How do you fine the general attitude that your students have towards the arts? Are they intimidated, excited, apathetic? Does there seem to be a large art enthusiast-base in the community you teach in?
I´m teaching art in school that have about 170 students. My students are from 6 to 15 years old. In the art class two classes e.g. 6 and 7, years, 8 and 9, 10 and 11 years students are mixed together and then split up to four groups of nine to ten sudents in each group and I have just one group at time. Most of the 6-12 years students generally are interested or even excited. In Iceland student´s which are 14 – 15 yars have to choose between some of the class as art, woodshop, textile, dramatics........and many other classes, it is various between schools. You would suppose that all of these students which choose the arts will bee excited and it would bee easy and loveable to teach in the class. Of course most of them are, but few are not interested and are apathetic. How is it in the US?
I teach 5th through 8th grade at my school with children ranging in age from 10-14 yrs old. Each of my classes is one grade, so there is no mixing of ages going on, however other middle schools in the US mixing does occur. I find that my younger students in 5th and 6th grade seem to be more enthusiastic about art on the whole. They usually take more creative direction with the assignments I give then my older students do. The 7th and 8th graders range in ages 13-14 and seem to be much more easily distracted. At this age anything distracts them: boys, girls, clothes, make-up, music, social lives...It's tough to get them to focus on their artmaking!
Yes, some kids are more easily distracted than others. I teach a class per day of kindergarten through fifth (age range: 5-10 years old). Six classes a day makes the day go by fast! My most difficult ages are the very youngest, because their attention spans are so short, but I love seeing how much they can accomplish from the beginning to the end of the year.
hi. my students are 2 to 7 yrs old. they really like their art classes and are really enthusiastic. the system at my school is a little different than in other schools in iceland. boys and girls are separated and they attent the art studio along with their teacher, that then can help around with projects or children who need extra help. the curricula is very flexible and i do experiments with projects and mediums. i try to let them choose assignments as much as possible as i find their interest to be greater if the (feel as) they choose it themselves. i also believe that if they are easily distracted or not focused enough, that the assignment is not interesting enought for them, so i´m not afraid to change the course of things as we go along. in that sense i see my teaching a little bit as a reasearch.. i try to reevaluate all the projects we do, depending on my students interest and progress of the work... so i´m very pleased to be working at that school. the administrators interest in art is great, and ofcourse that helps a lot. also the school is situated down town, within walking distance from most of the museums and gallerys and we use every opportunity we get to take the students for a "art-walk", and i find that of looking at todays art equally important as attending art classes. :)
Thordis - Your school sounds wonderful. I agree with you that if you let the students choose their assignments, you have a better chance of keeping them excited. I love the fact that you can take them on art-walks easily. I read something today saying that it's better to teach them a few things well instead of a lot of different things. What do you think?
Most of my students (1-5 grade)are enthusiastic about what I'm teaching for the day. I find that when they have to think for themselves the student hesitate and states "I can't", then I make them think it out and sketch their ideas. Once they have accomplished this goal and created a work of art they are truly proud of themselves and I am too.
this is a blog to allow US art education students and Icelandic arts education students to dialog about the state of art education in their respective countries
I´m teaching art in school that have about 170 students. My students are from 6 to 15 years old. In the art class two classes e.g. 6 and 7, years, 8 and 9, 10 and 11 years students are mixed together and then split up to four groups of nine to ten sudents in each group and I have just one group at time. Most of the 6-12 years students generally are interested or even excited. In Iceland student´s which are 14 – 15 yars have to choose between some of the class as art, woodshop, textile, dramatics........and many other classes, it is various between schools. You would suppose that all of these students which choose the arts will bee excited and it would bee easy and loveable to teach in the class. Of course most of them are, but few are not interested and are apathetic. How is it in the US?
ReplyDeleteI teach 5th through 8th grade at my school with children ranging in age from 10-14 yrs old. Each of my classes is one grade, so there is no mixing of ages going on, however other middle schools in the US mixing does occur. I find that my younger students in 5th and 6th grade seem to be more enthusiastic about art on the whole. They usually take more creative direction with the assignments I give then my older students do. The 7th and 8th graders range in ages 13-14 and seem to be much more easily distracted. At this age anything distracts them: boys, girls, clothes, make-up, music, social lives...It's tough to get them to focus on their artmaking!
ReplyDeleteYes, some kids are more easily distracted than others. I teach a class per day of kindergarten through fifth (age range: 5-10 years old). Six classes a day makes the day go by fast! My most difficult ages are the very youngest, because their attention spans are so short, but I love seeing how much they can accomplish from the beginning to the end of the year.
ReplyDeletehi. my students are 2 to 7 yrs old. they really like their art classes and are really enthusiastic. the system at my school is a little different than in other schools in iceland. boys and girls are separated and they attent the art studio along with their teacher, that then can help around with projects or children who need extra help. the curricula is very flexible and i do experiments with projects and mediums. i try to let them choose assignments as much as possible as i find their interest to be greater if the (feel as) they choose it themselves. i also believe that if they are easily distracted or not focused enough, that the assignment is not interesting enought for them, so i´m not afraid to change the course of things as we go along. in that sense i see my teaching a little bit as a reasearch.. i try to reevaluate all the projects we do, depending on my students interest and progress of the work...
ReplyDeleteso i´m very pleased to be working at that school. the administrators interest in art is great, and ofcourse that helps a lot. also the school is situated down town, within walking distance from most of the museums and gallerys and we use every opportunity we get to take the students for a "art-walk", and i find that of looking at todays art equally important as attending art classes. :)
Thordis -
ReplyDeleteYour school sounds wonderful. I agree with you that if you let the students choose their assignments, you have a better chance of keeping them excited. I love the fact that you can take them on art-walks easily.
I read something today saying that it's better to teach them a few things well instead of a lot of different things. What do you think?
Most of my students (1-5 grade)are enthusiastic about what I'm teaching for the day. I find that when they have to think for themselves the student hesitate and states "I can't", then I make them think it out and sketch their ideas. Once they have accomplished this goal and created a work of art they are truly proud of themselves and I am too.
ReplyDelete