Enough Said

 Im not even a certified teacher and I have already gotten comments about my career choice. More often, it is that I am an "arts and crafts" major. If only they knew....

iMovie Project: Strength of Numbers

Strength of Numbers

iMovie Artist Statement

Click here to watch iMovie

There are many different ways to think about the word community. The list of synonyms are endless; society, body, association, fellowship, customs, assembly, kingdom, neighborhood, public, etc. But what is the structure of community? What makes community thrive? Even synonyms of community have a characteristic in common, and it is the structure in which they are founded. They all rely on the interaction of people. People talking, living, working, empathizing, and supporting each other. 

This movie reflects the big idea of community and the importance of its structure. When people become part of a group, they are expected to pull their weight and work towards the greater good of the whole group. Individualism, therefore, is not a characteristic of a strong community. This fact is important to discuss with students who are often pressured in their individual academic achievement. When collaboration is labeled as cheating, and standardized testing stresses competition, how can students learn to effectively work together? Through this movie I would hope to raise awareness to the meaning of community and share the truth about their roles as a group. 

I chose to film a game of Jenga because the set-up of the blocks reflected the structure of community. Together, the blocks are stacked in alternating directions and it creates a whole, sturdy tower. As blocks are removed, however, the tower acquires holes and loses its sense of solidity. Eventually the loss of blocks becomes too much and the tower can no longer support itself. As a result, it falls. The remaining blocks are thrown to the floor and there is no sense of structure or connection. 

Metaphorically, each block represents an individual within a group and the tower itself reflects the community. In order for the community to stand, it needs the support of all the individuals. If people lose sight of the common goal, or fail to support others, they leave gaps in the network of relationships. Enough gaps will cause the community to weaken or fall. Therefore it is important that individuals reinforce the structure of their surroundings and continually support the values and people around them. 

While the blocks are being removed, I am reading a poem entitled “In Community” by Sailing to Windward. The poem was chosen because it connects the Jenga blocks to the idea of community and its structure. Lines in the poem stress the importance and benefits of maintaining interactions with others as opposed to individualism. The final lines are read after the film has been reversed to portray the idea of community being used as a healing process. Even after difficult times have passed and left relationships broken, there is always the possibility of coming back together. 

Nonviolent Crisis Intervention

 

   Last week I had the honor of attending a CPI seminar that focused on strategies for nonviolent intervention. The event was made for those who interact with the mentally impaired or learning disabled, but I figured it would be beneficial for my career. I definitely figured right. Every piece of information was insightful and very helpful for analyzing tense and emotional interactions. I was also able to ask questions about previous situations that I experienced, as well as possible scenarios that I may encounter. I left the seminar feel much better prepared for handling student conflicts appropriately and I would highly recommend the session to anyone who interacts with others.....so basically everyone.
   To summarize, the seminar talked about different emotional states and how we should react to them. The goal is to calm the person and resolve the conflict before any kind of violent actions occur. There are four different behaviors which are paired with four appropriate responses. The behaviors start at anxiety and may be followed by defensiveness, physically acting out, and tension reduction. Responses of their caregivers or educators should be supportive, have clear limits, and a predetermined emergency response procedure. If any violent act were to occur, re-establishing communication is essential.
   Overall, I gained a great knowledge base by attending the seminar. I even got a certificate of completion! Definitely a bonus.

