Spring 2008 Journal Entries

Select excerpts are posted weekly for viewing by participants including CVA Teaching Artist students, classroom teachers, artists, and students from participating classrooms.

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 15 for April 28–May 2

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 14 for April 21–25

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 13 for April 14–18

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 12 for April 7–11

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 11 for March 31–4

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 10 for March 24–28

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 9 for March 17–21

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 8 for March 10–14

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 7 for March 3–7

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 6 for February 25–29

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 5 for February 18–22

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 4 for Feburary 11–15

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 3 for Feburary 4–8.

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 2 for January 28–Feburary 1.

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 1 for January 21–25.

• Teaching Artist Student Journals 01 for January 6–18.

• Teaching Artist Student Journal Sample.

CVA Student Journal Entries Sample

• Megan Simonsen
  Barton Open School - Jaci Sullivan - 3-4 grades - 3 hours
  Shadowing Mississippi Creative Arts Magnet - Marie Olosfdotter - 6 hours
  This week I completed my shadowing with Marie Olofsdotter. Having missed the two days when the students actually constructed their masks, it was exciting to see the finished product. The three days I was present were spent rehearsing the story that the students had written together, which they were preparing to act out in a play. Each class was separated into one of 5 different characters, and each group of characters was split in half, allowing each student to have a larger role in the play.
  
  I believe that the students were learning how important each of their roles is in the larger scheme of the play. They were reminded that if they did not participate in saying the lines or doing their actions, that the play would not make sense for the audience. They were learning the importance of being attentive to the play, to be able to join in with saying the lines and to now miss their cues. They also were learning how to stage play very professionally, as their audience on Friday is a classroom of kindergarteners.
  
  Some of the students were quite shy about acting out the play, and some were more extroverted. It was apparent that rehearsing many times helped them become more comfortable. The teachers and other students were openly laughing and enjoying their play, and this seemed to help them enjoy it too. The students at this school have experience in dance, music and theater already, but I wondered if there were any other ways that might help certain students break out of their shell even more and really enjoy the experience.

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CVA Student Journal entries from January 6–18

• Nicolle Brichacek No entry this week.


• Gretchen Doebler
  Expo Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - Grade 2 - 14 Hours
  Week 1 Today was my very first day in observing Ulla's class. I was really excited! Not only to be in a classroom again but also that I was going to be there all day. The students started coming in, read the morning message and answered the question left for them in it and then went about playing, visiting, or reading before the school day started. What I really found interesting was that once Ulla started playing her piano, the children knew it was time to put away whatever they were doing and sit on the floor for their morning meeting. I participated in their morning meeting, where Ulla introduced me to the class and then started their morning greeting where everyone greeted the other by saying hello and then pretending they were a famous artist. "Hello Frida Kahlo." "Hello Pablo Picasso." After the greeting, the class read aloud together the morning message and question, and then every student read aloud their own answer. The question asked what was different in the play of "Alice in Wonderland" from the book. Ulla then constructed a Venn diagram to visually show what was different in the book from the play, and then the middle was what stayed the same. I had forgotten about Venn Diagrams and how effective they are at showing relationships, differences, and similarities.
  
  The students then got to work filling out their booklets about their field trip to the play and Ulla made it clear that I was available to help them if they were having trouble. At first I think the students were skeptical of my capabilities in helping them, and probably a bit uncomfortable asking me. But I few started raising their hands and I'd see what they were stuck on. Most of the questions were how to correctly spell a word, but I didn't mind, I was just excited that they were asking for some help.
  
  Quiet work time and reading time was next. I was asked by a student to read along with her, which was great. I also noticed that many of the students quickly grabbed their books and got comfortable in the room somewhere and dug right into their books which I thought was really great.
  
  Art class was next and unfortunately so short! The students were going to paint, and create rings of different colors within each other. I think this was a chance for the students to experiment with the paint, learn how it works, what colors look best next to each other, (analogous, complimentary, etc.) and be a precursor to an actual assignment in the future. After lunch and recess it was math time where the students first looked at everyday objects and classified their 3D shapes. I think this made students really sit back and simplify what it was they were looking at. The Kleenex box is no longer a Kleenex box but a cube. Then Ulla described what an array is, how you make one, and the students then made their own. They rolled two dice, one dice representing the number of rows and the second dice representing how many are in the rows. The students first constructed these arrays with cubes and then filled them in on a grid. I noticed the students were skipping the building part and going right to filling in the squares on their grid. One student even asked my why they had to build them and I replied by talking about how you can visually see how an array is constructed. I think it also has to do with kinesthetics; the act of actually building this thing to help understand how an array works and functions.
  
  The students then gathered around on the floor while Ulla read some of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and pretty soon it was time to go outside and play for a bit before the busses came.
  
  After the day was over, I realized how BAM, BAM, BAM the day is constructed. They are constantly switching from one thing to the next and being little I guess I never realized that but I definitely see that now. I suppose it's because children's attention spans are pretty short and you need to keep moving from one thing to the next to keep them focused. I also noticed that the class tended to get very chatty and disruptive at times. Ulla had mentioned it being from just coming back from their Holiday break, which makes sense. But Ulla had no problem pulling her class back in and getting them to quiet down and listen. You can tell that they all just love her. I really enjoyed watching the way she leads her classroom. It's a very friendly and respectful place, where everyone is important and involved. I thought it was great that her students call her Miss Ulla. So overall, it was a great day! I had so much fun and could tell that at the end of the day the students were interacting with me more and more and I definitely can't wait to come back next Thursday.

Week 2 It was fun to arrive today and have some of the students remember me and greet me using my first name! I didn't think they would remember, but some did and it felt kind of good. There was also a student teacher there today named Brenna. I think Ulla said from College of St Catherine's, so Ulla had a lot of extra help today. Again we started our morning meeting with the morning greeting. We all greeted each other as a pie. It was fun how some students twisted it a bit, it went from "Hello Pumpkin Pie" to, "Let the Pie be with you" which I thought was pretty clever but then some tried to outdo that one, and Ulla needed to bring the students back and remind them that we were greeting people and so needed to somehow say hello. It was interesting though hearing what they came up with.

Next was reading and writing workshop and the students needed to finish reflecting on a story that I think they all read as a class. There were questions in the packet asking things like, "Draw a picture of your favorite moment in the book", etc. I noticed a lot of students were flying through it so they could read a loud with either myself or Brenna. My first student I read with last week. I notice that she's a pretty good reader she just takes it a bit slow, which is fine, but in that process she starts to get bored, like it's kind of tricky for her so she doesn't really want to do it. And she tends to pick books that she already knows so then it's more repeating or memorization then reading. So this time we read a story she didn't know. We would stop every few pages so she could count how many we had left, and then start back up again. It kind of made me laugh a little because I knew she was trying to waste time, and reminds me of stuff I've done myself as a child. My next student was actually a first grader from the neighboring classroom. She picked Cam Jansen and I told her I used to read those as well. But for a first grader, she is a great reader. She just flew through that book and not only that but if she did make a mistake she would go back and re-read it to get it right. I was pretty amazed. But this also makes me glad that this school recognizes progress and the need to be stimulated and challenged and having this first grader come join a second grade class to ractice reading is wonderful. I also think Ulla works with her own group of advanced readers as well, reading and working on a separate project from the rest of the class because they are a bit more advanced, and I think it really says something when teachers or schools take notice of this and do something about challenging them.

