Fieldnotes 4/19

4-6 year olds with Ms. B

9:30-11:30 class

9:10, I walk in at the same time as one of the girls and her mom. 2 more girls arrive within five minutes.

Ms. B (tired, not quite ready for the day), was not happy about the girls arriving so early. She’s not a babysitter, she doesn’t get paid to watch the kids until 9:30, and she’s not responsible for them until then. She is also often doing prep during that time, which means not being in the classroom the entire time, which doesn’t allow her to watch the kids fully.

Ms. B says we should send a message to the parents for next week.

Kids draw when they come in.

Focusing on artist Gene Davis today

Black paper, Ms. B prepped with lots of cut up colored paper

Ms. B starts out by making sure they all put them vertically (very vertically) and right next to each other. Encouraged patterns, hidden, changing, no patterns, etc.

Thought Ms. B seemed to really want them to be “perfect”, the kids took some liberties to make them unique and different, which made me really happy. Ms. B seemed totally okay with they way they came out.

(Later on, when the parents arrived, Ms. B was telling one mom how she really likes her students to be creative and open with their art…Maybe that is her ideals, but it doesn’t always seem to me like she embraces this fully.)

Snack and story time

Ms. B suggested I come up with the lesson for next time! Calder? Mobiles, figures

After snack, went to small gallery (my suggestions, Ms. B was tentative because more delicate/breakables for this show) But we did go, after we made very clear of the rules.

Hands in pockets or clasped. NO TOUCHING. Overall be more careful

Saw a lot of great things. Then went to big gallery. Each kid chose 1 picture (of pets and animals) and sat down with a pencil and paper to draw.

Back in classroom, we gave them two options for their drawings. Add color with craypas or paint.

Getting ready to leave placement: As I was leaving the art center today, I went to meet with my supervisor, the head of children’s programs, to fill out some forms. While we were organizing things, she mentioned that she would invite me to interview for summer camp teaching!! Unfortunately, as I am already committed to a full time internship, I had to decline for the summer, but that I would be available in the Fall. As we went to pick up printed forms from the copy room, we ran into the teacher that I worked with for the one-day Spring Break jewelry class. She seemed very happy to see me, and mentioned (and did some wink-wink-nudge-nudging) to my supervisor how happy she was when I was working with her. Overall, it was a great 10 minutes. I am incredibly happy that I am being recognized for my hard work there, and absolutely ecstatic that they are considering hiring me for some teaching! In communities teaching like this, I have been struggling with how to go from assistant teaching to being a lead teacher in a classroom, and it seems to be falling into place! I was hoping that I could continue my work at the art center, and now it looks like I won’t really have to leave my placement. The thing I have to prepare for is how to transition from an unpaid, volunteer/academic placement to a paid position where I am treated as more independent teacher.