February 9, 2015
Experience/Narrative:
Our first Service Learning Teaching was Wednesday, February 4th. Going into the first meeting I wasn’t sure what to expect. I wasn’t sure exactly how old the students would be, what their individual level of function was or how well they would be able to communicate. Although I wasn’t sure what to expect I felt good about my lesson plan and having mentored students before, thought I was prepared with plenty to do during the time.
When the students arrived we all took turns around the room introducing ourselves by saying our name, favorite color and where we were from. Once introductions were done we got to work. The students each took seats at the tables were we had already laid out supplies and each of us sat with one of the students, while the paras stood of to the side chatting and keeping an eye out. My student’s name was Dawson and I quickly found that he is a very opinionated young man. I began with suggesting two of the activities I had planned so that he could have some choice but not feel overwhelmed, both of which he immediately rejected, which surprised me a threw me off a little. However I had other activities so I suggested another; designing his sketchbook cover, which he wanted to do. I began by handing him the paper and some colored pencils and markers. Dawson immediately went for the red marker, his favorite color and began drawing a basketball, his favorite sport. I wasn’t sure whether I should talk to him while he was working because I didn’t want to distract or overwhelm him. However, I found he was fine to talk and explain his work while he was creating, in fact throughout the session I found him more interested in talking to me than in making art. He quickly finished the cover and adhered it to his sketchbook, much faster than I had anticipated. Next he worked on drawing inside his sketchbook filling at least a half dozen pages then he completed two worksheets I had brought in then painted the canvas I had gessoed, picked a locker, cleaned up, worked with clay and went back to his sketchbook, a while telling me about his schedule, interests and plans to attend CSU. Moreover, he did all of this and was ready to leave thirty minutes before the end of the session. I thought I had plenty of activities but I had no idea he would move from one art piece/activity to another so quickly, he really didn’t spend more than a few minutes on any one piece, which left me feeling like I was scrambling to find something for him to do. At one point while Dawson was working, he stopped suddenly stood up and asked me for a side hug. I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t sure if that was appropriate behavior but it seemed all right given the situation and after the hug he sat back down and returned to his piece. Throughout the session I noticed that Dawson’s para was watching him more closely than the other paras, she even came over a few times to ask me if Dawson was being appropriate, which he was. While I appreciated her watching out, it did concern me because I wondered if there was a particular issue with Dawson that I should be but wasn’t aware of.
Interpretation/Content meaning:
Although I didn’t know what to expect our first meeting was somehow not what I expected and I felt very unsure about the entire experience. Dawson and I seemed to have good chemistry, he enjoyed the pieces he made and he seemed to enjoy talking with me. However, I found it hard to keep Dawson’s attention on an activity. I know that he is very interested in CSU and repeatedly talked about attending after he was done with high school. I also noted that his schedule seemed to be very important or rather a key aspect of his day. Dawson kept asking about the time and talked with me about his schedule several times. He is also very interested in basketball, which he plays. Out of all the activities, working with the clay seemed least enjoyable and he seemed to enjoy drawing the most. Another difficult aspect was that throughout the session he seemed to me more interested in talking with me than in making art. I wondered if that was because the activities weren’t engaging enough or if he just wasn’t that interested in making art. Overall, I felt that even though the first meeting didn’t go as well as I had planned he seemed to enjoy himself and I think I learned enough about him to make next session more interesting for him,
Personal significance:
After our first meeting, I feel like I know a lot about Dawson and that knowledge with help me plan fun and interesting activities during our sessions. I also found that you should expect the unexpected, even when you thought you planned for the unexpected. I also found that even when you think you are over-prepared, prepare more because trying to fill time off the top of your head when you’ve already exhausted your plan is really difficult.
Future Actions:
In the upcoming sessions I will know to prepare lots of activities with the intention that they won’t take very long so that he can move through activities easily.
Dawson seemed to enjoy drawing the most so next lesson I can provide various materials and surfaces to draw with. I.e. Markers, crayons, colored pencils, pastels, on different kinds of paper. I know that he is interested in CSU and basketball so I can have prepared images that he could use to create a multi-media collage on canvas. Dawson also enjoyed using glue to adhere work to his sketchbook so maybe I can prepare a drawing with glue activity. My EDUC 350 teacher at Preston Middle School told me about an activity using a mixture of Elmer’s glue and India ink that might be appropriate.
