Miss Art of Teaching

Spot me... the lady in pink! Being a teacher involves taking on roles beyond the classroom walls. For the last few years, I have been an active member of the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) Team. A few weeks ago I took over as the chairperson. This role includes: Chairperson Miss Kwan Develop agenda with input from team; send to team members. Facilitate meeting. Follow up on assigned tasks; seek input from team members/staff. Before the meeting, I was a bit nervous but as the meeting progressed this feeling disappeared. I used to have stage fright but as a teacher/presenter, it requires me to conquer this fear.  In prep for today's meeting, I prepared the agenda and covered a few main points: Recap of roles In the last few weeks, I have found three new members to join the PBL team. New members bring in a different perspective that existing members might not be able to offer.  Training and network I will be going ...

At the start of every year, we are asked to think of 3 objectives. Evidence of achieving the objectives must be uploaded to a website. My objectives for this year include: 1. Promote CAPA faculty and celebrate students' achievements This includes: -Working with students, staff and the local community to create artworks that represent the school. -Create artworks that promote the CAPA faculty, -Display artworks to celebrate student's achievements.  -Share Facebook posts and newsletter articles to acknowledge the efforts made by students. 2. Lead the Positive Behaviour for Learning Team This includes: -Growing, embedding and sustaining PBL at the school. -Strengthen and maintain links between the school and the wider community. -Network with other PBL schools to discuss systems and approaches. -Look for PBL training for myself and other staff members. -Defining Expectations -Teaching Behaviour Expectations -Strategies in place to ...

I am quite pleased with the purchase of my sparkling brand new whiteboard from Daiso. It is an awesome little monthly schedule calender. They even reposted my picture on Instagram. At 8am today I had my Work Health and Safety workshop on how to use a fire extinguisher. I actually need to buy one for my own house! I had Year 7 classes from Period 1-3 and most of them are finishing off their oil pastel drawings. Some are starting the painting process. Here are a few photos: At recess, I went to visit my Deputy Princpal to talk about cabin organisation for the Year 8 camp. Careful consideration must be given to how groups are form to minimise discipline issues and conflict. My first break from teaching Year 7 (don't get me wrong, I love them!) was during Period 4. I took my Year 9/10 combined class to the darkroom. I have not been in the darkroom for about two years now. Need to brush up my skills and reorganise the room. There n...

What I am doing?.... A few weeks ago we had a guest speaker coming in to the school to talk about our teacher well being. He recommended that we name our to-do list as the ta-da list. This means crossing off the completed job, waving your arms around and do a little happy dance. I have been working my way through my list. Not much of a dancer so you will not see me wiggling around after every task. I have logically categorised my workload: marking, work samples, reports, program submissions, Year 8 camp organisation, Positive Behaviour for Learning team planning.... This year I have all my theory work uploaded onto Google Classroom for grades 7-12. It makes life so much easier for the student and for the teacher. This virtual classroom allows students to ask questions, submit tasks and for teachers to mark and send back the feedback. I no longer have to take piles of papers home to mark and drain the ink from my pen. My Year 7 students are making print making, drawing and paint...

I've been really enjoying my time teaching Year 7 students. They seem to be much settle this year and love my classroom systems. My rules are pretty consistent: 1. Line up in two lines. 2. Place bags at the back of the room. 3. Sit down and look at the classroom jobs chart. 4. Students who are assign to taking out Visual Arts Process Diaries get up to pass out the journals. 5. Classroom helpers take out the laminated photographs, white pencils, posca markers and oil crayons. 6. Start work. 7. Classroom timer (another student job) reminds class to pack up 5 mins before the bell. 8. Resources are returned back to the right location by the helpers. They have only recently earn the priviledge of listening to music during class time. I even brought in my bluetooth speakers to play songs for students who prefer to listen to my songs. Photos from this morning (besides the one with the fly):

I've been away from my blog for about 9 months. A quick overview of the past 9 months: 1. Invitation to be an admin for the Art Teachers Australia Facebook page. 2. Got engaged. 3. Purchased a house and moved out. 4. Appointed as the Positive Behaviour for Learning Coordinator at my school. Why I am back: 1. To be more proactive. 2. Exchange and share ideas about teaching pedagogy. 3. Implement classroom and school-wide systems. 4. Encouragement from people: