Live to Create & Create to Live.
I was the first and second grade art teacher at Carl T. Mitnick School in Cape May, New Jersey from September 2017 - June 2020. I taught over 400 students who surprised me everyday with their huge imaginations and passion to create!
It is my belief that all students learn, explore and create differently, and therefore should not be confined to mainstream projects that inhibit their self-expressive nature. I taught important lessons regarding artistic techniques, styles, and art history, yet I allowed the students to plan and develop their own projects and artwork. In first grade we focused on Play-Based Learning, where students learn important skills through play. Play-Doh, Legos, Modeling Clay, Building Blocks, Puzzles, and much more are major staples within my classroom. In second grade we focused on TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) or Choice-Based Learning. Students were provided with a source of inspiration (Typically a famous artist) that they will use to plan and develop their project using various materials within the classroom. My TAB classroom had 5 stations students could utilize: Drawing, Painting, Collage, Sculpture, and Clay. Students learned that mistakes can improve their artwork and they gained understanding in the area of problem solving. |
Behavior Management
My classroom behavior system involved a clip chart. Each class had their own clip that will help monitor their behavior. There are 5 tiers to the clip chart, each a different color (purple, blue, green, yellow, and red). When students entered the classroom, their clip started on green, which signifies that they were "Ready to Create." Depending on the class behavior, the clip was moved up or down. Their class goal was to end art class with their clip on blue ("Great Job") or purple ("Outstanding"). Depending on where their clip was at the end of class, they would receive a craft stick in their class' crayon box with that corresponding color. If their class received a combination of 8 purple or blue craft sticks, they got a choice day. If they were one of the top 4 classes to have the most purple craft sticks by the end of the school year, everyone in the class got to pick a prize from the Art Room Prize Box!
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For Read Across America Week students (and teachers) had to dress for their dream job! In my one 2nd grade class I had four girls dress like art teachers! They were so excited to show me their outfits and the paint brushes in their hair :) Proud teacher moment!