Week 15 - Apr 24-30

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  5.5 hours

This week I was given the opportunity to accompany some artists to the Courage Kenny Art of Possibility show. This show takes place yearly at the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley, and is described as “an international art show by artists with disabilities.” I was thankful for the ride, because transportation often keeps me from being able to experience exhibitions beyond the Minneapolis area, and the show featured many works by artists of the Twin Cities area that I otherwise would probably not know about.

Some artists of the ArtWorks studio had work featured in the show. After they checked in, we roamed the show to seek out their work so Jes could photograph them standing with their art. Also, because the show awards prizes and allows artists to sell their works, we went around looking for ribbons on any Spectrum ArtWorks affiliated pieces. Unfortunately, there were no awards for the studio. Jes commented on the fact that the shows considered growth from the following year produced some stiff composition. It’s wonderful to see the show thriving, so none of us were too bitter about the lack of ribbons.

It was nice to walk and talk with the studio artists on what is technically my last day as a practicum student. But I can hardly feel like saying goodbye to either of my placements considering that I intend to be back at both! I feel truly connected to Whittier Elementary and Spectrum ArtWorks, and intend to stick around even now that my school semester is drawing to a close.

Week 14 - Apr 17-23

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 3 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

This week's big event was my workshop at Spectrum ArtWorks! I completed and printed eight copies of a 14-page guidebook that covers the foundation of Adobe Photoshop uses especially pertaining to editing, saving, and publishing digital copies of traditional artwork.  From this guide book, I led a demonstration of the techniques and tools to reinforce the learning of a small group of artists and a couple Spectrum staff. I was lucky to be working with a welcoming and enthusiastic group who were eager to help me by asking clarifying questions and defining their needs.

I applied the language used by my instructor that helped me understand digital art when I was new to Photoshop, as well as developing additional narratives and metaphors that help bring some abstract concepts to a more tangible sense of making. I tried a more casual approach to the writing in the guide book and in my teaching, and I think it landed well. I think my tendency to be verbose can be an issue when describing concepts to students, and focusing on language and implications was something I wanted to hone in on after my lesson at Whittier.

All in all it I believe my approach went well. The group was very appreciative and seemed to have a fun time. A really wonderful dialogue began that I hope to continue with one-on-one guidance. It's hard to set aside precious learning time in an hour long lesson for evaluating what everyone learned, so we decided it would be better for Jes to facilitate individual lessons or assistance so I could talk to them about what their experience in my workshop was. 

At Whittier International on Friday, the Art Ambassadors prepared to make thank you art for local businesses that have contributed to Whittier International's fundraising efforts. We spent their meeting talking about how to visually communicate concepts like community, caring, and unity. Next Friday they will ideate further and perhaps start on the final artwork!

Week 13 - Apr 10-16

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 3 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

I focused my energy on lesson planning this week at Spectrum, particularly on writing my Photoshops basics guide book. I was planning on writing it using primarily content gathered from internet sources, but after discussing vocabulary accessibility I realized that many professional sources simply don’t phrase ideas in a way that are comprehensible to someone who isn’t familiar with computer jargon. I’m going to try to write most of the content of the guide myself in order to have a go at making it approachable. I think the key might be to phrase it as I would explain it in conversation, and to not muddle the basics with over complicated processes that are better discovered independently.

The art ambassadors of Whittier have finished their photo project, and installation is set to begin this next week. The students year extends after I finish my semester, but I sense their burnout looming even with time to undertake more projects. Hopefully having a project that can be completed in a shorter time span will freshen up their creative instincts,

On Friday we worked on preparing the student's photos for display and discussing a thank you card design project requested by the PTA. I was delighted to learn of this project, as it contains similar design problems I encountered in a project in my product design course. I’ll be able to bring in my work to show students to help them think about how to design this card as an illustration professional might. Each student will be designing their own thank you card, and the PTA will select a limited number to print. I will be able to provide technical assistance on this project and hope to give all the students the chance to see their work digitized, prepared for print, and realized as a physical card.

Week 12 - Apr 3-9

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

Whittier was on Spring break all this week, and the separation from Ms. Kraft’s lovely fifth graders haunts me to the core. However it was a perfect week to organize my thoughts and prepare for planning my workshop at Spectrum! Also a perfect week to observe and “assist” a fellow Teaching Artist Practicum student lead a workshop.

