Classroom Observations #6

What surprised you?

        What first surprised me was the size of the classroom as it was seemingly larger than either of the classrooms I had observed before. This space also had a variety of shelves available to store materials, projects, and student items all while having room for maneuverability around the space. This freedom of space was capitalized by the teacher and students as they often moved around to gather supplies and worked at different angles to suit their preferences. Along with this, I was impressed at the variety of supplies this room had within. Amongst the supplies I expected of an art room, I also spotted bags of clay, a machine to flatten clay, and even wheels to throw clay on. It was surprising to see such an emphasis on clay work within the room as I hadn't experienced ceramic during my middle and high school experiences.

What did you learn?

         Things I learned during this day:

• The school itself is rather expansive
• Students could be motivated through selected praising to follow directions faster
• Printmaking can be completed through thin sheets of Styrofoam
• A company called Innovart apparently sells these for a nice price according to the teacher
• Student feedback can be cultivated through selective teacher questioning
• The teacher calls out "Hey Mona" to grab student attention, to which their respond with "Hey Lisa" 
• Music was allowed within the classroom
• The teacher also asked students if they wanted to listen to music
• Every student has a Chromebook within this school

What would you have done differently?

      For this time, I would have liked to discussed more with the students on in depth discussions instead of offering simple responses. It was difficult to connect with the students in the classroom as they were so engrossed in their art making that I often felt like I was intruding upon their conversations. Some successes were made when discussing the subjects of their works, but it took some time to establish myself to them as an interested adult instead of just an observer. At this point, it seems that this shyness I exhibit stems from a lack of experience in classrooms and may just be a quirk that'll disappear as I grow and learn.