During the past semester, I have had the opportunity to observe two different teachers in the art classroom. One, is a young lady who has been teaching for 2 years now and teaches at the middle school level, while the other teacher is an older lady who has taught for many many years at the high school level. It has been a great experience for me to be able to observe in their classrooms, seeing different styles and different experiences of students in the classroom. While middle school and high school are not that much apart (in age) it is amazing how much more mature (in art) the high school students seem and are. The quality of work is so much more apparent. However, I do not know if this is because the high school teacher seems to expect more out of her students or if that is just how it is.
Being in the middle school classroom, I have noticed that the teacher still thinks of the students as "little people" Don't get me wrong, they are still immature, however, she did not seem to push them as much as I think they should have been pushed. Therefore, they were a very "babied" group of kids. Whenever she introduced something with a little higher level of difficulty, they would just complain, not feeling confident trying to make a great piece of work. I can not say if this is how all middle school art rooms are, or if this is only for this particular one, because I have not really observed in any other middle school. However, from memories I have of growing up, art that I would see in middle schools I visited back home, they art seemed to be great, and I could not believe it was done by a middle schooler.
Then, when I went to the high school art lab, it was a totally different story. The students were being pushed to become better artists and gain the necessary techniques to make them the best that they could be. The students also wanted to be pushed as artists, not having assignments that just took little time or effort. The maturity level was raised quite a bit, just in these few years of schooling. It was very fun, and interesting, to observe at the two different levels.
Now, after seeing these different styles of teaching, I wanted to see what others thought about teachers and how they should work. Therefore, I called a friend of mine from Kansas who is also going into art education, but has not yet observed in a classroom or seen teaching done from the same aspect that I have. I asked her what she thought qualities would be of a great art teacher. I do not want to say anything negative about the teacher I observed in the middle school, but almost everything that my friend said, labeled the high school teacher that I also observed. "A good art teacher should be one that first off, knows
their material and can relate it to different kinds of students in a good manor." The high school teacher that I observed did this very well. She could relate to any student that she had sitting in one of her seats. However, the middle school teacher had some trouble with this. She never could seem to have every student in the classroom on the same page."A teacher should have great control of their classroom, giving the project enough of a twist, or enough options to let each student incorporate their own style of art into it, making it their own very unique piece of art." I do not think that I could have agreed with her more after taking these education classes and observing this semester. The high school teacher had assignments that every single kid seemed to like, if not love to work on. Everyone was always so happy in the classroom, working diligently on their project. Meanwhile, in the middle school, the students assignments were all turned in looking basically they same, with the same bland colors and sloppy lines. It just did not seem like a place that I would want to be doing art in. (While these two things were pointed out, she did do other things in the classroom that were good).
After having my thoughts and a fellow education students thoughts, I decided to interview someone that has been in the teaching profession for many many years, and see what they though about different topics. Therefore, I got in touch with the very first teacher that ever had an impact on my life: my father. He has taught many levels of students, ranging from first through eighth grade, yet, he has never been in the high school level. He currently is teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth grade science in Harper, Kansas.
"What would you consider the hardest part of your job, dad?"
"Classroom control. I think that has been the hardest part ever since I have started. At fist, when the students first walk through the door, they are calm for about two weeks, but whenever they start to get comfortable with you, they just start seeing where they can get under your skin. They are all over the room, asking questions trying to get off-task, talking during the lecture, and messing with their neighbors. They seem to do anything except what they are expected to do. But I still love what I do!"
"Well dad, what then would be the best part about teaching?"
"Touching lives."
"What do you mean by that dad?"
"Well, when someone comes back to you after they leave your classroom for 15-20 years and tell you how they remembered learning about a certain something in your class, or remember a project we did, it is just rewarding inside. Or to have one thank me for having faith in them and knowing that they could accomplish a certain task. That is just a great, rewarding feeling! I am really glad that you are going into teaching, Isaac, because I know that you too are going to touch many young peoples lives."
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