Hanna planned and conducted a very fun and welcoming workshop on comic book journaling that I was graciously allowed to be present for. A group of about ten artists had signed up to participate, and in many ways came armed with ideas and cartooning skills. Hanna’s lesson focused less on the rigors of crafting sequential media, and more on the different methods and attitudes people approach autobiographical, casual comic creation.

A part of my brain still can’t fathom teaching anyone older than myself, because who am I to be telling adults what to do? My hope with the workshop I am preparing is to present a set of skills I have, and allow the artists to decide if those skills are something they would like to pick up and add to their own repertoire.

I had an interesting conversation with a Spectrum staff member who wishes to attend my workshop regarding how technology skills play into personal independance. Having to rely on another to complete some task you do not have experience in can be exhausting as an artist.

And though I am always tempted to say that there are thousands of better Photoshop guides on the internet, and that Photoshop Elements and other programs can offer most individuals all the tools they need, I have to remember that this was not how I learned these tools. I had handouts, and demonstrations, and a teacher to pick the brains off.

Ideally, I will procure laptops for this lesson. But even if I have to rotate the whole class through taking turns on my laptop, I want to offer the opportunity that made me feel confident working digitally back in high school: the welcoming hand of an expert that waves away the mystery surrounding a new artistic tool.

Week 11 - Mar 26-Apr 2

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  6 hours

I was blessed this week at Whittier to observe the students do an interesting lesson within their simple machines unit. On a previous day, they had been tasked with making “folders for engineers” in large groups with limited tools and materials. The idea is that they work together and have every student complete one part of the folder. The problem is that they needed a bit of help figuring out how to make an assembly line. The folders also are held to a quality standard based on the very specific instructions given by Ms. Kraft, and the quality checks proved disastrous.

Ms. Kraft began by assessing the few folders the groups had managed to produce in the ten minute time frame that Monday. All had issues, and the students groaned hopelessly at their failure. When instructed to discuss among each other, most thought that they simply needed more supplies. They were quick to place blame on resources and time limit, so when Ms. Kraft explained that there were other ways to make more folders the students were honestly aghast.

The class divided in half and Ms. Kraft helped them figure out how they must organize themselves in order to conduct efficient production. I’ve never considered the value of showing students what good teamwork looks like. Their lesson was structured around simple machines, but really they were learning how a group of people communicates and contributes to a larger goal. They were sincerely confused about how to interact with each other in this situation but delighted when they figured out how it all came together. The produced marginally more folders, and I think some of these may pass the quality check.

At Spectrum I was able to observe a figure drawing demonstration by a more established volunteer! It was great to see another teaching artist in action. On Friday, Hanna and I helped Jes prepare for an art journal session by preparing cut images from magazines for the group to use. I’m always so happy to be able to take on grunt work so that a teaching artist can focus on their work!

Week 10 - Mar 20-26

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

On Thursday Jes, Hanna, Taylor (another volunteer) and I met to discuss workshop plans and schedules. We were able to establish more details regarding my lesson on Adobe Photoshop basics and create a signup sheet. In order for the lesson to as useful to the artists as possible, we decided there would only be six participants. I am also going to be working on guide packet for the studio to keep (as otherwise, I have no materials cost) that covers how to use Photoshop to edit and save documentation of traditional artwork. Jes is happy I chose to do something so dry but utilitarian because Spectrum has computers equipped with the Adobe Photoshop suite. I also know at least one of the artist owns a computer with Photoshop Elements, so I hope to be able to describe processes that can be done using both tools. Accessibility was a large concern from the beginning, but after talking with Jes I realized that sometimes accessibility is not only an issue of materials; it is also one of teaching. Even where there may be materials, there is not always also people to instruct in their use.

On Friday the Art Ambassadors continued to take photos and create backdrops. Ms. Dominguez decided it would be better to use these to display the printed photos rather than take photos with, just because the students haven’t been able to finish any. I again was in charge of the group that stayed behind to draw and did my best to get them closer to finishing. I think that the large paper and restriction of not drawing objectively intimidates them. I tried to encourage them to think of how cool the finished product would be, but they weren’t feeling especially forward thinking. One student complained about how unfair the concept of school was, which is an old trick I remember from being 11. I gently reminded everyone that this could be a fun activity and not a chore, and decided to follow up by introducing a little competition by also taking on a backdrop. Having me working with them (and betting I would have a funny colored backdrop first) was enough encouragement to get them focused. Using competition with kids always feels like cheating, but I know this group well enough that they would prefer me working alongside them.