Duct Tape Discipleship

As an intern for the middle school ministry at my church, I have a lot of fun interacting with and encouraging kids in a major period of their lives. Three times a week the kids meet for games, small groups, large group activities, sermons, and many other crazy events. Each day is unique and the experiences I make reaffirm my aspirations to become an educator. Every year it amazes me how much they change as they develop into adults. It is even more amazing to see what God does in all of their lives!
My internship focuses on the Discipleship group that meets every Wednesday night. The purpose of this group is to allow the kids who seek more than just fun and games to come and deepen their understanding of faith. We wrestle with important questions such as: What is my identity in Christ? What should my relationships look like? Or how can I deal with divorce, bullying, or loneliness? I am honored to be a part of this group because middle school is often when a child decides whether or not to make their faith serious, or to leave it all together.
While planning out the year, I decided to plan some sort of artistic activity and integrate it into a relevant spiritual lesson. We decided upon duct tape objects, because it is a fun medium for both boys and girls, and it would be sensitive to the fact that they do not necessarily want to do "art" at church with their friends. The lesson was about focus, so I told them an anecdote from my life and discussed how losing focus on faith can be very easy. After the intro I asked them to create something out of the duct tape that could be used as a spiritual reminder.
We had many different colors and patterns of duct tape, and I left the object requirements up to the students. As a result, most of them ended up creating items such as wallets, pen toppers, bracelets, and even a pair of duct tape suspenders. At the end of the night the students presented what they made and explained what its purpose held. For instance, the suspenders helped a student to "hold up my faith". They were all very creative and I was amazed at the meaning they could place in duct tape!

Stuck on God!

Gender Perceptions

Ironically, all my ED classes have recently touched on the topic of gender in society. In Child Development, I read about the almost unnoticeable difference in development of children living with same-sex parents, as well as how they come to perceive gender roles. In my Diverse Perspectives in Education class, we discussed how teachers could include the change of gender roles in curriculum.
Most people have their own opinions when it comes to gender roles, therefore I feel uncertain how to approach these issues in the classroom.
For instance, when I was observing a preschool classroom earlier this week, I heard one boy say "Did you know that I am a boy and I like a girl color??" He was coloring with a purple marker and seemed pretty proud of his favorite color. What is the appropriate response to statements such as these? Ideally, the students should learn to broaden and question the validity of stereotypes. But could breaking stereotypes set certain students up for social failure? I also noticed that many preschool classrooms have a corner where students can play "house". Does this hinder stereotypes or could it possibly be used to break them?
Overall I found it really interesting to observe the perceptions that preschoolers hold. Did the boy think that purple was girly because someone specifically told him that, or because he observed it? As a future educator, I need to think about what I am specifically telling my students, and what I may be portraying unconsciously. Not only with gender, but with other stereotypes as well.

More Than a Craft

Despite the unique and exciting studio classes that I have taken, I find myself continually drawn to textiles. There is something about the colors and feel of fabric, thread, and yarn that inspires me to make something. I also love that it is so accessible to those who do not claim themselves to be "artists." It is a friendly and safe medium that holds endless opportunities for creativity. It is also a medium that can promote and create community, which is an important value for art.
When I graduate and no longer have access to the materials needed for metalsmithing, I plan on exploring the world of textiles. As awful as it sounds, I almost get anxious for the day when I am no longer pressured to pursue metals when I see the work of some textile artists. For instance, I've always liked the technique that Susan Shie uses on her quilts. I mimicked the approach in my own quilt and it was one of my favorite projects. I would love to make more as soon as I get the opportunity.
Today I stumbled upon Susan Lenz, and her site, susanlenz.com. All her work and blog posts are so inspiring!
As lame as it sounds, I think I need to add the International Quilt Festival to my bucket list....

Casting a New Experience!

Why is it so fun to be an art major? Because things are always being made new. No matter if I am trying something new, or replicating a project for the hundredth time, the unpredictable seems to show up and keep me on my toes. Although this is sometimes irritating, it keeps me challenged and engaged. Life is made better with new experiences, not complacent or comfortable ones.
My most recent new experience came from my intro to sculpture class. For the past few weeks we have constructed wax models and coated them in ceramic. Then came the best part: pouring the bronze. I have casted metal for jewelry before, but the much larger scale of the bronze created an exciting and high energy atmosphere. The heat and weight of the bronze gave me a sense of accomplishment as we poured them into ceramic shells. And they all turned out great!
Anyone who tries this process cannot deny that art is cool.
Too bad this experience would be difficult to share with my future 3 to 12 year old students....