This lesson was difficult in part because I didn’t know the student and wasn’t able to prepare for his specific needs. Now that I know Dawson I feel better able to anticipate his needs/wants and plan accordingly. My hope is that Dawson will enjoy the time he spends at CSU with us and that he can express himself through his art work.
Entry No. 2
March 2, 2015
Experience/Narrative:
Our second Service Learning Teaching was Wednesday, February 25th. Going into the second meeting I felt much more prepared than our first meeting. I planned a number of activities based on what Dawson showed interest in last session and thought I had a few things planned he would be interested in doing. I also felt I was prepared to move quickly from one activity to another with him, as he did last session, however this session Dawson was much slower and more focused. When Dawson first arrived he recognized and remembered me, which was great. He then worked on his nametag and settled into a seat at one of the set up tables. I presented Dawson with two of the activities I had planned and expected him to choose the collage that we had spoken about last class, however he chose neither activity and suggested that he return to his painting from last session. That decision proved to be the curveball of the day for me. I was more than happy for him to continue working on his painting I was just surprised that one, he wasn’t interested in the collage and two, that he wanted to return to a piece that I considered finished. From now on I will remember to keep previous pieces on the table for him to work with. As Dawson began painting I just sat and watched him until Allison suggested that I paint as well, which I hadn’t even thought of. I was so invested in really trying to watch Dawson’s process and understand what was happening in regard to what we had been discussing in class, that I hadn’t realized I was just sitting there watching him. As we both painted I tried talking with Dawson but he was far less talkative and much more focused on his art than last session. In fact, he spent almost the entire session on two activities. As Dawson worked I noticed that he was responding to the marks he was making and I commented on his marks and suggested that he could use more colors. He expressed interest in more colors and I filled his palette with more paint. We worked for a while longer and then I began to talk to Dawson about mixing colors (which I used to talk about primary and secondary colors) and using tape resist, which I demonstrated on my paper. Though he didn’t say much he immediately started mixing colors and adding his new colors to his piece. It was so exciting! He was really enjoying the process of watching the colors change and then adding them to the wet paint on his canvas and seeing them change again. A little while later Dawson asked to go to the restroom and Cheryl and I walked him over. While Dawson was in the restroom Cheryl and I spoke about the change in his behavior I had noticed from last session to this one and she mentioned that his mood and behavior can and will change based on what medication he is currently taking. We spent the rest of the session sketching in his sketchbook, where he drew a light saber that he was really proud of and showed off to Cheryl, Addie and a few others, and making a collage out of the photos I had brought in. Dawson enjoyed working with the glue and asked to include feathers to the piece, he also asked to take a few of his favorite photos home.
Interpretation/Content meaning:
All together the second session was more enjoyable and successful than the first, I felt more comfortable, especially with redirecting Dawson’s attention back to the art activity when he got distracted, and I think Dawson was more engaged and had more fun. I found that giving him the option of different processes or techniques was good although I question doing a multi-step process such as printmaking because it may be difficult for him to work through the process in stages and still be engaged. Rather, I think the idea of having a theme for the whole day with multiple stations would be more effective and really engage him. Even though I thought I was plenty prepared with Dawson I need to go further and I’m still struggling to keep him engaged for the entire period. I also haven’t quite been able to accurately guess how long a particular activity will take.
Personal significance:
This week has proven that having lots of activities and ideas for projects you can jump to if necessary is invaluable. It has also proven that students are so much more engaged and the work they produce is so much better when you are able to tie the project to something that the student is interested in. Finally, I also found this week that providing content to students, which is relevant to what they are doing at the moment, makes the content more accessible and the student is more likely to remember and utilize it.
Future Actions:
In the upcoming sessions I will try to find more ways in which I can add concepts into an activity that Dawson can utilize in his work, such as the color mixing and resist. I would also like to try the idea of a theme with Dawson next session, where all of the work he creates is about the same idea and I would also like to try providing more items on the table to help inspire his art making. This session Dawson as inspired to use other materials, like the feathers, because he noticed other students using them and I hope that if provide more materials he will be more creative and engaged.
