Returning to Class

This semester I am serving as the instructor for Art After School, a class that teaches students aged 6-10 about art-making and various art historical topics. While I served as the instructor last semester, I am hoping to build on the skills I gained and learn how to successfully incorporate more kinetic activities into class. Last year there was little variation in the structure of my lessons which I felt caused some students to lose interest. For the next few months, I am planning to break up these lessons by allowing the students to play games and move throughout the class.

Honestly, I have already had the opportunity to try on these activities with a couple classes as I returned from break to my internship on the 9th of this month. The successes and failures I had had so far are giving me a lot ideas on how to improve. I have already got some useful feedback from the students in class. My supervisor Sara Greenberg has really encouraged me to introduce new types of activities which has been both unnerving and exciting. Tomorrow I am actually going to try to read the students before having them create objects that relate to the story. I have tried a similar activity previously, but this is the first time I am actually including a story time of sorts.

It seems that this year, like last year, my greatest challenge will be creating programming that appeals to kids of different ages. There is a significant age differences between my students and with that comes a major difference in abilities and skill. Some issues have already come up as some of the younger students have struggled to complete an activity. I hoping the next lesson plan goes a bit better.

On a positive note, its great to see many of the students I had last year and meet some new ones. They are a great group of kids and very excited to come to class.