Miss Art of Teaching

Being a high school classroom teacher and a Year 7 Adviser means I need to have good organisation skills. My TOP three tips: 1. Make a To-Do list.  I like creating a weekly To-Do list. Sometimes the list seems crazy but I ALWAYS end up clearing the list. I might not be able to clear all of it in the same week but at least 80-90% is crossed off. There is a deep satisfaction when I tick off the job. And one needs to remember not to freak out if something isn't cross out. It just means that it isn't important and one can come back to it later.  I also like looking back and checking when I had completed certain tasks such as calling home to parents, completing workshops, room changes etc. 2. Allocating jobs to students. Students love helping. You should also reward students when they volunteer their time to help you. They love responsibilities. I usually get students to help with laminating, tidying, sorting out resources and so on. I also have an 'Ihelp' chart t...

Today, I gave back all the exams, art essays and practical art making results for my senior class. I went through how I marked each section and I made sure the class knew it was cross checked by my co-worker. Most of the marks were very similar between two teachers. When there were 1-4 marks differences, we averaged the mark so that the student could get a fair grade. I also stapled the marking criteria and teacher sample (made by myself) to each section of the exam. I also gave them verbal tips on how to answer questions and other ways to improve on their responses. I kept reminding them that HARD WORK PAYS OFF. A hard worker can always do better than a naturally talented or 'genius' student. This is because a talented student or a genius student can still be lazy and not produce high quality work. One MUST invest enough time and effort to do well.  Students were reminded to start work earlier and to COMMIT and show passion. They are not to leave things till the la...

I love blogging and it has been quite addictive. It is a great way to sit back and reflect on what is working and what needs improvement. Since making this blog (early this year), I have been interested in DIY projects and creating resources that help tackle/prevent issues from arising in my classroom. I have improved with my classroom management skills and resource making skills. Students respect the classroom space as there are structures and routines in place. They can see that I take pride in my classroom space and thus, they also respect the space more. My passion for teaching is getting stronger. It is my fifth year teaching and I feel like there is so much to learn and do! Today, I plan to share a list of Facebook groups that I follow and some of the places where I contribute ideas and resources. Sometimes I link my blog to the post, sometimes I am just happy to show a picture. I love how all the Facebook groups connect teachers around the world. I am based in Australia b...

Work started yesterday for teachers. It was also my first time presenting during staff development day. I have never been so busy on the first day back. I was so busy that I didn't have time to be nervous which was a bonus! The presentation on 'Classroom Management' went smoothly and I am thankful for my coworker who joined me in presenting. We covered areas such as: 1. Minimise crowding and distraction. 2. Maximise structure and stability. 3. Positively stated expectations. 4. Give frequent acknowledgment. 5. Provide multiple opportunities to respond. 6. Actively engage students. 7. Actively supervise. 9. Encourage appropriate behaviours. 10. Discourage inappropriate behaviours. Making the presentation encouraged me to reflect on my own classroom management skills and look at new strategies to employ for 2017. I hope the rest of the staff took something away.  During the day I tried to fit in a photocopy run, catch up with people, speak to coworkers in regard...

My laminator is starting to hate me by making weird noises when I feed it with more paper. Time to hit Aldi and get a new one for $17. Aldi's 'Back to School' sale is starting tomorrow and I am going to fight for goodies. I should probably set myself a budget so I don't overspend. It was too hot today to trek out. But I have been eyeing 'The Beach' event at Barangaroo. It is literally an enormous man made beach with 1.1 million recyclable polyethylene balls.  The event is part of the Sydney Festival, which runs until the 29th of January. This event is free before 9am and the last free entry ends at 3:30pm.  Today, I tried to do a bit of work by reading up materials in prep for my first Year 11 Visual Arts class. I am happy that I have the opportunity to teach a senior Art class this year. For the last couple of years I have only been teaching Year 7-10 Visual Arts and Photography subjects. I have experience teaching Year 7-11 TAS subjects but I have been wai...