Week 9 - Mar 13-19

Melodee Strong Shadowing at Simpson Housing - 2 hours

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

On Thursday I had my last scheduled day with Simpson Housing. DJ and I arrived early and were able to prepare the space for painting, as well as prep the student’s snacks. Melodee showed the students techniques to use with acrylic paints and stencils in order to create paintings with the theme of playtime. I was initially fearful for the inevitable mess, but everyone managed to keep the paint in the palette. Melody fostered a sense of pride in the students, and they clearly cared about their work and it not becoming spoilt by a messy workspace.

On Friday I did my lesson at Whittier Elementary School! It was incredibly exhausting to be so apprehensive for so long, and I’m glad to have actually gotten through it. Preparing the contents and materials of the lesson was a smoother experience than my experience in the Teaching Artist theory and methods course. I tend to micromanage group projects, so being on my own was a nice change of pace. In the future, I think that the experience would be improved if I was able to take a step back from my work and allow more feedback and assistance from my teachers and mentors.

Though I still have much to unpack regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the lesson, I feel confident saying that it was successful. The students were very focused and interested in the content and produced some really wonderful script. It will take me a while to piece it together, and some sections will need to be completed by my own hand. The class waits enthusiastically for the final product, and I hope they have a chance to discuss the lesson among as a class. My brief overview of the impact handwriting has on the importance of words seemed to have been enjoyable, as students let out audible gasps when I explained that the tool used to write the Declaration of Independence and the tool used to draw comic books. All that really matters is that the students had a unique and enjoyable experience.

Week 8 - Mar 6-12

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Lesson planning for Whittier - 5+ hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

I stayed back from Whittier on Tuesday this week to spend more time on my lesson for Whittier that is taking place on the 17th. Ms. Kraft’s input and requests shaped the content of the lesson, so I feel comfortable not having a specific strand of academic curriculum that the lesson fits into.

The current description of the project is:

“Students will collaboratively rewrite their classroom agreements/constitution using ink-lettering techniques that connect to various historical skills and trades involving hand-lettering text. This is a chance for students to simulate the creation of the founding documents or other curriculum relevant texts. Students will individually work to hand letter or illustrate sections of the class document that can be assembled into a collective manuscript”

In this case, the students will be working on a set of principles they agreed upon as a class at the beginning of the school year and wrote out together to post in their classroom. Given that many of the students will be using nib pens that require dipping in ink, I am terrified that I will cause a mess in the classroom with highly concentrated and permanent ink. I have procured some alternative non-permanent ink and wrote up permission slips to warn parents and provide them the opportunity to opt out of their child using the dip pens. Hopefully, everyone will be well behaved and have permission to use both. I want everyone to at least get to try the dip pens. Luckily, Ms. Kraft’s expectations of this lesson are less a concrete curriculum benchmark and more an indulgence of the student’s curiosity, so we should be able to have fun and let the students try an art material they have probably never been exposed to.

Friday morning at Whittier was spent mostly in an assembly meant to reward students for participating in a month-long drive to fundraise through student reading goals. The 5th graders escorted their Kindergarten reading buddies again, and watching them transform into serious caretakers in the presence of smaller children was miraculous as usual.

Thursday at Spectrum found the studio understaffed, but luckily very quiet. I got to meet a couple new artists and pitch my workshop idea around. Everyone was intrigued by the idea of learning the basic of digitizing artwork, but it’s such a utilitarian subject that I hope to do an additional workshop on something a little more fun later in the year. Next time I’m there I will bring in my portfolio to show everyone some of the skills I have to offer.

Week 7 - Feb 26-Mar 5

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 4 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

Tuesday and Friday at Whittier were split between helping the other student teacher complete his unit of learning on early American history. I continue to be near useless in this effort, So I was thankful to spend most of Friday with the Art Ambassadors for the first part of their portrait taking sessions. I was in charge of minding the students who rotated between coloring backdrops and taking photos of the students who came by. There were only about 5 Ambassadors and at most 4 students being photographed at any give time, so I was able to keep most of the students on task while Ms.Dominguez went down with a couple students to photograph some younger students. The students have varying levels of interest in photography, and all of them have a short attention span. 4th graders, despite being only slightly younger, represent a fairly large gap in terms of ability to focus. They don’t always realize when they’re not behaving, and respond well to gentle corrections. They had a great time taking photos, and took some pretty wonderful portraits! I’m excited to see them printed out. I think that seeing the portraits made physical will increase enthusiasm for the rest of the project.

