Eva Peak: Blog II

How have you grown as a teacher from this experience so far (skills, understanding, or knowledge gained) (lesson planning, classroom management, demonstrations, etc…)?

First, I have learned more about classroom management and guidance for a class that is less structured than the internships before. There is still this management, but in a different way than teaching a new lesson every week. In addition, I have learned that demonstrations are still important even if the children are familiar with what they are doing. It is always good to remind them how much space should be between tiles, what colors go well together, etc.

What new understandings do you have about children/education/your role in the classroom?

Having a class that is more free flowing taught me how to give important guidance, as well as taking a step back and letting the students learn through experience. For example, having them help pick what color a flower should be if the colors around it are more cool colors, and things of that nature.

What has made you happy about teaching this quarter?

What made me the happiest about teaching this quarter was not only see the mural come to life, but also seeing how excited the children got seeing it grown, or even just finishing one flower.

What is something that you would like to work on improving by the end of the semester?

I would like to improve my classroom management by the end of the semester. This experience is giving me a different way of organization that I can apply to a more structured class as well, so I would really like to practice my skills in that area.

Nicole Siedler: Blog II

How have you grown as a teacher from this experience so far (skills, understanding, or knowledge gained) (lesson planning, classroom management, demonstrations, etc…)?

As a teacher, I have grown from this internship experience because it has given me a better understanding of how mosaics work and what the process is when you get closer to the end of a mosaic mural. We are hoping to get the mural done by the end of April, so seeing the final steps is really neat to see because this material is still very new to me.

What new understandings do you have about children/education/your role in the classroom?

The new understandings that I have about children in the classroom of a mosaic mural is that it can be a little difficult because it is very easy to lose the children’s interest because they are so young. One of the things that I learned from this internship is that it is difficult to use mosaics with young children because they have a tendency to lose interest. I have learned that my role as the teacher in this specific classroom is to make sure the children are still learning, but also keeping the children on track so they don’t get distracted.

What has made you happy about teaching this quarter?

One thing that has made me happy about teaching this semester is the fact that this mural is almost complete and it will be installed in the UW-Stout Library for years to come. Another thing that makes me happy is the excitement that the kids have when they get to come and make art out of an unusual material.

What is something that you would like to work on improving by the end of the semester?

One thing that I would like to work on improving by the end of the semester is getting the children to continue working on the mural without wanting a break or two during the work time.

Elizabeth Rosendahl: Blog II

How have you grown as a teacher from this experience so far (skills, understanding, or knowledge gained) (lesson planning, classroom management, demonstrations, etc…)?

I have learned so much about working with children from different ages and how they interpret various instruction in different ways. I like how each Sunday the children come to class and are excited to see how the mosaic has progressed. I also like how I am able to show them different tiling methods. I have become more experienced with children who have a shorter attention span. This is evident in the multiple techniques I use to engage them in the activity. I also have grown in my knowledge and understanding of mosaics and because of that I am able to instruct the children more effectively. I love being able to see how much they have grown (skill-wise) over the semester.

What new understandings do you have about children/education/your role in the classroom?

I have learned better ways to interact with children who are younger and have a more difficult time staying focused. I discovered that the students respond really well to encouragement and positive reinforcements, it helps them remain motivated to continue working on the project. I found that breaks can also help them by allowing them time to release their energy and when they come back from their short break, they are more focused.

What has made you happy about teaching this quarter?

I like the fact that the children are excited to see me when they come to class, it makes me happy to know that I’m bringing them joy. Seeing the processes in which they work and create art is so much fun. I love seeing them be creative and coming up with unique ideas. I like hearing what they have to say about certain things as well, it’s interesting to see the world from a child’s perspective.

What is something that you would like to work on improving by the end of the semester?

I want to be able to learn even more strategies related to classroom management, especially because the class we are teaching is so unstructured. Sometimes it is challenging to keep the children under control and have them stay in a specific area as opposed to running around the library and making loud noises. I think having those tools will help me improve my abilities to teach challenging classes in the future.

Elizabeth Rosendahl: Blog I

What is your teaching experience so far?

So far, I have had a few of teaching experiences with the A.I.M. program. In spring of 2017, I taught the Jumpstart program and this past fall I participated with a group teaching the mosaic mural project at the library. I have also been given the opportunity to go to the children’s school on campus and create artistic projects with them.

What are you looking forward to about the class you will be teaching?

I look forward to being able to create a mosaic mural that will be a permanent piece in the library. I worked on it last semester and it’s so amazing to see how everyone’s piece that they worked on come together. I am excited to teach others about how to create mosaic artwork as well. The process of creating the mural is so transformative and everyone has a unique perspective when working on it.

What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?

    I hope to be able to learn how to create better color coordinating designs within a large piece of artwork. I also anticipate that I will be able to learn more about creative problem solving. We are trying to decide what color to apply to the background to make it look cohesive, but not have the flower stems blend in. I also want to learn more about the mosaic creation process, specifically about the application of it to the wall. This is a relatively new medium to me and I hope that throughout this semester I can learn more about the process so that I can potentially do something like it in the future on my own.

Eva Peak: Blog IV

What is your teaching experience so far?

Last semester I was lucky enough to be a part of two A.I.M internships, P.A.I.N.T Saturdays and The Child and Family Study Center. Previous to this, I was in a in a child development class for three years of high school, where we taught preschoolers.

What are you looking forward to about the Internship you will be doing?

I am excited to be learning more about the medium of mosaic with tiles! I do not have very much experience working with tiles so it will be a fun learning opportunity for me as well as the students.

What do you hope to learn/gain from this experience?

Along with gaining more knowledge about using tiles in art, I am hoping to learn about more mediums that are not as common like paint and be able to find ways to adapt them for classroom projects for the future. In addition to that, being able to work on my teaching skills.