Sailing on: Towards Becoming an Art Teacher

 

     A fellow teacher and I once had this conversation over breakfast about how elementary students interact with us. Both and I agree that children's interaction and comments are usually unfiltered--- what they say is purely an overflow of their hearts.      These are just few and selected comments from my students at the end our semester with sir Basug in UPIS. Motivating words coming from very young children whose future relies on how they are nurtured and guided.      Having a sip of coffee, I am reading these entries with a smile. These are just the few things that keep me going. #padayon

              I can still remember the first virtual “meet and greet” with our coordinating teachers, headed by the assistant principal of UPIS. While we were waiting for the others to join the zoom meeting, she is playing “At the Beginning” where a portion of lyrics has been carved in my mind, which goes: “ Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey” Indeed, the road we are about to take as a Student Teacher is indeed just a start of a journey, especially that we are the initial batch that goes with the online class setting.             Together with most of my classmates, I have my shared anxiety on how we will deal with this kind of scenario wherein all of us are in a same boat, facilitators and students alike, are still gasping for familiarity about distant learning as it’s the only way we can move on with the Academic Year 2020-2021.   ...

Unload      It's the feast of Immaculate Conception and we don't have class this week. Since I am done with my demo class at this time I simply unload my all my anxieties, exhaustion and stress away. ***      The past two weeks accumulated so much work load that I felt I really need a break. Went mountain trekking with my friends and just simply be with nature.      It's one of those organized trek where there is a a guide from the locals and we went from trekking the fields, climbed two mountains, went spelunking and river crossing. One of my best moments I had, when I sort of separate myself from the group and just lay down by the river. Listen to the water flow and just simply zoom out. It's a complete surrender and soaked into divine bliss.      Nature definitely is the ultimate re-charger and I felt this is a good year ender and a great way to gear myself for the upcoming year.

  Rearrange  All these years of learning "how to teach" is finally being put into practice. I am collecting all the knowledge and best practices that was taught by my mentors from  College of Education. Combined with my Art History and Art Making in College of Fine Arts, I am in the midst of rearranging all these inputs and present them in one final presentation. Just like paper cut outs and paste them into a collage.  This time, I am putting these concepts of teaching into action. ***      Finally, I am done with my demo classes and here are the feedback or "feed forward" that was shared to me of which I will definitely apply on my future teaching sessions.   Only if the time permits, try to minimize time to play for music and continue with the discussion since we have limited time (should only have been 40 mins, and my first class was extended to an hour?!) Make use of chat box to provide instructions so in case I might get disconnected, there's...

"Every single line means something."      -Jean-Michel Basquiat      Had my first Art Class practicum today about lines and visual perception!!!      I never felt so ecstatic and relieved after sleepless nights of preparing my lesson plans, visual presentation, pre recorded discussion and demo teaching.      I also had the chance to peer observe Mita's class for her Math subject and was very impressed how she make a very challenging subject to be fun and entertaining. In fact, my next visual presentation is somehow inspired by her and even my bitmoji above!      And it is true that you learn  more when you teach, since you really have to learn what you are about to teach and also you will learn from your students. One time, I had a hard time figuring out a certain setting about google class meet, and one of my students were able to teach me. It was a very humbling experience and it just shows that learning d...