Thursday was another quiet day at Spectrum. A couple artists I hadn’t met yet came by, and I was able to meet another volunteer who will be around during similar hours as Hanna and I. Jes was busy for most of the time I was there, so we mostly sat with the artists and chatted about art. Seeing them work, I wondered if anyone would be interested in a demonstration on how to use Adobe Illustrator. Many of the artists do objective based works, but all express an interest in at least dabbling in the abstract. Some of them do pattern work without the aid of digital art programs, but I still think it would be interesting to see their work made into a larger pattern that they could potentially print or use in other art pieces.

Week 6 - Feb 20-26

Jenny Kraft’s 5th-grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 4 hours

Though I was unable to spend more hours at Spectrum due to my supervisor being ill, I had an interesting couple days at Whittier.

On Monday, the students had a substitute teacher and a lesson with a student teacher. This became the perfect recipe for an overwhelming and unusually poorly behaved classroom. I felt powerless in the face of the chaos, and could only do my best to maintain peace between a couple students at a time. The hostility young students feel towards substitute teachers is unprecedented, but I suspect they are offended by an authority figure disrupting the structure they dutifully follow on an average day with Ms. Kraft. They seem flabbergasted when a substitute doesn't know about the procedures of morning meeting, and are appalled when components of the structure are removed or altered due to classroom behavior or time constraints. I believe that students of this age may be starting to feel that adults should earn their respect, so any mistake committed by a temporary teacher is unforgivable. It also seems that they are not yet able to process shifts instability in an environment they trust to be predictable, so they respond with anger and outbursts.

Friday was much calmer, the classroom returned to a state of perfect tranquility upon the arrival of Ms. Kraft. I spent part of the morning with the art ambassadors as they prepared to begin their photography project. Four of the students experimented more with taking photos on the iPads, and the rest began work on making fun backdrops for the “portable studio.” I was able to figure out a more efficient method of saving the photographs and show a couple of interested students how one might edit photos on the computer using Adobe Photoshop. The students were equally delighted by the magic of digital photo editing, and by my collection of laptop stickers.

One of the art ambassadors (who happens to be in Ms. Kraft’s class) happens to be very interested in photography. Her partner and her created some very thoughtful and well composed photos of each other. I know they will be delighted to see the photos printed out!

Week 5 - Feb 13-19

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Jes Reyes and Spectrum ArtWorks, open studio hours -  3 hours

There was a meeting of the Art and Design Ambassadors today, and so I spent part of the morning helping Ms. Dominguez show the class how to take photos on some of the school's ipads. Neither of us have ever taught portrait photography, and neither of us have used this generation of ipads to do something like this, so there’s a bit of trial and error ahead before we can get the ambassadors portrait project going.

I’m glad that I know one student in the Art and Design Ambassadors. Even though I am a teacher and (debatably effective) authority figure, having a friendly, well behaved face among the students builds my confidence quite a bit. It was difficult to cram an organized experience into a half hour period. Young people have a hard time focusing after any sort of transition, and learning a new art form is transition after transition. Ms. Dominguez focused on having everyone play with the interface first and foremost, so they could get it out of their system and be more comfortable with the tool later on.

The rest of the morning in Ms. Kraft’s class was Valentine's day and pajama day, but otherwise a continuation of the powerpoint from days prior.

My first day at Spectrum was fantastic. Jes is incredibly skilled at leading interns, and was incredibly helpful in explaining about how I can best be helpful in the studio. Having a list of tasks to complete around the studio when I’m not directly engaged with anyone definitely helps ease the transition into a new space.

There weren’t a lot of people using the studio at the time, but everyone who was there was very welcoming. Hanna (who will also be at the ArtWorks on Thursdays) and I were able to hash out ideas for workshops with them based on our areas of knowledge and their interests. It was great to find common ground with a group of artists who primarily work in traditional mediums I don’t have experience in.

