grade.
Formative Assessment Evidence:
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Summative Assessment Description and Rationale:
The Expressionist Landscape lesson above is an example of the final project being a summative assessment once fully turned in. The students will submit a photo of their artwork and then answer some questions that help them form an artist statement for the work and give the teacher more explanation on how the artwork connects to them personally. In this summative assessment, students are graded based on four visual art standards: VA:Cr1.2.IIIa, VA:Pr4.1.IIIa, VA:Re.7.2.IIIa, and VA:Cn10.1.IIIa. Students are expected to make a painting depicting an expressionistic style that evokes a personal connection and expression of the artist. As well as demonstrate advanced skills in manipulating acrylic paint and show an understanding of expressionism by applying it to an analysis of famous artwork, classmates' artwork, and one's artwork. These expectations/objectives for the students are directly based on the four visual art standards. The lesson is designed to relate to these standards so that the students can reach each visual art standard and have a measurable goal. Students can quickly look up what is expected of them since the standards are provided on the rubric, but they also have a specific objective for them that is relevant to their age and content knowledge.
Summative Assessment Evidence:
Elementary School Placement Assessments:
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 7 - Assessment - The competent teacher understands and uses appropriate formative and summative assessments for determining student needs, monitoring student progress, measuring student growth, and evaluating student outcomes. The teacher makes decisions driven by data about curricular and instructional effectiveness and adjusts practices to meet the needs of each student.
Formative Assessment Description and Rationale:
A formative assessment that I added to the curriculum at the elementary school was the day that we practiced with clay before beginning a clay project. Students were expected to practice with several clay techniques such as slab, coil, pinch pot, scoring, etc. that I demonstrated to them. Allowing students to practice before the project is a great formative assessment because it lets the students gain skills at their own rate without too high of expectations, and it shows me as the teacher who may need supports during the big project. It can also show me who may already have experience with clay and can help others. It's a learning moment for the students and the teacher, that is why I like practice moments as formative assessments.
Formative Assessment Evidence:
You can see under day 1 of the "Pinch Pot Animals" lesson how this formative assessment is carried out when beginning the unit.
You can see under day 1 of the "Pinch Pot Animals" lesson how this formative assessment is carried out when beginning the unit.
Summative Assessment Description and Rationale:
A summative assessment I graded in the elementary placement was a clay bird lesson. Students were taught about mixed-media art and sculpted birds out of clay then added other materials to it to make it mixed-media. This included pipe cleaners, sticks, beads, feathers, and jewels. Students were graded on using clay techniques correctly, following directions, having knowledge of unit vocabulary, and using multiple materials to make it mixed-media.
Students were graded on these aspects for the summative assessment since they relate to the standards of this lesson, and help with the successfulness and completion of the mixed-media sculpture. The rubric is comprehensible to a fourth grade students since it is using vocabulary and ratings that make sense to that age group. The notes are more there for the teacher and the parents so that they know why the student got that grade, but is still readable by a fourth grader. The feedback section is more targeted for the student to look at, as it mentions what they did good at and areas they can improve on for next time. Something essential for any rubric as the student is supposed to grow from the rubrics given to them.
Students were graded on these aspects for the summative assessment since they relate to the standards of this lesson, and help with the successfulness and completion of the mixed-media sculpture. The rubric is comprehensible to a fourth grade students since it is using vocabulary and ratings that make sense to that age group. The notes are more there for the teacher and the parents so that they know why the student got that grade, but is still readable by a fourth grader. The feedback section is more targeted for the student to look at, as it mentions what they did good at and areas they can improve on for next time. Something essential for any rubric as the student is supposed to grow from the rubrics given to them.
Summative Assessment Evidence:
Professionalism, Advocacy & Leadership: PAL 1
IPTS (2013) STANDARD 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy - The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism, provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates fro students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
Description and Rationale:
This semester I attended the Illinois State University education job far where I got to talk to several educators and recruiters about ways I can improve my resume and how I present myself as a teacher. For example, I talked to someone from Naperville 203 and what their district valued. In this conversation I was given the advice to learn about districts values and environment to see if they align with how I am as an educator. He suggested to me that I find some place that works for me as it is supposed to be an environment I can thrive in as an educator.
This event taught me that it is very important to reach out to other educators and make connections. Not only can it benefit job searches, but having these connections can also provide me with opportunities to learn more from others. I think it is essential for a teacher to be constantly learning, and having these types of conversations can benefit that aspect. Evidence:
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Description and Rationale:
I attended a book club at Normal West Community High School while I was there for my placement. We read and discussed "What Happened to You" by Bruce D. Perry and Oprah Winfrey. This book is about how trauma and childhood experiences can affect a person in childhood and adulthood. It focuses on how certain behaviors and mental states can be caused from this trauma. It is all about understanding where a person comes from before labeling them as a bad kid of person for acting out.
I am glad that I attended this book club because it helped me see why some of my students are the way they are and behave the way they do based on things I know about their background. I think it is important for a teacher especially to educate themselves on different traumas and the effects since one never knows what a student may be dealing with. It can help us as teachers come up with more engaging materials that is accommodative to their needs and can find ways to help with what they are dealing. Evidence:
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Professionalism, Advocacy & Leadership: PAL 2
PTS (2013) STANDARD 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy - The competent teacher is an ethical and reflective practitioner who exhibits professionalism, provides leadership in the learning community; and advocates fro students, parents or guardians, and the profession.
Description and Rationale:
I was commissioned to create a portrait drawing of a couple who a friend of theirs wanted to gift to them. The portrait was done in colored pencil and took about two weeks due to my schedule. The person who commissioned didn't have any requirements besides just wanting it to look as realistic as possible.
I enjoy doing commission work because it lets me practice my skills and keeping working on my artistic abilities. Without commissions I wouldn't be making that much art because I usually don't have the time to with student teaching. I have realized that it is important to keep making art as an art teacher because it helps you brush up on your skills, learn new things to teach students, and reminds you of your passion. Evidence:
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Description and Rationale:
This semester I helped set up an art show for Maroa-Forsyth Grade School outside of my student teaching hours. I helped hang artwork, get student signatures on their artwork, make posters and banners, and design activities for the visitors at the art show. I also got to see the art show and it all set up which was endearing to see some of my students artwork up and their reactions to that.
I decided to help with this art show when I wasn't obligated to because I knew it would give me the experience of curating an art show at a school that I haven't had before. This is a very necessary skill since when I am an art teacher I will most likely be doing this for my students. It was nice seeing the process and everything that went into it. Evidence:
Here are some examples of pieces from the art show. Names have been redacted for privacy reasons. |