Next was lunch, well actually recess. The first day I was here I thought maybe Ulla let the students go out and play before lunch to get some extra recess time in but it looks like they all have recess before lunch. Which made me question why? Are there benefits to having recess before lunch? I asked Ulla and she said that they have noticed less rowdiness in the lunchroom and eating lunch after having just played real hard gives them a chance to settle down before going back into the classroom. I thought that was a really neat experiment that obviously worked out very well.

The students went to science and I stayed in the classroom and created books with her brand new binding machine. They were again the same type of books/journals the students were using to reflect upon the story they all read. After the students came back, I began making examples of 3D shapes on note cards for Ulla to go with what the students should be looking at home for to bring into class. The students needed to bring in examples of cylinders, pyramids, sphere, etc, that they have and use in their home. I'm excited to see what the students bring in because even I had trouble thinking what I would bring in for some of those shapes. It's also interesting to realize that things we use all the time are made out of these basic 3D shapes. Then the students played a math game and ended up going to the computer lab before I was done.

When they came back it was snack time and Ulla asked if I would like to host a little drawing workshop for the students. I said that would be great! But it actually ended up being me taking drawing requests from the students. I didn't mind, it made me laugh. The students loved it! And didn't want to stop so I decided next time I will bring in packets on simple cartooning for the kids, so that they can look at step by step instructions on how to draw. Most of them wanted to learn how to draw animals so I'll bring that for them next time. I figured that would be the easiest given our short amount of time and then it's something they can keep and practice from and hopefully get it down so that they can start to make their own adjustments or use the steps as a foundation in creating more elaborate animals/drawings. I also wonder what they think drawing is. Like, is there a formula that you follow? That was the impression I was getting from the students, where I was supposed to say: "Okay, first you draw a line here, and a circle there, and then connect them with a line here..." So I think simple cartooning steps will work great with them.

Ulla and Brenna took turns reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory while I hung up some math creations the students had created using shapes. Then there was a bit of free time, I continued my workshop for a bit more and then it was time to get ready and go home. It was another wonderful day.


• Alissa Rae Koch
  Barton Open School - Mary Austin - Grade 5/6 - 27.5 Hours
  Wednesday January 9th was my first day attending my residency at Clara Barton Open School, where I was placed in Mary Austin's 6th grade class. I arrived at 7:30am and Mary had me bind some monarch butterfly books that the kids have been progressively working on since the beginning of the year. Just by looking at the books you could tell that the students were excited about this assignment because their drawings were very intricate and full of color. The kids were given the creative ability to illustrate the life cycle of a butterfly both in pictures and words. I am curious as to how much freedom the students were given, as the projects were all pretty much the same in sequence. The rest of the day Mary had me create a power point presentation on mosaics, which I later presented to the class to aide in the studentâ's understanding for their upcoming project. The students had to write a brief story derived from a memory of theirs, which will be translated into a mosaic.
  
  Thursday January 10th I arrived at 8:00 am and continued binding the monarch books. I then joined the class in their circle meeting where we greeted each other and played a game. I was wondering if there was a way to regulate the games to help encourage some of the students to step outside of their box, as some of the quieter students did not participate with a strong interest or excitement. Afterwards the students began their math lesson on algebraic expressions, which I observed so I could get a better understanding on what they were studying. Today the students began making their mosaics with cut and ripped paper. We asked the students to first make a sketch of their memory so they had a solid idea before creating their mosaics. The students were having a difficult time understanding what Mary wanted for this assignment, so I decided to make an example so the kids could see what was being asked of them. I am wondering if we could have prepared several examples on the different ways the students could approach the mosaics because it seemed as if many of the students were caught up with the example that I created.
  
  Friday January 11th I arrived at 7:15 am. Mary asked me to come in early because she was not going to be there. She wanted me to help the substitute teacher since I had a basic understanding on how the class was run. After the circle meeting we attended the Taiko drum ceremony in the auditorium, which was a really fun experience for everyone. During math the students were asked to work on a packet that Mary had prepared for them. The substitute teacher asked me to go over the answers on the overhead with the students. I was intimidated because I didn't know how to work out some of the problems myself nor did I know how to explain it to the students. I am wondering if there was something I could have done to be more prepared for this although I was kind of put on the spot. The students were then given some time after math to work on their mosaics. I walked around the room helping the students with ideas to add detail to their work; I was also trying to slow the students down so they could make conscious decisions on how to illustrate their memory, as we would be working on them for several days.
  
  Monday January 14th When I arrived at 7:30 Mary wanted me to create a sign saying "Mosaic Memories" so she could hang it with the mosaics that the students had been working on. She wanted the sign to mimic the students' artwork, so she had me incorporate a mosaic into the design, while making my own creative decisions. I once again joined the students in their circle meeting, where we played a game and greeted on another. While the students were in math, I continued with the sign, however, I didn't get much done seeing that math only last's about an hour. They continued to work on their mosaics, where I walked around the room helping the students that seemed puzzled and were seeking help. I am wondering if there is an approach that I could use when offering the students ideas, because they always seem to do exactly what I say? I want to help the kids get their creative juices flowing, however, I do not want to block their creativity with my ideas. They wrapped up the first half of their day with play practice, which was very fun to watch! It's more of a poetry reading or spoken word, but I found it very enjoyable watching some of the students step out of their box and take some chances.
  
  Tuesday January 15thI arrived at 7:30 and Mary had me hang a huge piece of red fabric on the wall, so we could have a nice backdrop for the student's mosaics. While the students were with their specialist, three other students from the U of M, who are working towards their Master's in Elementary education, joined me. It was nice to work with other students seeking a job in teaching so I could hear about their previous experiences while working in the field. I also appreciated their presence because it was nice to see how they interacted with the students. I am wondering how I can let go and become more comfortable with the classroom setting right of the bat like the other teaching students? Perhaps it is something that will develop over time. During math I went out into the hallway and continued with the sign. It was funny watching the kids pass through the hallway and get distracted by the construction of my colorful sign. I am curious if it is appropriate for me to tell students that are sidetracked while in the hallway to get to where they are going?
  
  Wednesday January 16thWhen I arrived at the school at 7:30 I jumped right into it and helped the students with their mosaics. We had to remind the students that we would only be working on the mosaic projects for a couple more days. However, I was concerned that the students would just start gluing randomly without any great thought. Some of the students were much further than others, so a few of the students began helping on another, which was really nice to see. During math I once again worked on the sign and got quite a bit done. However, since the end of my residency is closing in, Mary decided it would be good if the students that were finished with their mosaics assist me in finishing the sign. It was nice to have help, but it was difficult because all four of the students wanted to do everything on their own. I am wondering what I could have done to make the construction of the sign with the students go a bit smoother? Should I of assigned roles or is that being too assertive?
  


• Amanda Olson
  Shodowing Teaching Aritst Tim Hasenstein - Monday and Tuesdy 9-3 - Total 12 hours
  I started and finished my shadowing at Peter Hobart Elementary School in St. Louis Park with artist Timothy Hasenstein. The two days of shadowing we worked with Kindergartners. All together we worked with 4 classes through out the day. Driving to Peter Hobart the first day I was really nervous to work with kindergarteners. I did not feel that I knew how to talk to them. As I walked in to the school I was welcomed with a wall covered in childrenís artwork. It was such a pleasant site to see t he walls covered instead of the typical sterile and boring wall.
  