Week 4 - Feb 5-12

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Melodee Strong Shadowing at Simpson Housing - 1.5 hours

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

This Tuesday at Whittier I observed part of a lesson. The class is currently working through a Powerpoint tracing aspects of the revolutionary war. Ms. Kraft’s class occasionally is joined by another teacher and a student shadow who’s graduating from the  University this year. The class is so big that just the presence of more teachers really helps everyone stay engaged in group discussions. The teachers are using a method of introducing new information by having students recall past lessons or relevant information, then guiding them through reading and copying new information into a structured set of graphically organized subcategories in their personal notebooks. Students often learn using technology, but they usually don’t retain the information as well, so Ms. Kraft and the other teacher are trying to help them learn how to write information in an organized way that helps them remember the content and make notes easy to access for future studying.

This Thursday at Simpson Housing students were finishing the projects they started last week. My shadowing of Melodee isn't finished yet, but I feel like I've already seen a lot of important methods of getting kids to engage with art when that isn’t a frequent aspect of their lives. Melodee conducts a balance between getting them to do something new without controlling them too much. Their only expectation is to exercise creativity, not to achieve a set standard in a new technique. It will be interesting to see if they engage in any assessment or reflection, or if the creation itself will stand on its own as the goal of the project.

Friday at Whittier continued the structure of the Tuesday lesson, but the really fun stuff happened in the morning before that part of the day began. The students of Whittier are beginning a month of fundraising and reading. I don’t know the details, but it involves encouraging the family and community of the students to give a donation per the number of hours a given student reads per month. As part of this the whole school had some sort of pep rally. It was fascinating to see how earnestly excited students of all ages got about parents dressed up in silly costumes encouraging them to be “super readers.” I don’t often get to see kids in an environment where they can be unabashedly excited about something silly and entertaining, and it was nice to see so many students just able to have a half hour of loud, smiley nonsense.

Week 3 - Jan 30-Feb 5

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Melodee Strong Shadowing at Simpson Housing - 2 hours

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

To the confusion of the students, there was a sub in Ms. Kraft’s class on Tuesday. Everyone was bewildered by the presence of a new adult face in the classroom, as if they had never seen a substitute teacher before. Despite only knowing me for a handful of hours, the students looked to me for an explanation. Unbeknownst to me at the time, Ms.Kraft and one of her children were very ill. I told the students that Ms. Kraft just wasn’t here today, and they shook their heads in puzzlement. The audacity of the students to treat a substitute teacher like an intruder shocked me. The sub knowingly explained that students will always be unhappy when a new authority figure is introduced, and will always gravitate to the adult they have a firmer relationship with.

The classroom was a bit rowdy, and in my awkwardness I allowed two students to fool me into helping them with their assignment for the day. They both found it almost too boring to even try to complete without my entertainment. To be fair, I also found the assignment sheet rather dull. I focused on honing my skills in getting young people to do tasks they don’t want to do. I have learned that my multi-pen is a powerful tool of encouragement. I gave one student the pen on the condition she at least try to do the worksheets, and she did it! The other students was satisfied with having me explain in more detail confusing parts of the assignment, and occasionally getting me to do something silly.

On Thursday I joined Melodee Strong and fellow Teaching Artist Practicum student DJ Yang in the first part of a lesson at Simpson housing. Each student already has their own tutor, so I am effectively useless beyond my capacity to say tidbits of art technique and fetch supplies for people. There is something very luxurious about being in charge of supplies and not student behavior. I enjoy assisting greatly. Melodee Strong was a delight, and I’m excited to see the products of her residency. The Romare Bearden themed assignment is a great opportunity for students to make an art object completely different from a drawing or painting. I hope to get to know Melodee better in the next hours of my shadowing.

Friday at Whittier was a relaxing morning of drawing book covers. Half of the class had to take an assessment, so the remaining students were given time to draw book covers for their collected research about the Revolutionary War. It was a good opportunity to see the students drawing, and ask them about their interests. Over half the class is interested in sequential art, which is immensely exciting. I’m hoping to do some sort of art lesson with them guiding them through some of the fundamentals of comic making. They have an intense creativity and many make prolifically for the fun of the thing. Some students feel that they are of a category that just isn’t good at drawing, so I hope to change those minds.

