Setting up realistic expectations for your first teaching experience.
I have a post HERE for hosting teachers, but this one will focus on the college student taking up student teaching.
You are about to take your first major steps into education as a teacher. That’s awesome! You may have been inspired by another teacher to explore this role, or you are following a personal passion or strength. I strongly believe, and have evidence-based data HERE to explain why I believe that art educators are THE most important teachers in a school and art is THE most important subject.
As a young up-and-coming educator, I was passionate about my subject and I was certain I knew how to impart my knowledge of art…
...In 5 years I was on the verge of quitting. What I know now, and failed to understand at the time, is that I needed to be a teacher first, and an art educator second. You cannot teach anything if you cannot maintain control. You cannot maintain control based on sheer will and command alone. Teaching is as much a nuanced art as art is itself.
To that end, I think your best course of action is keen observation and the ability to ask good questions. Not only about what is the teacher doing, but WHY they are doing it that way? Certainly, observing your host teacher is important, but I would touch base with administration and ask them who has the strongest classroom management skills in the school. Find time to observe that teacher as well.
If, as a student teacher, you are asked to begin teaching within the first week, you may have been put in a BAD situation. You should never be left alone in a class with students and no cooperating teacher. It may even be illegal to be asked to. Perhaps in your last week or two the teacher may leave but be nearby to give you full autonomy, but that may not be truly allowed. If you have questions about proper protocols, speak to your college advisor.
In general, the first week or two should be purely observation and getting to know the routine and the students. As weeks progress, you may be asked to teach 1 class per day, then 2 and so on as the week progress.
The teacher may “give” you lessons to teach, or may ask you to propose lessons. Everything on my blog you are welcome to use in your classroom lessons. I would begin with drawing lessons, and not move onto paint or sculpture without some time and guidance. You may however have little choice if you are teaching a sculpture or ceramics class. HERE is how I create my lessons.
You will need good resources to get started. I will tell you everything in these books I am about to recommend are available FREE on this blog, but the books put them in a usable format you can quickly access.
Pedagogy (HOW to teach art) (VIDEO)
The Kindle Version is free to read if you have an Amazon account.
Art Teacher Workbooks (In Depth Lessons) (VIDEO)
50 K-12 Quick Lessons (VIDEO)
You can access al of my video resources for free here on YouTube.
The following lessons are fairly "straight forward" and allow for significant student choice. They are also annual favorites.
Alphabet Illustrations
Origami Color Wheels
Emotional Profiles
Unreasonable Reviews
Virus & Pollen Sculptures
You are about to take your first major steps into education as a teacher. That’s awesome! You may have been inspired by another teacher to explore this role, or you are following a personal passion or strength. I strongly believe, and have evidence-based data HERE to explain why I believe that art educators are THE most important teachers in a school and art is THE most important subject.
As a young up-and-coming educator, I was passionate about my subject and I was certain I knew how to impart my knowledge of art…
...In 5 years I was on the verge of quitting. What I know now, and failed to understand at the time, is that I needed to be a teacher first, and an art educator second. You cannot teach anything if you cannot maintain control. You cannot maintain control based on sheer will and command alone. Teaching is as much a nuanced art as art is itself.
- Consistency
- Set clear expectations
- Candid Honesty
- Respect
- Even-headedness
- Humor
- Patience
To that end, I think your best course of action is keen observation and the ability to ask good questions. Not only about what is the teacher doing, but WHY they are doing it that way? Certainly, observing your host teacher is important, but I would touch base with administration and ask them who has the strongest classroom management skills in the school. Find time to observe that teacher as well.
If, as a student teacher, you are asked to begin teaching within the first week, you may have been put in a BAD situation. You should never be left alone in a class with students and no cooperating teacher. It may even be illegal to be asked to. Perhaps in your last week or two the teacher may leave but be nearby to give you full autonomy, but that may not be truly allowed. If you have questions about proper protocols, speak to your college advisor.
In general, the first week or two should be purely observation and getting to know the routine and the students. As weeks progress, you may be asked to teach 1 class per day, then 2 and so on as the week progress.
The teacher may “give” you lessons to teach, or may ask you to propose lessons. Everything on my blog you are welcome to use in your classroom lessons. I would begin with drawing lessons, and not move onto paint or sculpture without some time and guidance. You may however have little choice if you are teaching a sculpture or ceramics class. HERE is how I create my lessons.
You will need good resources to get started. I will tell you everything in these books I am about to recommend are available FREE on this blog, but the books put them in a usable format you can quickly access.
Pedagogy (HOW to teach art) (VIDEO)
The Kindle Version is free to read if you have an Amazon account.
Art Teacher Workbooks (In Depth Lessons) (VIDEO)
50 K-12 Quick Lessons (VIDEO)
You can access al of my video resources for free here on YouTube.
The following lessons are fairly "straight forward" and allow for significant student choice. They are also annual favorites.
Alphabet Illustrations
Origami Color Wheels
Emotional Profiles
Unreasonable Reviews
Virus & Pollen Sculptures
RSS Feed