  I helped Timothy with getting all of the supplies (just construction paper) and then went to the first class Mrs. Haen classroom. At this point my heart was pounding by as soon as I got in the classroom and saw them look at us with such curiosity, all of my nervousness melted away. This first class room was filled with artwork and learning tools, which made it a fun place for the kids. I started to notice that the teachers call their students friends, "Lets pick up friends." This was so interesting to me and made the classroom very comfortable for the students to be in. I also found that the teacher would say some words in Spanish such as instead of saying two minutes, she would say it in Spanish, or when she would take attendance she would say good afternoon in Spanish and they would answer back in Spanish.
  
  Timothy began in each classroom with an introduction. I watched how each group reacted to the information he was saying, and found they got really antsy and could not pay attention after about 7 minutes. The project Timothy was teaching was a bird collage using ripped construction paper and glue sticks. The tearing of paper appeared hard for the students the first day, but they caught on the second day. I found they were so used to scissors that tearing was difficult. The students also had trouble picturing what birds look like. Tim presented two bird collages that he had made.
  
  On we went to the next class, Mrs. Hanson classroom. This class was totally different then the first class. The students in this class were more active, it took this group longer to catch on to the project and they needed a lot more attention and help. There seemed to be a lot of kids with special needs in this classroom. At one point in the second day there was 7 adults in the room.
  
  We then went back to Mrs. Haen's classroom for her afternoon class. These students worked hard to catch on. One thing that I really liked besides the Spanish was that the teacher could play guitar and would play when she wanted their attention.
  
  The last class we went to was Mrs. Schouer room. She had the smallest class and the most focused. This class was very creative and open-minded. They were the class I connected the most with and the hardest to leave. Getting hugged and thanked by them was they best. I still do not want to teach in an elementary school, but I am so glad for the experience.


• Jenna Schuldt No entry this week.


• Margit Strand No entry this week.


• Jake Sullivan No entry this week.

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of January 21–25

• Nicolle Brichacek No site work this week.
• Gretchen Doebler
  Expo Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - Grade 2 - 5 Hours
  It felt weird coming back after having missed a week, it seemed like I had been away forever. Brenna was writing the morning message. She happened to be teaching a lesson today during their reading and writing workshop time. She was going to talk about verbs and using them in the past and present tense and then do an activity where the students write a sentence, and then act out the sentences in a game of charades. At first I really was not sure what to expect, I guess I did not truly understand when she first explained it. I was really glad that she happened to be doing her lesson while I was there, so that I could watch someone else who happened to be doing the same exact thing I was, create and teach their lesson to the class. The kids came in and started their morning meeting while I sat and listened in while labeling books for Ulla. Brenna pretty much ran the class while Ulla sat back at her desk and did some work. I noticed that Brenna had a really difficult time controlling the kids. They really just wanted to be goofy and talk. I wasn't real sure if it was because part of them didn't feel Brenna had the authority to be doing Ullas job, or if it was because they hadn't been able to go outside all week due to cold weather, or possibly a little bit of both. They could I really liked how she approached teaching the class. She always presented the students with a question first and then went into actually explaining. It gave the students a chance to th ended up happening was half of the students wrote a sentence containing a verb in the past tense and the other half created a sentence in the present tense. Then one by one, the students picked a sentence written by someone else, and act out the sentence while the others guessed. Then they would read the sentence aloud when someone guessed right, and state if it was past or present tense. I thought this was such a fun and clever idea! Not only did they work throug ngage with the sentence, doing exactly what a verb is used for, action. I thought it was a great lesson, I just wished the students hadn't been so unfocused. I could tell Brenna was really struggling and I thought about what I would do if the students acted like that during my lesson.
  
  At the very end when Ulla took back over, she did take 5 minutes off of their Friday Fun time. I wondered if I casually mentioned behaving so Ulla doesn't have to take Friday Fun time away in the very beginning as like a warning to not misbehave would be appropriate. But I did also take notice into the tricks Brenna used to try to get them back into the lesson. Things like raising her hand to quiet or turning the lights on and off. It seemed like resorting to the lights means its way out of control. I noticed Ulla will say to the class "Clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me" and the students respond so that's something I could do as well if it comes down to it. But it was really great to watch Brenna. After that I tutored some kids who were not quite there yet in some math concepts. That was actually really since I plan on doing a math infused art lesson with the class. I got a chance to see what they were doing, and what they actually may need some help grasping yet. After recess and lunch we celebrated a students birthday with singing and eating cupcakes she brought for the class and then it was pretty much time for me to go. The kids all started yelling goodbye which made me feel good! And some even sad we couldn't do a drawing workshop, so that was great to hear as well that they really enjoyed it!


• Alissa Rae Koch
  Barton Open School - Mary Austin - Grade 5/6 - 3.75 Hours
  Clara Barton Open School
  Perich Art High School - Nancy Norwood - Grade 11+12 - 2 hours
  Clara Barton Open School.When I arrived on Tuesday the 22nd the students were working on the finishing touches of their mosaic memory. I hadn't seen the students since the previous Wednesday, so it was really fun to see how their work had progressed. I also enjoyed seeing their final products, since the student's work could have potentially gone in any direction. I imagine it would be difficult to keep the students occupied in between assignments, since a class typically works at different rates. I wonder if it would be too distracting to have the students that were finished begin working on their next assignment, or would it be a better idea to have those students help one another finish? I finished up with the mosaic memories sign that I had been working on for several days. I was really excited about the outcome; it was energetic and full of color. It was nice to see that the students were able to use such a large array of colored construction paper, since classrooms are typically supplied with limited color options.
  
  Perpich Arts High School. I arrived at 10:50, which was a half an hour before the class started. I met Nancy in her office and we discussed the semesters schedule again and how we intended for it to unfold. I really appreciated Nancy's flexibility towards the schedule, she made a solid effort in making this opportunity work for her class and as well for me as a teaching artist student. Many of the students appeared excited about the class, so I hope the work will reflect that. I feel confident in the semester since I am quite familiar with the different processes and techniques they will be working on.
  
  I am really happy I was able to attend their first day of class. I think it would have been more difficult to be welcomed by the group if I had started midway through the semester. The class would be rather familiar with one another at this time and less enthusiastic towards me. I am very excited to work with high school students, especially since they already have a fondness for the arts. It will be interesting to see what age group I feel most comfortable working with. Perhaps it will be the high school students since we relate closer in age? Or does that have an effect?
  
  
• Amanda Olson No site work this week.
• Jenna Schuldt No site work this week.
• Margit Strand No site work this week.
• Jake Sullivan No site work this week.

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of Jan. 28–Feb. 1

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek
  Jackson Magnet Elementary School - Elizabeth Simmer - Grade 3 - 6 hours
  I was excited when I had arrived at Jackson to meet Mrs. Simmer and her students. Little did I know that the entire days schedule was going to be crazy! There were a lot of events and lessons that needed to happen in a very short amount of time. The second I had walked in the classroom I was greeted and put to work. Mrs. Simmer had an art project for me to assemble as an example. I had to make "heart bodies" out of construction paper for valentine's cards. The rest of the cards were to be created by the students and then sent to the veteran's in St. Paul. Soon following, the entire class had entered the room and sat in a circle for morning sharing. I was "investigated" in the circle of students because they all had a question to ask.
  
