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Lesson Plans


Re: [Fwd: Re: art on a cart frustrations!!!]

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Ann Carolan (acarolan.us)
Fri, 12 Feb 1999 12:07:35 +0000

First of all, I sympathize completely with what you're going through. We
have such high expectations for ourselves when we start out. We expect
the same from our students as we expect from ourselves and we think
others will treat us the way we treat them. That's our first mistake. By
nature, art teachers are more sensitive than others, I believe, that's
what makes us interested in art and good at art in the first place.
I'ave had to harden my skin to the fact that others do not treat me as I
treat them nor do they have the intuition or sensitivity to appreciate
others hardships and difficulties. POOR THINGS!!! They miss out on a lot
of relationship subtleties and feelings etc. because their focus is too
much on their own trip, their own success, their own problems. We can't
change them, so I just try to feel sorry for them since they are
obviously so inadequate and insensitive (boorish) and deprived.

Back to the issue of student expectations. My advice to you is to LOWER
your expectations of yourself and your students if you want to survive
this thing. That doesn't mean to sacrifice quallity; but you need to
sacrifice VARIETY. Don't try to do so many different things. When I was
in elementary the kids did the same things in each grade so that I could
manage my materials. If one class worked with watercolors; all of them
did. I just adapted the lessons for the different levels and abilities.
At one time I had a great relationship with a principal and managed to
arrange my schedule so that lower el classes were the same day, upper el
a different day, etc. The next year, the teachers took over the
schedule. They hated that principal and had her fired and then from that
day on I took what I got: bottom of the totem pole.

You need to go into a survival mode or you'll burn out. Be easier on
yourself. You don't have to be perfect ESPECIALLy under these HORRIBLE
conditions. I did it for a long time in elem and I was exhausted. Now
I'm in middle school and it isn't so bad because the classes are 1 hour.
NOW my problem today is that they want to kick me out of their
classrooms (I'm on a cart) and put me in a gym. Can you imagine. They
have those awful lights you can't turn off and on, so I won't be able to
use any overheads, slides or movies, or computer, internet, examples of
art. I'AM LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB.

SO, any way it's miserable but try to find a board member, art committee
of parents or someone to help you adovcate for the arts and when you
find them, let me know, cause I'm still looking

PS I document everything and am saving it for the day I get mad enough
to take it to the school board.

Your friend and sympathizer,
ann carolan