Tales from the traveling art teacher (iaea)12

TALES FROM THE TRAVELING ART TEACHER! WAYS TO ADAPT LESSONS FOR CLASSROOM AND CART

Indian Springs School District #109

Justice, Illinois talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com

“In the U.S., every school district has its own schedule, but generally, art teachers have their students less than one hour per week. A significant number of art teachers do not have an art room with a sink, but have to take a cart from room to

room. At least 40% of the elementary school children in the U.S. do not have a specialist art teacher. In many cases, art is taught by the classroom art teacher or a volunteer that often lacks teaching preparation in art education.”

Marvin Bartel, Ed.D., February 2008

My Story I used to travel to 3 schools! I’m the first art

teacher to stay on in over ten years. My list of activities include:

Creative Expressions Art Contest

Contests, including community.

Public and School Displays

After School Art Projects

Musical Props for all 3 Schools

More?????

Additional duties for each school include: Lesson Product prep

work Board member

meeting displays Art Spokesperson for

Rising Star Student/Staff Cultural

Support Committee The all around go-to for

visual work Lunch, Car, Bus, T.S.P.E.

duty

George T. Wilkins Elementary

“Home Base” Lowest income school in district,

80% Shared Classroom with

music/orchestra Kindergarten-6th grade 23 classes in 3 1/2 days Kiln in Junior High!!!!!!

Robina Lyle Elementary

Middle income school, mostly Arabic and Polish

Cart and Shared Storage Room with janitor/PTC, This year I have a room!

Grades K-6 One and a half days a week

Former Player Primary Center

Middle income school, mostly Arabic and Polish

Art in Gym/Lunchroom Material Storage shared with music, P.E.,

speech, and librarian Kindergarten & 1st Grade One day a week

Negatives to traveling, sharing, classroom, & cart

No sense of own space No sense of belonging Tripping over cart Items falling from the cart The heavier the cart, the harder to push Materials too difficult to disperse No storage for materials Invading a homeroom Struggles with communication of coworkers Car trunk turns into a storage room Poor communication between principals Challenge with parent communication Discipline actions not upheld I ALWAYS forget at least one item at my other

school I need for that day!!!!

Positives of Traveling, Classroom, and Cart

A chance to know the faculty at multiple schools

A break from one school to the next

A hands-on chance to work out kinks in lesson plans

The district board members recognize your work and decorations more than most.

You brighten the students’ day when you enter the classroom

With good communication, you develop stronger collegiality.

After gathering my pros and cons…

I decided to start a blog.

Here are some tips I focused on in the blog!

Over time, you may develop your own methods.

Choose Your Cart Wisely…

Make your cart easy for you and your students to navigate, organize, and store items.

Make a display space. Your fellow teacher’s boards may not be enough.

Leave a bin available for resources. Books, Puzzles, Games, etc.

Make sure it fits it the classroom door!

Find Your Storage…

Do you have an assigned space or closet to store your items? Organize it!

Communicate with your colleagues on space to store materials when you’re not there.

Do you share with another art teacher? Communicate on how to use the materials.

Label and lock your materials.

Lesson Planning and Curriculum

When traveling, plan the grade level lessons at the same time.

Bring your lesson plan book with you to note any changes!

To save on carrying extra materials, create examples for each school so you can leave it there!

Teaching over time? Try to order your materials to collect what you need at each school. Over time, you carry less and less to each school.

Communicate with teachers about their curriculum. Maybe you can squeeze in a fun lesson to integrate!

Rules and Procedures

Set your own rules: passing-out, clean-up, noise level, etc…

Discuss with the homeroom teacher what their rules and procedures are, and communicate what yours will be.

Leaving time before and after for passing out/cleaning up materials.

Get the students involved. They will feel more ownership and pride when they’re given responsibility.

Discipline…a Continuing Challenge

Communicate and ask what the homeroom classroom procedures are. Use their disciplinary actions, like color card flips or time off T.S.P.E.

Follow up on disciplinary actions. The teacher shouldn’t have to do the job for you, but communicate with the appropriate colleagues to make sure the action is completed.

You may not have time, but you must attempt to communicate with the parents.

Creating Material and Work Space

Communicate with the teacher on where you can keep materials out during your class time.

Make sure you can fit the cart in the room. This can get annoying.

Student desks are best when cleaned off when you enter the room.

Use the empty desks. Keep your own magnets on

you for board demonstrations or displays.

Keep your drying rack or mobile storage in the hallway.

Include Technology (Even in a Tricky Situation)

It’s a standard we need in our lessons, so try and find ways to incorporate a Power Point or website for activities.

Search for your resources.

Again, communicate with your principal and colleagues to find ways to incorporate technology into your lessons.

Painting?

Check ahead of time to see if you have a sink. If not, find out where you can wash brushes.

Use disposable plates for paint. It saves time on clean up.

Choose your “art helpers” to wash brushes during clean-up.

Communicate with the custodian about paper towels.

3-Dimensional Materials

Check ahead of time to see if you can store materials in the classrooms when you are away.

Sandwich baggies will be your friend.

Save additional time for clean-up.

Limit your introduction time.

Utilize the Hallway Space

Need construction paper? Display boxes out in the hallway.

Large painting projects? Roll out long paper…in the hallway.

Perfect spot for the drying rack.

Tips to keep your sanity… while promoting the arts!

Communicate!

Don’t be shy.

Collegiality takes time, so be a team player.

The administrator is not your enemy.

Don’t assume everyone knows your schedule and responsibilities.

Tips to keep your sanity…while you save prep time!

When preparing materials, try preparing enough for all your schools.

Build your example collection each year, and leave it at your school.

Plan your supply budgets to prevent extra materials to carry.

Tips to keep your sanity…and not forget something!

Leave a checklist to go over at end of day.

You will always forget at least one item at your last school.

Head back if you need to, which means show up to work early.

More Tips to Stay Sane

Don’t overbook heavy lessons in a chunk of time.

Attempt to plan your paper/ cutting/ gluing/ painting/ sculpture lessons accordingly.

This means don’t plan a clay lesson back to back to a painting lesson next period. You’ll burn out.

Learn how to say “no.”

You are not the

only creative person in the school, so the little drawings and displays not in your job description can be left for others.

More Tips to Stay Sane

Find your “Art Helpers”

Parents can also help!

More Tips to Stay Sane

Finally…

Be happy your students have art, and that you have a job.

You are an advocate for the arts in your students’ education.

Would you like to be a part of Research?

Currently, there is no research explaining the reasons for the existence of the art on a cart practice, nor has there been a study that has explored its effects on learning. The study seeks out the stories of art educators utilizing this practice to explore the challenges of teaching from a cart, as well as successful strategies and best practices.

http://www.artonacartresearch.org/

For more information, please contact Heidi K. Lung: [email protected]

Questions! If you would like more

information on lesson plans, have questions or concerns, or would like to add comments, please feel free to email me @ [email protected]

Please visit my blog: Tales From the Travelling Art Teacher! www.talesfromthetravellingartteacher.blogspot.com