Quality Standard One
Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach. The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement area(s).
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I feel I am proficient in this standard. I worked closely with my mentor teacher to determine the media and themes that were age appropriate for each class. We explored all different types of media, such as watercolor, acrylic, clay, oil pastel, collage, as well as different processes of making, such as slab building, wheel throwing, plein air painting, etc. so students were introduced to a wide variety of art. I integrated literacy and math into my lesson plans. I taught perspective drawing through projective geometry and used mind maps, venn-diagrams, and reflective questions to give students an opportunity to practice writing. I demonstrated mastery of the content I was teaching by using examples of my own artwork and performing demonstrations for the kids.
Element 1A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards; their district’s organized plan of instruction; and the individual needs of their students.
During the course of my time at Webber Middle School, I used every single standard listed underneath Colorado Visual Arts. We used Observe and Learn to Comprehend when I would introduce historical and contemporary artists at the beginning of every unit, and facilitated discussion about the artwork. We used Envision and Critique to Reflect when interpreting artwork and creating commentary about different perspectives. We used Intent and Discover to Create by introducing all of the media that was appropriate and safe for middle school, allowing freedom for creative applications and exploration. We used Relate and Connect to Transfer by investigating and creating artwork that related to our identities, cultures, homes, traditions, interests, and social roles.
Element 1B: Teachers develop and implement lessons that
connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematics.
One of the lessons I taught to the 7th - 8th grade Art 1 class was a still life observation. I introduced the concept of one-point perspective and the technique of using projective geometry to create three-dimensional objects in a two-dimensional format. I did a demonstration using a ruler to define the horizon line, ground line, vanishing point, and all lines receding back into space. For students who wanted to learn how to draw more realistically, this lesson gave them the tools to do that. Students were required to sketch using this technique and then could choose if they wanted to use one point perspective in their final still life. Students could draw three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional paper using projective geometry to give the illusion of perspective.
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Element 1C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
I have extensive experience with plein air drawing and painting. It is one of my passions, and I wanted to show students this process of art making. I even took a class at the CSU Mountain Campus titled Art in Forest Ecosystems that focused on creating art in the field. I created a lesson about plein air sketching and watercolor landscapes. For my 6th graders, I presented a slideshow on the history & definition of plein air painting and introduced concepts of atmospheric perspective and foreground, middle ground, and background. We then went outside and I drew a 5 minute plein air sketch as a demonstration to show the layers in the landscape. Then students spent the rest of the time outside observing nature and their surroundings, documenting what they saw by sketching.
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