Long-Term Substitute: Elementary School

The Fall of 2015 was a momentous season for me. I was lucky to be chosen for a long term ART substitute position at a local Elementary School.  This was a very important teaching experience. I have been learning a lot substitute teaching over the past two years, but being the art teacher in a classroom for two months straight was a new perspective.

I learned a lot, and it is really hard to put into words all I learned, so here's my:

Top Five Things Mr. Krueger Learned When Given The Opportunity to Take Over a Classroom:

1. Organization, dedication and patience are the most important characteristics of being a successful teacher.

2. It is very, very important to get to know your students. Every child has a story. Knowing their story explains their actions. When you know them, you know how to not let them down. Teachers make promises, commitments to be there for the students. We teach them content, but we are also helping them decide who they will become as they grow up.

3. The creative process is a deep, multi-step process that involves brainstorming, reflecting, selecting, refining/changing ideas, experimenting, making, (sometimes re-making), sharing and showing! Simply put: Think. Plan. Make. Share.

4. Kids can be really, really messy in the art room. Figure out and implement solid clean up routines!

5. Teachers are just grown up students. Even with 30 years experience, we are still learning alongside our students. That is a very good thing.

The Marshmallow Challenge

Recently an art teacher friend of mine needed to take a day off. I was more than happy to take over her classroom for the day! She was kind enough to collaborate with me on the content planning. I was so excited to work with the kids on "The Marshmallow Challenge."

(If you are interested in learning more about the Marshmallow Challenge, check out this website: http://marshmallowchallenge.com/Welcome.html There is also a great TED talk.)

 The students were about to start a three-dimensional design lesson with their teacher. I thought this "challenge" would be a great way to introduce students to the properties of sculpture.

Teams of 3-4


Supplies for each team:
12 spaghetti noodles
1 piece of tape
1 piece of string
1 marshmallow

Students were given 15 minutes to create the tallest free-standing sculpture that could support the weight of part of the marshmallow. (The other part of the marshmallow could be used in construction.)

  

After 15 minutes the class gathered around each team's sculpture. The team members described what worked, what didn't and what they learned about the properties of sculpture. Through these conversations the students began using the following words without me introducing them:

Weight distribution
Balance
Stability

We also talked about the difference between two-dimensional art (having height and width) and three-dimensional art (having height, width and depth.)

At the very end of the class I had the students complete an exit ticket to share what they learned.

What did you learn about the properties of three-dimensional art?

My personal, professional exit ticket was "What did you learn about teaching middle school students today?"

I learned that it is very important to have an engaging "hook" activity to introduce students to new content! When they are vested in learning the information (through a challenge or other "fun" method) they don't even realize they are learning! 

Resources

Another goal this summer is to find resources to help me in my future teaching job! I have been asking other professionals for reading material to help supplement my education. I learned so much by reading these books! My wife has been lucky to have had professional development with both Dr. Stewart and Dr. Walker and we have had great conversations about the philosophy of art education!


Thinking through Aesthetics by Marilyn Stewart



Teaching Meaning in Artmaking by Sydney Walker

Working in Clay: Summer Experiments

Clay is an amazing art material. As old as the earth, it is used to create everything from the dishes we use at dinner time to life like sculptures. This summer I am experimenting with clay as I develop ideas to use this media in the classroom.

Students love to use clay. It is an inviting material because of its tactile qualities and students can find success in creating both functional and expressive works of art!

As I prepare myself for a job as an art teacher, I recognize it is important to be ready for any grade, any level as I have my provisional license for PreK-12! Within my future classes I will have a range of students--gifted artists, students with special needs and students who struggle with the confidence needed to take the plunge into art making. As I work with the clay I try to imagine how it would feel to be either of those types of students. Reflecting as I work, I think about how to make the projects more challenging for the gifted student. How can I provide more choices within this project? Also, I think about students with special needs--what kind of instructions would be needed to better aid them? Would having visuals of each step prepared help? What about using objects to create texture in the clay as a focus on experimenting to better "learn" the media? How can I support students' confidence through this endeavor? What types of peer critiques will promote positive reflection and foster a sense of unity in the classroom?

Alright, enough playing around with clay: time to make something!

For my first project, I challenged myself to use high and low relief in the creation of a symbolic work of art. This summer I have been blessed to spend so much time with my family. We have spent a lot of time together at the beach, going on bike rides and picking tomatoes from our garden! I have also grown as a professional as I have used the summer time for research and development. I have chosen the blue crab as the symbol for this clay project. Blue crabs grow by molting. During their lifespan a male blue crab molts about 25 times! I figure if a blue crab can handle that much change, than I can handle my decision (at 35) to become an art teacher alongside being a first time father. I admire the blue crab for its beauty and determination, and chose this to be my personal symbol.

I found an image on the Internet to use as a reference for the basic shape of a blue crab. (The image was not copyrighted.) Then, on a trip to the Eastern Shore to visit family I was able to get up close and personal with my chosen subject.

Right now my project is in the very beginning stages, but I am so inspired to work in clay!

The start of the school year was very busy! I was so lucky to be asked to complete a long term sub position at a local Elementary School! I learned so much and learned I have a lot...to learn!

I did find time to finish my crab relief sculpture! 

A little bit about myself...