Entry No. 3
March 11, 2015
Experience/Narrative:
In our third Service Learning Teaching I was very excited to continue working with Dawson and exploring paint and multi-media. Painting is my personal chosen medium and I felt confident that I understood the material well enough to offer some knowledge to Dawson. I set out the paint and other supplies as well as Dawson’s previous pieces. Dawson began by adding paint to a canvas that he had attached photos to last session, when we discussed collage work. Dawson was enjoying mixing the paint and experimenting with colors. He especially enjoyed adding paint to his cup of water, which was intended for washing his brushes, and watching the color of the water change and the various pigments move around. As Dawson was working Alison Cope, head facilitator of the program, came by and asked if Dawson had experimented with alternative panting materials. I hadn’t even thought of that; so she grabbed some toothbrushes, bound together sticks, sponge brushes and a few other tools for Dawson to experiment with. Dawson was fascinated by the different marks that each tool made and continued placing one mark on top of another as he worked. As the session continued I grabbed more supplies that Dawson could experiment with like feathers and pipe cleaners. Dawson got a little messy during this session getting paint all over his hands but he embraced it and had a lot of fun.
Interpretation/Content meaning:
This session I really felt that Dawson and I hit our stride. We worked together really well, and Dawson followed my direction and instruction even when he was hesitant he felt comfortable enough with me to try. Dawson enjoyed the activity and our experimentation so much that I rarely had t redirect his attention back to the activity, instead he stayed focused and on task. Dawson really enjoyed being able to use lots of different tools and the experimentation kept the activity from getting boring for him. Utilizing different tools allowed me to stretch a single activity over the whole session when it otherwise wouldn’t have kept his attention.
Personal significance:
Last session I found that having multiple activities to jump to was invaluable, this week taught me that the right lesson for your specific student can keep them fully engaged for the entire session. The higher Dawson’s engagement the better his work was. Instead of creating simpler pieces he invested time and energy into fully developing a single piece.
Future Actions:
The work Dawson did today was engaging and fun, however I think it lacked some of the deeper meaning and context I was trying to establish. While experimentation is also an important part of the learning process I think I became so engaged in experimentation I forgot to ground it in meaning. Next session, I hope to build context and meaning onto the experimentation and push Dawson to use what he learned about art materials, paint and color to create meaningful work.
Entry No. 4
April 1, 2015
Experience/Narrative:
Our fourth Service Learning Teaching was Wednesday, April 1st. Going into the fourth meeting I was very excited because I planned for Dawson to try some fibers artwork. I had recently seen a demonstration on rope making using strips of repurposed cloth and was excited to get Dawson working with more thee-dimensional art. Although three-dimensional work is very out of my comfort zone, Dawson and I worked so well together last class I was willing to give it a try. Unfortunately, we didn’t make a fibers work, in fact we didn’t even begin.
The class began as usual, Dawson came in and got his name tag and I set out the supplies while we talked about his day. A short time later, some new students joined our session, and while getting new students is always a little challenging and fun, today turned out to be more challenging than I expected. I knew that the new students would be a distraction but I did my best to refocus him on what we were doing, reminding him that we were here to create art and that was what the new students would be doing as well. However, there was a new girl in the group, Shelby, and Dawson couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Eventually I agreed to let Dawson go and say hello, providing he came back right afterwards, I didn’t know then that Shelby was non-verbal. Shelby being non-verbal was very difficult for Dawson to understand, while I and the para with Shelby tried to explain that there was nothing wrong with Shelby or her voice, he wanted nothing more than for her to say hello to him. Shelby was quite content to ignore Dawson and keep working, a behavior that Dawson equated to disability and said that he felt sorry for her. The para and I continued explaining, in different ways, that Shelby was fine, there was nothing wrong with her voice and that he should not feel sorry for her. I continued to encourage Dawson to come back to our table and work, like Shelby was doing. Eventually I got Dawson back to the table but it was a long time still till I was able to get him to focus on the art and not Shelby. This is a behavior that I noticed before in Dawson, fixating on something and repeating himself, which I assume is a result of his accident. When I did get Dawson refocused we were experimenting with paint and alternative tools again. Dawson’s attention was so poor that introducing new medium to him just wasn’t going to happen. Even though we had a very rocky start Dawson still created great work, although Shelby was a constant distraction the entire class.
Interpretation/Content meaning:
This session was especially challenging for me. I felt like keeping Dawson’s focus off Shelby was like climbing uphill the whole session. Once Dawson refocused on the artwork he did very well. He began experimenting again, utilizing different tools from last session based on the effect he wanted. Though I felt like he was doing rather than making. In order to keep his focus I provided constant encouragement and pushed him to continue experimenting. While this approach made the session fun and I think it was great in further establishing our relationship as Dawson was still able to follow my directions even when we were having fun, however, there was no deeper learning happening.