  After morning greeting, a session of handwriting in the workbook was taught. The students were learning how to address a post card to a friend in cursive. The teacher showed the entire class post cards from all over the world that she had been sent and wrote an example on the board. Many of the students disliked writing in cursive, so I thought a post card was a great way to make the lesson more fun. Soon following, there was going to be a "Riddle Presentation" and award ceremony in the gym. The riddle presentation was performed by another third grade class to teach them public speaking. Awards were given out by the principle to students that teachers felt were excelling or just being a good model student. After sitting in the gym, it was time for a guest to visit the class. The visitor was a man who taught African drumming and brought along a truckload of drums for everyone to unload. When everything was set up, the man had briefly discussed what the class had previously learned about playing the drums. Then the singing and drumming began. I was absolutely amazing to watch the kids play and sing! They tried so hard to follow the beats and sing loudly! It was a great learning tool about culture, its language and coordination. After the drums were packed away, the math lesson was soon to begin. A student teacher came in to teach the class multiplication, along with definitions of factors and square numbers. At first I was nervous, and I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am an art student for a reason! The class was given a work sheet and I walked around to help them. Everything went fine! Since it was very cold outside, none of the classes were able to have recess outside. So, recess was held in the gym. After recess it was lunchtime. The students were complaining that they were hungry and I realized that lunch was at 1:00! They were the last class on the lunch shift and they also separated the student's tables by boys and girls. After lunch, the class had to go to the library to get a book and learn how to look up books on the computer. After they checked out their books, the students were divided between another class for reading time. Reading time was very chaotic because each child was at a different reading level, reading a different book, or taking a test on a book at the computer. On top of that, there was another teacher sent in to help them read. I read a book with a male student and finally ended my day with the class reading a novel together. It was a very fast paced day, filled with many teachers and students, but it was very fun and it made my day more interesting!


• Gretchen Doebler
  Gretchen Doebler Expo Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - 2nd grade - 5 hours
  Today I did my lesson! I was a little bit nervous. I was more nervous creating the lesson then actually presenting it. There were so many directions I could go when working with their math curriculum. Which direction would be best? Is this really relevant? How will they handle the project? I tend to think too hard about things sometimes and I think that inhibits me a little bit. But I was so excited to teach the lesson and w as even more excited when the students started coming in their eyes got real big in wonderment of what we would be doing today.
  
  The lesson dealt with the idea of recycling, re-using objects to generate less waste by taking objects and transforming them into creatures by utilizing and recognizing the shape and form the recycled objects are and also being able to recognize and find the symmetry within the forms. In the beginning we did a kinesthetic activity with our bodies and being able to see symmetry within in our bodies. I said to the class, "Think about cutting your bodies in half." As a way to visualize how one side of the body is a reflection of the other. I received comments back such as "Ouch! That would hurt!" And, "Gross!" When I was explaining, I didn't think about how literally they tend to think about things. It was great. Next time, instead of "cut" I should use other words such as divide...less graphic.
  
  The entire time the students were really engrossed in their projects. I was nervous maybe things would be real rowdy, noisy, lots of talking, maybe not paying attention but they were all so into creating their creatures! To get their attention if I wanted to make a point or say something, I did the "clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me" and they all stopped and listened, it was great. There was also a lot of feedback and sharing ideas throughout the room which was fantastic, I hardly did anything at all! And they had so much fun; I could really tell that they really enjoyed it.
  
  There a few things I would have done differently but I feel a really big one would have been to use nametags. From being in the classroom once a week I learned a lot of names but once I was up in front of all of them, asking them questions and calling on them, I got nervous, doubted myself, and also there are a few students that I really wasn't quite sure about their names yet and I didn't like pointing at them and saying "you" when calling on them for their answers. They all know my name and I feel I should show them the same respect and be able to call them by their names as well.
  
  Overall, it was great. I had a lot of fun, the students had a lot of fun, and I think Ulla and Lynda had a lot of fun as well!
  
  
• Alissa Rae Koch Clara Barton Open School - Mary Austin - 5th and 6th grade class - 4 hours
  
  Monday January 28th: 10:00-12:30
  Today was my first day of teaching my art infused lesson to Mary's class. The students were beginning a unit on Geography and History, so Mary and I came up with the idea to have the students illustrate their own unique creation story. This idea was generated by the creation stories and myths of the Native American culture, where many of the stories involve elements of nature. A requirement I had for this assignment was that the students had to incorporate at least one element of nature into their creation stories. I had the students begin their creation story with, "I was created when...", so it would give them a basis to start from. I began the day with a PowerPoint presentation so the students would have a basic knowledge of what a creation story is and the different approaches to illustrating one. I had problems loading my presentation on the schools computer, so I had to do it on my laptop, which was very difficult to display to the class. The difficulties of the computer distracted the students and kind of set the tone for the rest of the day. After the presentation, the students and I read 3 creation stories that I had selected and felt would get their creative juices flowing. The students then made a creation sentence (only a sentence long so they wouldn't get overwhelmed) and illustrated it in a preliminary sketch, so they would be ready to begin first thing tomorrow.
  
  Tuesday January 29th: 10:00-11:30
  Today was the second day of the creation story project. In the beginning, I gave a short presentation on how to use pastels. I wanted the students to know the different approaches to creating a thin and thick line, how the blend and smudge the pastels and how they could even mix colors. I think my demonstration was very effective because I noticed that some of the students were using the pastels the way I had suggested. One problem I did encounter was that several of the student's canvasette paper was taped upside-down. I was lucky to have some student helpers assist me in adhering the paper to the boards, but I wasn't clear enough on which side to have up. Lynda later suggested that a small "x" in the corner would have been effective, so next time I teach a lesson similar to this, I will most definitely do so. I don't think the students really understood their time constraints in creating their pastels drawings, so many students were taking their time and moving very slowly. I am wondering what I could of done to keep the students on track? Luckily, Mary was kind enough to let the students who were not finished work on it a little bit later that day. Overall, I feel the project went really well and the students enjoyed using a medium that they were not extremely familiar with.
  
  Perpich Arts High School - Nancy Norwood's Intro to B/W Photo class - 2 hours
  When I arrived, Nancy and I discussed and looked at what the students had been working on for the past week. The students were supposed to be completed with their photogram assignment today, but Nancy explained that you can not always set a schedule in stone because things are subject to change, especially since it is such a short class time. In the beginning of class, Nancy sent the students straight to the darkroom so they could finish up before class ended. I am sure it is a little difficult for them because it is two students to an enlarger, but at the same time they are able to learn through each other. Nancy and I graded an assignment from another class so I could get an idea of what she was asking of the students for this particular assignment and some of the work that had been created to fulfill these requirements. Hopefully, the student's work will be displayed next week so I can see the final results
  
  
• Amanda Olson
  White Bear Lake High School - Mr. Gritzmacher - grades 9-12 - 14 hours
  Monday Jan. 28th
  While entering White Bear Lake South Campus memories of my high school days came rushing back to me. As I walked down the halls, if felt as if I had never left. After signing in I made my way into Shawn Gritzmacher's room. Every morning there is homeroom for 5 minutes and introduction to the Movie Production class, which I will be sitting in on for the next month and a half. While we were going through the entire rule and what the students would be doing in the class, I noticed that Shawn really had a grasp on how to relate with the students. This is defiantly one thing I feel is essential when working with high school students. After sitting in on this class I am excited to be spending the next few weeks in it.
  
