The teacher collaborates with others to develop environments that promote meaningful social interaction, foster respect for others and their ideas, and gets students excited about learning and creating.
The environment of an art classroom plays an imperative role in the content that is comprehended. Without a carefully curated learning environment, students can have a difficult time absorbing information, engaging with the content, and following procedures.
There are a number of ways to make students feel safe and welcome in an art classroom, and they all stem back to respect. Students should have respect for themselves and others as artists, the classroom as a studio space, and finished projects as pieces of art to be displayed.
Planning Procedures
The classroom climate starts with the teacher! At the beginning of the school year, students are sent home with a copy of the syllabus and general procedures for different class activities. However, classroom circumstances are always changing and a good teacher has to think on her feet. I put in extra time to
make procedures as smooth and efficient as possible for my students, so as to quell the chaos that can result from unclear expectations. In this artifact, my class is reaching the end of a unit. Before class, I set up a cleaning station in the front of the room. After we finished our last activity for this unit, I gave clear instructions on how to clean their materials and where to put them so that we can move on and work with the materials for the next unit. I demonstrate my understanding of this standard by organizing, allocating, and coordinating resources of time, space, and learners’ attention.
Artist Trading Cards/Gallery
If students don’t see themselves as artists while in my classroom, they have a harder time connecting with the content and their classmates. During the first semester, students are tasked with the assignment of creating an “artist trading card”. This is a very low-stakes project that was created with the intent of showcasing each student’s personal style and self-representation. Students can use any media of their choosing, and are instructed to decorate a blank trading card. The only requirements are that it has to be school appropriate, and students have to sign their name and year on the back of the card. These cards stay on a bulletin board all year, and at the end of the year students are offered a chance to redo, take home, and/or make copies of their trading card to give to friends, family, or other artists. These cards, along with other projects, are displayed in the classroom to create a gallery of student work. This demonstrates the value of students’ creations, and increases feelings of community, belonging, and self-efficacy in the classroom.
Zeetings Online Classroom Space
In the age of remote and hybrid learning, learning environments are no longer limited to the physical classroom. Zeetings is a free online platform where teachers can connect with students anywhere, so long as there is a stable Internet connection. Students can even join in on lectures from their phones! Zeetings go beyond Powerpoint slides by allowing presenters and audiences to interact in real time with polls, surveys, word maps, and a number of other formative assessments. This two-way engagement with students is critical for cultivating an inclusive environment for all types of learners. Students and teachers alike can give feedback, ask questions, and communicate with one another whether in person or elsewhere. My artifact is an infographic I created for educators and students alike to use this resource and elevate their presentations. Utilizing a platform like Zeetings demonstrates my understanding of this InTASC standard, as well as my understanding of ISTE standard 2.5c, which refers to an educators role in applying instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments.