Reflection Week # 13 - Final Field Experience

This week was a short week, but it contained our last two days of field work. Since we had finished our unit we just observed the class and helped our cooperating teacher with tasks she needed help with. There was very little art going on in the class instruction, similar to how it had been before we came. I was not surprised with the lack of art though because that seems to be the style of our teacher.

The students did get to complete on project. It was a simple project where the students were given an outline of a turkey and it's feathers. They were asked to color the turkey and the feathers and write things that they were grateful for on the feathers. They were then supposed to cut out the pieces and glue them together. As far as the Utah Core Curriculum for Art goes I felt like the activity had little purpose. It was very lacking in creativity and I felt like the majority of the students felt like it needed to look exactly like the example. Some even went so far as to copy what the example had written on its feathers. There were a couple students that took creative liberties on the project though and that was really fun to see. One student in particular took the feathers and on each drew a turkey holding up a sign, and on the sign were written various things he was thankful for. It was a very different take, and it was fun to have a window into how his mind works. This particular student was one that struggles a little in school. He is always drawing and doesn't want to have to stop to listen or do other work. He was one of the students who enjoyed this little art project the most, and I could see how doing more art would really help him show what he knows.

My field experience was a very enlightening one. I for the first time realized just how hard it is to integrate the arts into the classroom. There never seems to be enough time in the day, and it seems like it takes a lot more work to use the arts. I realized though after using the arts we did in our lessons that the arts are not something that can be removed from the classroom. It is a way to connect all of the students and a more enjoyable way for them to show what they know. The only way that art integration will become easier is by practice, so I will look for ways to teach and create lessons plans with the arts so that when I become a teacher I will have the skills I need to effectively integrate the arts.