  Tuesday Jan. 29th
  Today in class we looked at examples of what the students will be producing while in the Movie Production class. They will be expected to have a completed 5-7 minute movie created with a group they will work with through out the project. We watched some Shrek storyboard presentations, so the students would know what they would be creating in their next few classes. I also sat through a study hall, which I spent correcting vocab pretests for the 2D class that is later in the day. It was really interesting to see how 9th and 10th graders write and why teachers want their students to type everything.
  
  Wednesday Jan. 30th
  In class today we watched a clip from the movie Amelie, which made me want to watch the whole thing. Anyways the students were instructed to take the information from the movie clip and create a storyboard that would show what happened next in the movie. I think the students had a hard time not shooting down each other's ideas. I am wondering what would have happened if the students would have listen to each others ideas and maybe combined a little of everything? They worked on these until the end of class. I found it quite interesting to see how the students interacted with each other. To my surprise they worked very well with each other in the end and I am excited to see them pitch their stories tomorrow.
  
  Thursday Jan. 31st
  Today Mr. Gritzmacher had the students pitch their ideas to him, and also me. I was very pleased with almost all of the groups. They got up there and pitched their ideas with sound effects and voice changes. I did not think they had the guts to practically act the story out. It was amazing. The stories were all very different; some took a romantic view while others took an action/drama view. I am wondering about the way they we assessed the students and if there was a better way to do it? Or maybe it was such a small assignment that it did not matter too
  
  
• Jenna Schuldt
  Perpich Center for Arts Education - Karen Monson - 11-12th Grade - 7 hours
  This was my first week observing Karen Monson at the Perpich Center for the Arts. I arrived and met Karen in her classroom. We chatted for a few minutes about the days' up coming activities. I met with another visual art teacher: Bill. The first class was 12 senior girls in a "Soft Sculpture" class. Most of them were making small, plush, and hand sewn stuffed animals. It was a class specifically created for seniors to take classes outside their desired majors. For example the class had no visual arts students, but instead literary, dance and theater students. This class is more independently driven. It is a short 3 weeklong class, so there isn't a whole lot of structure. I really enjoyed getting to know all the students.
  
  It was interesting to see how the types of materials chosen by each individual student was reflected in their personality or in their intended area of focus at the school. I started on my own little plush sculpture, while getting to know all the students. I found most them to be really inspirational.
  
  Later the whole junior, visual art class, about 45 students, met in Karen's classroom. All the students had designated tasks for the upcoming show. All the students were running doing different preparations for this show. It was difficult to insert myself into the situation because I didn't know the school well enough and Karen was rather busy helping each student. This was happening during her usual drawing and painting class. I didn't get to meet any of the students in the second half of the day.
  
  Karen and I had a conversation at the end of the day and we talked my final project with the students, and how the first day went. Today overall I felt like the day was unstructured. Karen assured me that it would be more structured once the show was finished.
  


• Margit Strand
  Hudson High School - Jason Lund - Grades 9-12 - 8 hours
  This was my first week working with high school age kids. I was there the entire school day and observed the following classes: advertising, drawing and painting one, advanced placement, ceramics and advanced ceramics. There are three different art teachers in the high school and I had a chance to work with two of them. I was really intimidated at first to be working with high school students but after the first hour I settled in and felt more comfortable talking with the students. All of the classes were conducted in a similar way. The teacher would introduce a project to the class and the students would work on it for the rest of the class period. The teacher would occasionally walk around the room and check on students or if a student needed help he would assist them.
  
  In all of the classes I observed I noticed the kids learning how to work together as a team and problem solve together. I saw students problem solving throughout the day whether they were working together or alone. Students worked through frustration with drawings and paintings. They would self evaluate there work and make decisions on there own about what should stay or go. They were also learning about composition and how to draw what they see and not what they think is there.
  
  As in most high school I observed the clicks of students. I noticed in almost all of the classes there were one or two students that were not really included by the other students. The teachers would include them, but the students would not. I'm wondering if there is a way to get everybody working with each other or maybe just working with different people?
  
  
• Jake Sullivan
  Jackson Preparatory Magnet School - Christopher Nelson - 5th grade - 6hours
  Today was my first day at Jackson elementary school, I arrived at 8:30 and classes began soon after. Mr. Nelson is the teacher, once students are seated he introduces me to his 5th grade classroom, I give a quick wave back and soon take the open seat next to one of the students at the four person table in the back of the classroom. Everyone gets c hecked for their homework assignment "turn to page 147" Mr. Nelson says. Most of the class had the page completed and were given a big X for completion on the grading clipboard, but if you get an O marked you have to stay in for part of recess in order to get all your work done.
  
  Mr. Nelson decided that it was time for the class hamster to run around in his plastic ball. Everyone gathered to the back of the classroom and sat in a circle. I joked to some of the students "do we just spin the ball around?" "Nooooo," they laughed and giggled. Everyone watched as the class per rolled around in the circle, and when it curiously bumped into someone they would just pick the ball up and set the hamster closer to the center of the circle. I believe this had to do with trust. Trust of the hamster to the obviously bigger kids. You have to be respectful to animals.
  
  Students were practicing their word skills as they clicked there way through the daily lesson in the computer room. I walked around in case students needed help. This also gave me a chance to interact with more kids and start to learn their names and become more familiar with each individual. As they clicked through the interactive reading they had to choose which word went best into the blank word space of each sentence. This proved to be just the right amount of interactive tools to keep the attention going most students.
  
  Yeahhhh!!! Shouted the classroom, after an announcement that recess will be outside today. After a long week of below zero temperature it was finally warm enough again to play outside.
  
  At lunch everyone ate with their jackets on since they went to recess first and then lunch. MMM.... School lunch, and milk cartons, makes your bones strong! Mr. Nelson walked around the tables and chose a student to clean the lunch tables, as was the daily routine. Mr. Nelson gave one student the "chosen-One" tap on the shoulders with each hand to let the student know they were selected to clean the tables today. I think this helps them feel responsible for keeping the tables clean because it might be their day to clean up after eating, or their friends turn.
  
  It was reading time, almost time for school to be over. At 2:20. I waved a farewell and it was time for me to go. I was on my way after good day at Jackson.
  
  

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of February 4–8

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek
  Jackson Magnet Elementary - Mrs. Simmer - 3rd grade - 6 hours
  My second day in Mrs. Simmer's class was not a hectic as the first. The children started the day of with a math assignment and then had group time for morning greeting and to talk about the day's happenings. Soon following, the students were asked to work in their handwriting books. They were working on connecting letters and not focusing on writing full words or sentences. I feel that this allowed the class to focus on each letter individually instead of forming words. During this lesson many students were allowed to leave and go to recorder practice. I was informed that the students were supposed to play with violins, but since they were the last class given the opportunity, the school ran out of them. I find this very troubling because I feel that many of Mrs. Simmer's students would have excelled greatly with the violin. Soon following was physical education, math, recess and lunch. Even scheduled event went very well, but I feel that many of the students are struggling with math. Math time seems to go by very fast. By the time a student grasps what they are doing, they have to put their books away and move on to the next assignment. I understand that there is not much time, but as a student who struggled with math, I know what its like to fall behind and never fully catch up.
  