Week 2 - Jan 23-29

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

Orientation with Courtney Flug at Resource as part of introduction to Spectrum ArtWorks - 1.5 hours

Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

My first time visiting Resource was for an orientation regarding some expectations of volunteers and a history of the organization. It was a wonderful and educational experience thanks to the brilliance of Courtney Flug, who was eager to answer our questions and provide all the insight at her disposal. I won’t be meeting with Jes until later in the Spring, but it was great to have more familiarity with a such a vital part of the Minneapolis community.

My two days at Whittier were largely devoted to observing and assisting the students with the assessment part of their curriculum unit that focuses on the relationship of the individual identity to the identity of a larger community. Ms. Kraft uses the time they have dedicated to this unit to reinforce their sense of responsibility. She is able to honestly discuss issues at Whittier and conduct discussions of how student and parent behavior can impact the environment of the school. The students are also frequently reminded that they are role models and that role models are expected to act and lead in a certain way. Much of Ms. Krafts sense of discipline is structured not around the idea that certain behaviors are bad, but that certain behaviors negatively impact others. Students are constantly reminded that their words and actions have an effect, and they can use this to make positive change.

Thus, the students are coming up with plans to improve their school. They have been divided into groups focusing on different problems (behavior in the hallway, bathroom, classroom etc.) and are doing their very best to make actionable plans to carry out throughout the rest of the year. The group I sat with had a difficult time coming to any form of consensus. I find that some students lack the self awareness to comprehend that their big personalities inhibit other students participation, but I don’t yet know how to address this in the right way.

I was also able to observe the students at gym this week. Transitions seem to be rough, but their teacher managed to corral them into doing warm up exercise for basketball games. The students are already self conscious about how their lack of talent on sports may make them look “uncool” and attempt to seem aloof and beyond the practice of physical activity to maintain their “cool” persona. Interestingly, no one else seems to really notice or mind whether or not someone is good at basketball.  

Week 1 - Jan 16-22

First introduction to Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 45 mins

First full morning Jenny Kraft’s 5th grade classroom at Whittier International Elementary School - 2 hours

This week at Whittier I met the students and observed what a typical lesson during their "inquiry hour" entails. Their current units are identity and the Revolutionary War. Their assignment this morning was to complete a worksheet that guided them through mapping what constitutes one's identity and the effect of life events and environment on that identity. After completing their worksheets, students discussed as a class and Ms. Kraft compiled a collaborative list of what makes up an identity. Though on this day I was only able to briefly observe the class, I can tell that their learning is structured to reinforce not only their retainment of facts but to build the social skills needed to understand the cultural and personal impact of past events. All in all, the students were very welcoming to me and worked diligently on their assignments.

Later this week I came in for a longer period of time in the morning. Ms Kraft introduced me to the class and allowed them to ask me some questions. She asked them to please “Not ask questions like ‘what’s your favorite color?’ or ‘what size shoe do you wear?’ or ‘what are your roommates like?’” So, of course, those were the first three questions students asked. They were also interested in learning about what I do as an Illustration major and what life is like in college. They weren’t actually sure what MCAD was until I described the pizza statue in the sculpture garden, then they were enthused by the prospect of me going to school near this object. Ms. Kraft suggested that one day the class could take a field trip to MCAD, and the students let out a chorus of cheers. I hope I can make this trip work for them when the weather is nicer for walking.

I was able to go to a meeting of the 4th and 5th grade Art Ambassadors, one of four student groups that focus on bettering the Whittier community. They had already outlined some of their main goals, and are currently deciding which to pursue. Many of their ideas revolve around beautifying the school, making inspirational poster art for the hallways, and leading art workshops for other students. One of the ambassadors is one of Ms. Kraft’s students, but unfortunately, she was absent today. I will hopefully be working with the art ambassadors as much as with Ms. Kraft’s classroom. Students learning how to strengthen a community using art is a unique and worthwhile initiative I would love to participate in.

My last activity of the day was helping a group of students complete part if an assignment in which they are trying to dissect the identity of a group active in the Revolutionary War. The group I worked with was tasked with understanding the perspective of the Loyalists. Teaching students how to understand the way someone who thinks in a way that’s completely different from them is tricky, but I can tell Ms. Kraft is trying to prepare them to be able to think critically about the identities of others. I did my part by teaching them the word “elitist,” though I may have misspelled it on their worksheet. Oops!