Hi Stacie and everyone,
one thing that I've started that's worked pretty well this year (even with
my MSers) is having them copy the directions, step by step, from the
overhead as I write them; I let them know that each direction page is worth
points (not very many, but still!) towards passing the class. This
accomplishes two things: it gets almost all of them to listen to what I'm
saying (and therefore to be fairly quiet), and it makes them responsible for
the information. So, if one of them comes to me the next day and says,
"what am I supposed to do next?" instead of taking more time to go over the
same thing, I can just direct them to read what they wrote in their notebook
(which stays in the room). If they didn't write down the info because they
didn't pay attention or weren't there, I can just direct them to the big
"lecture binder" where I put photocopies of all the directions. I tell them
I will gladly answer questions after they write down the info, but not
before. This has saved me a lot of redundant explanation, and has made the
students as a group a lot more attentive during the giving of instructions.
-Lydia in Toledo
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alix Peshette" <apeshet@sbcglobal.net>
To: "TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group"
<teacherartexchange@lists.pub.getty.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 12:18 PM
Subject: RE:[teacherartexchange] Taming wild MS students
> Stacie,
> I second the suggestion to break up the daily work into smaller chunks.
> You could start with a 20 minute drawing assignment. I used to give out
> foam cups to tables of 4-6 kids and have them draw it for 1 minute.
> Then the cup was passed to one student who broke off a piece,
> re-arranged the cup and piece into a still life and everyone drew that
> for one minute. The cup was passed from student to student for
> "destruction" and everyone ended up seeing and drawing the cup from many
> angles. The success of this lesson is that everyone gets to destroy
> something (big hit with MS students) and everyone gets ownership over
> how the cup is arranged. They have to turn in their drawing sheet for
> credit.
>
> Try variations on this idea with toothpicks, skewers, cash register
> paper, toothpicks and packing peanuts, crumpled paper, etc.
>
> Consider teaching lessons about perspective - using cash register tape
> etc. and start the drawing and then let kids volunteer to come up and
> finish parts of the drawing in front of the class. Some
> active-disruptors really like the opportunity to get up and shine in
> front of the class. MS kids adore drawing on the white board! Go
> figure!
>
> Ask a few students to bring their bikes into the classroom, put them up
> on tables and have everyone draw only the outlines. Let one student
> stand on a table and pose for one minute while everyone has to draw them
> from whatever perspective the "model" chooses.
>
> As for quiz's - give a short slide show or lecture (I mean really short
> - 10 minutes, max) and tell them if they take notes and turn them in,
> they get to use the notes on the quiz! This will inspire some listening
> and note-taking. You get to credit the notes and hold on to them until
> quiz time, eliminating note-copies passed around to friends.
>
> I think the key to middle school art lessons is to have a great "hook"
> in each lesson that tickles the kids. Things that motivate MS students
> are: food, self-esteem, money, absurdity, surrealism, power and dreams
> for the future.
>
> Good luck with your classes and let us know how it goes.
>
> -Alix
> Alix E. Peshette
> Technology Training Specialist
> Technology Support
> Davis Joint Unified School District
> Davis, CA
>
> middle school art teacher for 18 years turned techie-geek
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Maggie White [mailto:mwhiteaz@cybertrails.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 8:16 AM
> To: TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group
> Subject: Re: [teacherartexchange] Me again
>
>
> staciemich@aol.com wrote:
>
>> <snip> I'm just not into teaching this class anymore. They have
>> drained me, and I'm tired of feeling like an idiot when I stand in
>> front of them and try to teach. I just feel like, why bother trying?
>
>> Why fight them? <snip>
>
> Exactly, Stacie, why bother trying? It's extremely hard to give up on
> students, but they are sapping your energy and time, which is no doubt
> affecting your performance in your other classes and your personal
> life. They have targeted you for a hard time. I've been there! In
> fact, I subbed the other day in an eighth grade class at my former
> school, and they were still as disrepectful as ever. They say they
> want me to come back because the new art teacher is "mean," but they
> would never understand that their disrespectful behavior creates a
> vicious cycle. My replacement is having such a hard time--and she's had
>
> a lot of MS experience--that she probably won't be back.
>
>> I'm also thinking about a group project. Perhaps I could give each
>> table some books on an artist and ask them to create a presentation?
>> We don't have a library here, and I don't have computers for them to
>> use. Should I make it homework? Should I simply have them work from
>> the books?
>
> Giving your difficult class papers to research in a school with no
> library or computers is a set-up for failure and more distress for all
> of you. They will not do it at home; you already know that. Videos
> will bore them to death after the first five minutes.
>
>> I need easy projects that have cool results...projects that will keep
>> them occupied but not frustrated. I'm just trying to figure out how
>> to get through the next six weeks without tearing my hair out. I
>> can't stand that they come into my class and learn nothing.
>
> For that particular class, you need to dispense with long presentations
> and keep it short, giving them very small chunks of the lesson. Don't
> choose lessons that need materials you don't have and that would take a
> lot of involved steps that would require a degree of independence that
> they don't have. If you haven't looked at Bunki Kramer's Web site,
> http://www.lcms.srvusd.k12.ca.us/newKramer/KramerMain.html go there and
> look at her high-wow-quotient lessons, many with simple materials. I
> adapted several of her wonderful lessons for my horrid group (the
> above-mentioned class) and simplified them and broke them into short
> steps to preserve my sanity. The students enjoyed them and got
> successful results.
>
>> I am planning on giving them more quizzes as well. So far, five
>> students are failing my class! 4 students have d's. This is just
>> ridiculous to me.
>
> I don't think anyone could accuse you of not keeping parents informed.
> These aren't your grades. Let go and don't take ownership of something
> you can't fix. At the beginning of the school year I sent you the
> handout and notes from my NAEA presentation about dealing with MS
> students. Those tactics really did work. Reread it.
>
> Maggie
>
>
>
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