  After lunch it was library and reading time. The students were supposed to check out books to read and take test on. The books are chosen based on a students reading ability and the goal is to get the students to read as many books as possible while advancing to harder reading comprehension. One student in the class did not check out a book and was not allowed to get another one. I decided to sit down with the student and read books with her that were already in the room. I was worried that she would not take advantage of reading time or learn that is was fine if she skipped reading.
  
  Teaching Artist Shadowing - Marie Olofsdotter - Mississippi Creative Arts Magnet School - 5.5 hours
  They day started of with Marie teaching the same project in three 2nd grade classes. Previously, the students were to draw out their mask designs of either a wolf or a bird to make into a mask that they would wear in a school ensemble in front of other students. This was to teach them about animals and what they represent. Each class was going to learn how to make their mask out of materials that Marie supplied. The base of the mask was a paper plate with sting to fit around their head and two eyeholes to see out of. Marie explained to the class that they had to create a "skin" or fur to cover their paper plate and chose a piece of felt or tissue paper that looked like their animal. This was to teach students about what makes up animals features and to be creative. After showing and helping the students cut and apply their "skin" Marie proceeded to show the class how to make other animal elements such as eyes with pom poms or a beak with a paper cup. I laid out all of the materials, such as feathers, jewels, paper, fabric and fur, than got to work helping the students with their imaginations. We worked from their drawings and I showed them how experiment with materials that would best work with their designs. The goal was to not let the student just glue whatever they wanted on the mask. This would force them to think about what they were making and what it needed to look like. The children were very excited to work with Marie and they seemed to know her very well. They were determined to do a great job and were excited to wear them. Making the masks and helping students was very fun and the students were willing to communicate their ideas and help each other. Marie seems very motivated, excited and determined to bring art back into the schools and I agree.
  
  
• Gretchen Doebler
  Expo Elementary - Ulla Tervo-Desnick - 2nd grade - 5 hours
  I was pretty excited today because the second graders were going on a field trip to see the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra perform and I get to join them. The students started coming in, gathered around for morning meeting led by Brenna and then couldn't get through it because they were talking and not listening to Brenna. The more frustrated she got the less they listened. They only thing they were able to go over were the rules they needed to follow in being a respectful spectator of the orchestra which included keeping their feet on the floor, not kicking the seats, respectful hand clapping, and no talking during the performance. Ulla, Brenna and I also took a couple students to sit with; a few that have a bit more trouble then the rest in listening and following directions so that we could keep a closer eye on them. But all the students did really well sitting through and listening to the orchestra, many following the rules talked about before leaving for the performance. I noticed during the performance that it was really interactive. There was a woman that pretended to be a reporter and throughout the entire performance she and some of the musicians helped point out key elements about the music, instruments, melodies, and so on. It was actually really interesting and I thought was really great in keeping the kids' attention and their interest peeked. I wondered if this was something that the orchestra always did. I sure didn't e remember doing anything like that when I attended the orchestra in school. Ulla and a lot of the other teachers actually brought it up and said that that was the first time the orchestra had done something like that and they all enjoyed it as well and thought it was a great addition to the performance for the kids.
  
  The rest of the day I labelled books for Ulla while the students went to science and then had reading and snack. One thing that I thought was so interesting was when a student came over to me and asked me what site I was on and explained I was on a school website that labeled the reading levels of the books so that they would know which ones would be best for them to read. He then asked, "Why aren't you on You Tube watching funny video's instead?" I couldn't believe it! It's so weird to see young kids like that so in tune with technology and things like that; it was definitely not something I expected from a second grader. It was so strange to me for a minute but also opened my eyes too, to how adept to technology we become as it grows and becomes more widely available, even at a young age.
  
  
• Alissa Rae Koch
  Clara Barton Open School - Mary Austin - 5th and 6th grade - 2 hours, 20 min
  Tuesday February 4th, 8:40-11:00
  Today was my last day attending my residency in Mary's class. When I first arrived I immediately began with a demonstration on how to write the creation sentence properly onto the border of the drawing. We had the students write their sentences with pencils first so they wouldn't mess it up when they finalized it with permanent marker. They also had to get the okay from either Mary or me before they began using the permanent marker, so we could assure that their spelling was correct. I gave some basic instructions so the students wouldn't further smudge their drawings; I explained that pushing up their sleeves might prevent this from happening. I also told the students that it would be best if they didn't write on the actual drawing because marker does not sit well with pastels. This process took a bit longer than Mary and I had presumed, so we ended up having to rush many of the students to finish up. Several of the students had wanted to repeat their sentence around the border, but ended up having to erase it because lack of time. As the students moved into math, I gathered all the pastel drawings outside in the hallway where they were going to be displayed. I took the time out to erase the extra marks that the students had left behind; they did such nice work, I didn't want the marks to spoil it! I also had the pleasure of hanging the work; I really enjoyed looking at each individual piece and reading the creation sentences that corresponded to it. It was a pleasure working with Mary and her class, I learned a lot from this experience and the personal interactions that I made. I hope that my residencies to come are as pleasurable as this one.
  
  Perpich Arts High School - Nancy Norwood Intro to B&W Photography - 11+12 grade - 2 hours
  Wednesday February 5th, 10:50-12:40
  Today when I arrived Nancy and I assisted a student of hers from another class with an experimental video she had created. She needed help deciding if the soundtrack she had paired with her video was successful, so we gave her some feedback and possible suggestions. Just before class had started Nancy had me go through some previously used photo boxes and gather all the unexposed paper in a miscellaneous box. I had to prepare 14 boxes for the class and assign them to each student. This was kind of helpful because I got to learn the student's names and how to properly spell and pronounce them. I finished just in time for the beginning of class. Today the students were learning about 35mm cameras and how to properly use them. Each individual student checked out a camera and took some time to get a feel for how they functioned. Nancy did a short lecture on the basics of the 35mm camera, which was kind of nice for me to refresh my memory. It was also nice to see how she introduces photography to her students; these sit-ins are valuable for me since I have the desire to teach in my future. I was really surprised to see how much prior knowledge the students had and also how eager they were to play around with the cameras. I am excited to see what the students come up with over the weekend!
  
  
• Amanda Olson
  White Bear Lake High School - Mr. Gritzmacher - grades 9-12 - 10 hours
  MPS North High School - Anna Beal/Biology - grades 9-12 - 2 hours
  Mpls North High School - Lynda Monick-Isenberg/Anna Beal - grade 9-11 - 3 hours
  This week started off at White Beat Lake High school. The students are getting a little more in depth with what a movie consists of. After watching Shawn teach this week and this week, I am wondering if the students saw more example of student work along with the professional work, that they would not feel as intimidated. By observing the students their confidence level with drawing was not very high and only showing the Shrek story boards, which was done by skillful illustrators, scared them into thinking that they had to be as good as the examples given. Real world examples could help students to thoroughly understand what a storyboard looks and functions like.
  
