Wasatch Elementary School: Student Teaching in the Art Classroom
I am studying painting and drawing, and I want to be an art teacher once I graduate. I love little children, and I am very adept at handling them and taking care of their many needs. I am passionate about art, and I know that art in the classroom will help to grow a child's creativity, problem solving, and ability to focus and work in and outside of the classroom.
I am the oldest of four girls, so I have been taking care of people for my whole life. My sister just beneath me, Margaret, has severe clinical anxiety. When she was younger, she would throw tantrums and cry and cry for hours at a time. My parents did not know she struggled with anxiety, and just thought she had a bad temper and an inability to deal with it. However, after testing was done, she was diagnosed with clinical anxiety. Because of this, I believe I am better at dealing with children now- especially those kids that have their own special problems. I work with the art teacher at Wasatch, helping teach the lessons, and more importantly, working hands on with the students. I have experience with the "problem" children, and I think I am a very patient person, so when Ms. Michie is teaching or preoccupied, I have made it my priority to get those who are struggling involved. At Wasatch Elementary, there is a Chinese immersion program, wherein certain students whom have been signed up by their parents work with both an English teacher and a Chinese teacher throughout the day. The beginning half is dedicated to math and English and History, and the second half of the day is spent with the Chinese teacher, where only Chinese is spoken, and the students learn about the Chinese culture and learn the language. My cousins are in this immersion program, and they are pretty fluent. This immersion program is fairly prestigious, and many children's parents transfer them to Wasatch so that they may be involved. I have learned, though, that most of the kids that are in this Chinese program are more Type A. They are very good at getting their homework done, very successful in the classroom in regards to classroom rules and learning, and are very strong in the test taking department. However, these children often lack the creativity that many of those not directly involved in the program have. Most of the time, the kids that have not been signed up for Chinese immersion are the said "problem" children. They have more trouble focusing on classwork, struggle to turn in homework and other projects on time, and often have behavioral problems in the classroom. These kids, though, have shown me how important the art program is. Because I work directly with the students who have ADD and ADHD, anxiety, and other issues, I have seen how working on art has changed their behavior. When they come into class, these kids often have trouble paying attention, and are worried about the classroom, because in their normal class they need to be quiet and respectful and abide by specific, strict rules. Of course, the rule of respect still abides in the art room, but they are able to explore their art and work however they feel works for them.
I work with this little boy whose we will call Taylor, and he is exceptionally sweet. However, like my sister Margaret, he struggles with anxiety, and has trouble in the classroom. I have made an effort to get to know Taylor, and because of the special attention I have given him, he has really improved since he first came into class.
I am studying painting and drawing, and I want to be an art teacher once I graduate. I love little children, and I am very adept at handling them and taking care of their many needs. I am passionate about art, and I know that art in the classroom will help to grow a child's creativity, problem solving, and ability to focus and work in and outside of the classroom.
I am the oldest of four girls, so I have been taking care of people for my whole life. My sister just beneath me, Margaret, has severe clinical anxiety. When she was younger, she would throw tantrums and cry and cry for hours at a time. My parents did not know she struggled with anxiety, and just thought she had a bad temper and an inability to deal with it. However, after testing was done, she was diagnosed with clinical anxiety. Because of this, I believe I am better at dealing with children now- especially those kids that have their own special problems. I work with the art teacher at Wasatch, helping teach the lessons, and more importantly, working hands on with the students. I have experience with the "problem" children, and I think I am a very patient person, so when Ms. Michie is teaching or preoccupied, I have made it my priority to get those who are struggling involved. At Wasatch Elementary, there is a Chinese immersion program, wherein certain students whom have been signed up by their parents work with both an English teacher and a Chinese teacher throughout the day. The beginning half is dedicated to math and English and History, and the second half of the day is spent with the Chinese teacher, where only Chinese is spoken, and the students learn about the Chinese culture and learn the language. My cousins are in this immersion program, and they are pretty fluent. This immersion program is fairly prestigious, and many children's parents transfer them to Wasatch so that they may be involved. I have learned, though, that most of the kids that are in this Chinese program are more Type A. They are very good at getting their homework done, very successful in the classroom in regards to classroom rules and learning, and are very strong in the test taking department. However, these children often lack the creativity that many of those not directly involved in the program have. Most of the time, the kids that have not been signed up for Chinese immersion are the said "problem" children. They have more trouble focusing on classwork, struggle to turn in homework and other projects on time, and often have behavioral problems in the classroom. These kids, though, have shown me how important the art program is. Because I work directly with the students who have ADD and ADHD, anxiety, and other issues, I have seen how working on art has changed their behavior. When they come into class, these kids often have trouble paying attention, and are worried about the classroom, because in their normal class they need to be quiet and respectful and abide by specific, strict rules. Of course, the rule of respect still abides in the art room, but they are able to explore their art and work however they feel works for them.
I work with this little boy whose we will call Taylor, and he is exceptionally sweet. However, like my sister Margaret, he struggles with anxiety, and has trouble in the classroom. I have made an effort to get to know Taylor, and because of the special attention I have given him, he has really improved since he first came into class.
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