The world is a big place and I have been lucky to travel and see some of it! England, France, and Canada are a few of the places I have been. Most recently (before the birth of our son) my wife and I traveled to Italy. I got to stand beneath Michelangelo's  great work the Sistine Chapel.  I was struck by the commitment the artist had to his craft. How daunting it must have seemed at first--but also how exciting! I am happy to call Virginia Beach my home that I share with my wife and our son. Being a father has completely changed my point of view on the world. I see the world now with all my hopes for my son having a happy life. We enjoy taking walks in our neighborhood, visiting the beach in the summer and my son especially loves to watch the goldfish swim in our tank. Everything is new again and that sense of wonder is a big part of why I want to become a teacher. Seeing kids discover what they are capable of, watching them solve problems they weren't sure they could solve--I can't imagine a more rewarding career. I always have a personal art project in the works. I recently finished a large-scale painting of Chesapeake Bay sunset and have been working on building furniture for our new home. We plan on staying in Virginia Beach for a very long time, we are lucky to be within a hours drive from our family. This is a wonderful place to raise a family and I look forward to the adventures ahead!

Lesson Example: Two-dimensional Art

Art of the Wild Beasts

This brief overview of one of my art lessons was created with the goals of teaching art history through two-dimensional media and techniques! Enjoy! 

(Please note, my real lesson plans are more detailed including daily outlines, standards met and learning objectives. What you see below is only an outline!)

Hook

The teacher will pass around printed images of artworks created by a group of artists known as the "Fauvists." The teacher will ask the students, at their tables, to explain what the works are about. The teacher will ask for the small groups to share with the whole group. During the class discussion there will be different interpretations of the images and some images will not be recognizable.

The teacher will ask students, "have you ever created a piece of art that no one understood?" The students will respond to this question as the teacher faciliates the discussion. The teacher will then tell the students that the images they just looked at are part of an art movement called Fauvism; a type of art that was hard for people (at the time) to understand.

Concept Development

The teacher will show the students three different pieces of art with a similar subject matter; an Impressionist work, a Fauvist work, a Realist work. The teacher will tell the students that one of these paintings was created by artists nicknamed “the wild beasts. “ The teacher will ask the class to "vote" for painting A, B or C.

At their tables, students will create a mind-map of the concept "Identity." This concept will be used as  students create art with meaning.

The teacher will facilitate as students draw connections between an artist's work and their identity.

Teacher Demonstration and Student Production

The teacher will demonstrate for students how to sketch a self-portrait on paper to render correct proportions. Using reference material as visuals for proportions of the face and mirrors, students will work from their own reflection to create an accurate self-portrait drawing.

Using the color wheel as a guide and principles of color theory (triadic, complementary and split-complentary) students will select a limited color palette for creating their self-portraits. The colors they select should be based on a personal connection to the colors--not realistic color choices.

The teacher will demonstrate for students methods for applying oil pastel that mimic the style of the Fauvists. Using scumbling and hatching mark-making methods, students will apply color media to their self-portraits.

Students will complete a self-reflection and rubric for the project. 

Closure

Teacher will have the students place their artworks out on the tables. Students will walk around the room and look at each others artwork. The teacher will facilitate a class critique using guiding questions:

How does the artwork in front of you show Fauvism?

How does the artwork in front of you make you feel?

What is successful about the artwork in front of you?
What could make the artwork stronger?

Exit Ticket:
How will you use what you learned in this project in the future?

Works of Art

In the innovative art classroom the art teacher teaches conceptual learning through a variety of media and techniques. The following examples represent my professional portfolio demonstrating my abilities in a variety of media and techniques.

Etching: Scene from the Holocaust

Acrylic Painting: Chesapeake Bay Scene

Fiber Arts: Cornflowers

Collaborative Community Art: Chalk the Walk (Jimi Hendrix)

Charcoal: Hand Study

 Wood burning: Goldfish

Mosaic: Seahorse

Watercolor: Sand Dunes

Digital Photography: Richmond, VA

Dry point: Sky meets Land

Acrylic painting on alternative surface (leather)

Oil Painting

Oil Painting

Why I want to be a teacher

As a teacher, I am inspired by this quote by Pablo Picasso:  “Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once the child grows up.” I believe that every student has the potential to be an artist and the skills developed in the art classroom will aid each student as they grow. I believe in the importance of art education in our school systems because in the art room students learn to be divergent thinkers and creative problem solvers as their self- esteem and self-worth are enhanced. Art is a unifying experience—all students can be successful in the art making process, when they are guided by a teacher who believes in them.
            Art education helps students practice higher order critical thinking skills needed in problem solving and decision-making through the exploration of concepts and materials.  These skills will help students succeed in the future when they are challenged to be innovative problem solvers in real world situations.  There is a vast history of art making in our world and this variety guarantees that there will be something in art that each student can connect to and be inspired by. As a teacher, I understand the important job of individualizing education so that each student can relate to art and be successful in the classroom.

In my philosophy of teaching I realize that I must be both flexible and knowledgeable to be able to be a strong teacher. I am a patient and good-natured person who truly enjoys getting to know people and working together for a greater purpose. I look forward to each day in the classroom and the opportunities it brings to learn alongside the students and share with them the art making experience. Hopefully, this opportunity will be at your school!