  Tuesday I accompanied Lynda to North Community High School in Minneapolis. I was at first really nervous because of all the bad things that I had heard about the area and almost backed out, but I felt that this experience was too good for me to miss. After arriving they had a surprise search of all the students. This was really strange to see happen, after growing up in suburban school that had little to no violence or drama for that matter. As I sat there I began to think about what these kids must feel like being brought up in an environment surrounded by crime, drugs and violence. I then understood that the kids were just trying to be kids and sometimes making bad choices like all kids, and adults do. In the classroom Lynda was teaching the biology class how to use observational drawings in their scientific journals. They all did a really awesome job and by the end of the day I realized I had been ridiculous for being nervous. These kids were just like every other high school student and that I should not assume or stereotype people or situations that I have never encountered before.
  
  I spent Wednesday and Thursday scoring storyboards for the two movie production class. The assignment was to take two images, one was of Mickey and his friends in Disney land and the other one was of Mickey in Paris. The students were to then take those images and make a up a story to show the transition of Mickey from one place to another. While reading and looking at everyone's I noticed a lot of creative stories being pitched and great illustrations. Another thing that I noticed went scoring these story boards was that most of the male students were pitching a story with violent actions happening towards Mickey or by Mickey to his friends. Why do these boys find violence so interesting? This is very disturbing and I am curious to know if it has something to do with the war or the Television shows on these days? I am really interested to see what these students come up with, knowing all of the rules and regulation that Shawn has put up.
  
  
• Jenna Schuldt
  Shadowing Anwatin Susan Armington - Middle School - 7th grade - 2 hours
  I met Susan at Antwatin Middle School in Minneapolis. Susan had the students making little boxes that have foldouts inside them. The students have been learning about global warming prior to Susan's arrival. The students were depicting their choice of imagery surrounding the main theme of global warning. Some students chose a specific place or event as the result of global warming. Susan introduced me to the teacher Mrs. Andrews, the three of us prepared for class. It was two groups of 7th graders. Some students were more involved with their projects than others. I could tell that some students used this time more for a time to socialize with their friends. The classes were each an hour long, it went by very quickly. Susan and I chatted about our schedules after class. Overall it was a really rewarding and stimulating.
  
  Perpich Center for Arts Education - Karen Monson - 11-12th - ???hours
  This is my second week with Karen. The first portion of my day is spent with a senior oil painting class. They are working on master painting of a Van Gogh of their choice. It has been great getting to know the students, for a lot of them; this is their first time using oil paints. On the first day we built stretchers and made canvases. This gives me the opportunity to work more closely with the students.
  The junior drawing class did portraits of a presidential candidate of their choice. We had a class critique of all the drawing in the student sketchbooks. We had a really interesting political discussion. Karen let the students lead most of the conversations. She was careful not to impose her own opinion on the students. On Thursday the junior were getting ready for the student show. I came back for the student show that same evening. After all the preparation the students put together a very good show.
  
  I'm wondering how to make a great still life in a small classroom?
  
  from LMI...Let's all give Jenna some suggestions on this in our next journal...
  
  
• Margit Strand
  Hudson High School - Jason Lund - 9-12 grades - 8 hours
  This week I was a lot more involved with the classes. First hour was prep time with Mr. Lund and I helped him set up a still life for his foundation class. It was really difficult setting up a large still life in a small classroom. Second hour was advertising and the students were working on making business cards for there mock business. I helped critique the advanced advertising students work. I looked at there designs and asked questions about each one. I found it really hard not to tell them what I thought would make it better but try and ask what they thought could make their designs better. Third hour I moved between Ceramics and Drawing and Painting two. The drawing students were working on a transparent shoe drawing. They were struggling with composition, but really enjoyed drawing details. The teacher had brought in her own work and was painting in the back of the classroom while the kids worked and would walk around the room and make suggestions. I walked around the room and observed the students drawing, but the kids didn't really pay much attention to me they just kept working. Fourth hour I stayed in Mary's room for drawing and painting three and studio problems. The students were working on a colorful still life that they had been working on for over a week. The students are a lot chattier in that classes so Mrs. Muchlinski has them bring in headphones so they can concentrate. A lot of the students will take one look at the still life and then try and draw it from memory. During fifth hour I observed between Mr. Lund's foundation class and Mrs. Muchlinski's advanced placement class. The advanced placement class worked well independently on their concentration projects. The Foundation class was learning how to make and work though viewfinders. Mr. Lund demonstrated how to use the viewfinder on the board. Some students were helping others and working though problem together. Sixth hour was Mr. Lund's drawing and painting one class. This is a very large class and they are all working on one still life that is set up on one side of the classroom. They are learning how to sight at measure and start to understand proportion, the students were very confused, I did demos at some at tables to show how I sight and measure. It was a lot of information for the students to understand at once and I think they felt a little overwhelmed. The day was wrapped up with seventh hour study hall in Mr. Lund's room.
  
  In all of the classes I observed throughout the day I noticed frustration and confusion. I saw the student's learn how to work though that frustration and work together to help other with what they were struggling with. I was hearing students talk about composition and negative space. They were learning the basics foundation principles. Students learn when there is an appropriate time to talk. I noticed the advanced placements students learning how to rely on themselves and not always going to the teacher for help. What I am noticing more frequently is students understanding what a "good" piece of art is. What I mean by that is they understand that you do not always have to draw a perfectly symmetrical drawing and they do not have to draw every detail.
  
  During the day there were a lot of problems with the still life that the drawing classes and foundation classes were working on. I'm wondering how to make a great still life in a small classroom?



• Jake Sullivan
  Shadowing Marie Olofsdotter - MIssissippi Creatvie Arts Magnet School - ???hours
  Jackson Preparatory Magnet - Christopher Nelson - 3rd grade - ???hours
  Today was my first day shadowing Marie Olofsdotter at the Mississippi creative arts elementary school. This is such a cool school; they have a drama room with props and costumes, a dance room, a visual arts room, and a music room. Art fills the hallways and all of it looks spectacular. The teachers there are incredibly welcoming and treat me like I have some special powers, the first day I was there I was already connected with a teacher who wanted me to come to her classroom and do an art project.
  
  When I arrived Marie was reading the 2nd graders their story they had written together the day before. The story included an eagle, a blue jay, a cheetah, and a wolf. All the kids were v ery engaged as Marie read aloud the story. After the story was over she decided to get the class excited for the drawing part of the animal masks and showed them some of her own masks. She had a sad face and acted out the part once she put it on. Each time she put the mask on she would face away from the students and then when she turned around they always had a instant excited reaction.
  
  Now it was time to begin their sketches for the mask they would create; as each student has already selected an animal for their part in the play they would take part in. One kid had a bunny and this bunny didn't look like any normal bunny, he was a ninja. I asked him if he knew any kung fu and he said he knew a little. Another kid was also drawing a bunny that looked a lot like Buster from the Arthur series. After I said that another student said that Buster has glasses, so he drew on some glasses. Some students were very fast and focus long on their drawing, but the ones who did were very good at being creative with this project.
  
  Thursday
  Today I went back to MCAS and visited the same classes that I had visited on Tuesday. Since I wasn't with them on Wednesday the class had moved along very well and were going extra fast since they had a field trip to go to on Friday. Today is the day when I came to the realization of how needy some students can be. This is especially true when they are working with new materials, some are less confident than others. One student was tracing his paper plate so he could cut out fabric. The tracing looked very good, but when it came to cutting the fabric it was "can you help me, can you help me." At first I wanted start helping the students and that would be it, problem solved, but this doesn't allow them to build confidence or feel proud that they overcame a task they didn't believe they could achieve. As I watched Marie I noticed that when a student asked for help with something simple like cutting she would say, "you can do it, why don't you try first." I decided that that was a good method to use.
  