Personal significance:
This week showed me that each class session is a new ball game. While I have seen that the culture and classroom management you establish carries from one session to another, your students’ level of engagement doesn’t, even when continuing an activity they were previously interested in. This week also cemented the hard truth that your students bring a lot of other stuff into your classroom and while that is important because it allows you to add context and deeper meaning to your lessons, it can also hinder students ability to participate and learn. Being able to identify days when other factors are distracting your students is a crucial part of being a teacher; furthermore knowing how to combat those distractions and get your students refocused is just as crucial.
Future Actions:
In our last session, I think I will be able to better identify factors in the room that will be potential distractions for Dawson and deal with them first to ensure that Dawson is able to stay on task and get the most out of the last session. For our final session, all of the student teachers have discussed doing a group activity outside and an art show/critique at the end of the session. I think that working outside and the art show will be a good change of pace for Dawson and will help him stay on task. I also think that the art show will help cement the idea that Dawson is an artist, which is an overall concept we have been working on; who an artist is and identifying yourself as an artist.
Entry No. 5
April 15, 2015
Experience/Narrative
This was our last session of Community connections and the mood in the classroom was bittersweet. The kids were all happy and excited to be there, yet a little down because they knew it was the last day they’d be coming to meet with us. Over the last few weeks, I feel that I came to know Dawson quite well and we developed a productive working relationship. Dawson was particularly concerned that it was our last day and spent quite a bit of time thanking everyone for letting him be a part of the program. We began the lesson by taking the kids outside in the courtyard to do some chalk art. Dawson really enjoyed the time outside and doing artwork with everyone. We didn’t stay long however, because it was a bit chilly and later started to rain. When we came inside the classroom Dawson spotted some masks that one of the other classes made during their session and asked to a mask as well. I hadn’t prepared for him to create a mask and so I suggested that we trace the outline on paper and he could decorate it. This seemed like an okay compromise and so we began working. Dawson enjoying tracing and drawing on the mask so much that he made two, one for himself and another for his brother. When he was done I got some string so he could tie it onto his face. He had so much fun going around the room and showing of his masks he didn’t take them off all class. For the last few minutes we created a third mask by painting on one of the masks we had been using to trace (Alison later told me they were molds for plaster and weren’t supposed to be painted on, opps, but one mask wasn’t too much harm). Dawson told me that the last mask was for his Dad and he was really excited to get all of them home. About the time Dawson finished with the third mask it was time to have a group art show/critique. We got all the students artwork out and put them on the tables to display. Everyone got a chance to walk around, admire and talk about the artwork. After moving around the room Dawson asked to go back outside and continue to chalk art. A few other students came along and we ended the session by doing some more chalk drawings before, cleaning up, gathering all the artwork and saying goodbye. It was great to see all the artwork they had made and see them all so proud of their work.
Interpretation/Meaning:
Overall, it was another great session. Dawson enjoyed making and showing off all his artwork and he really bonded with a number of fellow students and other student teachers. I think back to that first session and think about how quickly he would say “I don’t know how to do that”, or “I’m not good at that, can you do it instead?”, compared to the last session where he just dives into an activity and I rarely, if ever hear those statements anymore. Seeing his self-confidence increase like that was great. It was also easy to see that he really enjoyed his time working with us, even though I suspect that he may have enjoyed the social aspect more than the art making. He was really proud of everything that he had made and it was rewarding to really see him come out of his shell, this the first session and enjoy himself.
Personal significance:
Again this week proved how invaluable it is to be flexible, though I admit that being flexible is much easier when you’re confortable with the situation and the student. I also noted that over the last few weeks I often felt that we didn’t accomplish very much or that Dawson didn’t always enjoy or want to be there, however, seeing his attitude on that last day and seeing how proud he was of all the artwork he created really made me feel that I did an ok job. Overall, I too felt proud of all he had accomplished both in his art and even more, in his attitude.
Future Actions:
Overall, this experience highlighted the importance of persistence. Even when it felt like I wasn’t being successful when all the experiences came together they became an overall success. It also highlighted the importance of spending the time and energy to personalize each session. The classes when Dawson seemed to get the most out of them were the ones that he personally connected with in some way, regardless of whether or not that happened because of my personal planning. Finally, this experience highlighted the value of relationships. While it was sad that our time together ended right when it seemed we had a good flow and relationship created it was great it so see how Dawson’s level of engagement and willingness to try new things increased as the trust between us increased.