  In the next class we were in a 3rd and 4th grade split. This class had a little bit of a different art project. They first made a short poem about an animal and drew the scene out in picture. This allowed students to put their own ideas of a scene into and image that is a very good way of interpretation/translation and being creative and expressive. They then would make a one page pop up book of the animals face, with the mouth popping up, and 3D materials for them to use and place inside the book. Most of the students liked to move very fast as though they were meeting an instant deadline. A lot of them were not shy at all. And then there were some who liked to move along with no help at all. One student had a "creative crisis." The project was just not working out for him, as he started to dislike his pop-up he began to be completely negative, and even was negative to other students at his table about their creations. Marie went and sat with him as he began to cry and lay his head down. She recognized in front of his classmates that he was having an art crisis, and that it is perfectly okay; in fact it happens to her all the time. Now she began to cheer him up and help him sort out where his pop-up went wrong. After a while he was back at it again and enjoying his art again.
  
  Friday
  I arrived at MCAS at 930 I entered a classroom I had not entered on Tuesday or Thursday, they must have been anxiously anticipating Marie because when she entered they all began clapping excitingly. It was my turn to run the hot glue station for the gluing on of the animal facial parts. It got kind of messy at some points because of the glue strands hanging everywhere. I made one girl a crown because she didn't know how, I did the same for another girl who made a bow tie. One girl couldn't believe that I could make crown and a bow tie and was telling all her friends who now wanted a crown too. Once the crown line gathered up with the hot glue line Marie told the students to try and make a crown themselves. As I remembered this tactic I convinced another student he too could make a crown or a bow tie; sure enough he could, and what a mighty fine bow tie it was.
  
  Now it was time for me to go to Jackson and hang out in Mr. Nelson's classroom at Jackson. It was lunchtime that I arrived, as I entered the lunchroom "mmm PB and J."I was happily greeted by many waves from many different students. It made me feel good that they enjoyed me being in their classroom. I walked around and visited with most of MR. Nelson's class. One student asked me if I was going to teach them how to draw today, I replied "maybe!" Another student asked if I was going to give them homework,I said no.
  
  Since it is black history month the class was learning about Dr. King and each table was focused on facts from different parts of his life. Each student had to pick a fact and illustrate it in a drawing that was to be colored also. This was my time to shine as a teacher so I tried to help any student who needed some inspiration or drawing help. I mentioned to one student how he was missing Dr. King's signature moustache and his hair. He said he didn't know how to draw either of those, so I started to make some quick sketches of possible solutions. Once I started drawing a bunch of kids got excited "Oh look, he's drawing" and they rushed over to see what I was drawing. Next it was reading time; I recommended a book to one student and she started reading it, she really liked it and we were both pleased. "Time to go get your jackets, you got to catch the buses, don't forget you have an essay to write".
  
  

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of February 11–15

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek
  No Journal entry this week.


• Gretchen Doebler Ulla Tervo-Desnick - Expo Elementary - 2nd grade - 5 Hours
  Today was my last day in Ulla's class and also the wrap up of my lesson. My previous plan was to paint our recycled creatures but Lynda had mentioned maybe using some of the materials to cover the body instead of paint and I thought that was a lot better. That way I could introduce and talk about texture. The kids were really energetic which was understandable since it was Friday the day before was Valentines Day where I'm sure they shared candy and valentines. They all worked pretty well actually along with talking and sharing and as they started finishing up, even playing with their creatures. We did a writing assessment at the very end where to help them when talking about all of our creatures as a group. One of the questions included: what kind of symmetry does your creature have? And there wasn't a single student that had to ask me what symmetry was again so I find that to be a success! Along with them being able to describe the texture's they used when covering the body of their creatures.
  
  I had also done some animal drawings over the week that I went and made copies of and gave to the class as coloring pages, sort of as like a goodbye thing I guess. They were a hit! Some of the other teachers came in and saw them and asked to have copies for their kids as well. So that was great. But I was sad to leave! It was so much fun getting to know the students and for the students to get to know me as well and appreciate me as not just a person but a teacher or mentor as well. And working with Ulla was so fantastic, I feel very lucky to have been placed with her because she is definitely a great example of someone who teachers because they love to teach, and it's in their heart which I hope rubs off on anyone that works with her, it definitely did with me.
  
  As for answering Margit and Jenna's question: I always enjoyed having a lot of objects to choose from in a still life where I would look for an angle that I thought would be interesting or fun to draw. You could go to the thrift store to find a big variety of unique, weird, interesting objects that you could pick up for cheap. I also enjoyed having layers of stuff, layered like a wedding cake with different levels. You could use small boxes like shoe or Kleenex boxes as a way to layer the different objects.
  
  
• Alissa Rae Koch
  Perpich Arts High School - Nancy Norwood - Intro to B&W Photography - 2 hrs
  I really enjoyed my time at Perpich today because I felt I was able to interact and make a connection with many of the students.  When I first arrived, Nancy and I discussed and re-arranged the dates I had originally planned to teach my lesson.  Nancy is highly flexible and willing to do anything to enrich the experience for both her class and me.  There is a lot of planning to do, as well as testing the different procedures/chemicals we intend on using because they could be a little aged from sitting on the shelf.  I am happy that we are discussing this way in advanced so I can be fully prepared when it comes time to teach.  Anyway, right when the students arrived Nancy had them get prepared to unload and develop their film for their first time.  This was really scary for a lot of the students, so it was nice to be there and help the students that were struggling.  There were a couple of students that were not able to grasp the process at all, so I walked through it step-by-step with each one.  Since the room is completely dark when unloading the film, I would demonstrate with my hands and I would have the students feel my hands so they could get an idea of how to perform each task.  Many of the students ran into several problems with this first session, whether it was the initial loading of the film, the re-winding of the film, or using the wrong kind of film.  Nancy explained to her students that you learn through your mistakes and I ensured them that these same mistakes have happened to me, which I felt made them feel more comfortable.  I am excited for next week to see what the students shot!!


• Amanda Olson
  White Bear Lake High School - Mr. Gritzmacher - grades 9-12 - 12 hours
  I am still at White Bear Lake High School in the movie production class. The students worked on costume designs all week, which was a very interesting experience for me to both watch and question. The costume design project began with the student watching about 45 minutes of a Cirque du Soleil performance. After the film, Mr. Gritzmacher handed out photos of different performers including acrobats, clowns and musicians. They were then to figure out which one they had and why they thought that. This exercise did not go very well because the students were not inspired by the subject matter. I am wondering how this could have been more interesting for them to do? Would they do it if it was worth points?
  
  The assignment that went along with this exercise took the rest of the week. The student were to create a costume for either a acrobat, clown or musician for a show title "The History of Dreams," keeping in mind how elaborate costumes can be depending on what the performers job is. I noticed that most of the students stuck with the assignment, but others were doing what ever they felt like doing. This was hard to see because I thought this was such a cool project. I am wondering what could have done to get them back on track? Or should we let them go with it? It is so hard to know if you tell the students they are doing something wrong, even though it is art and you really can't do something wrong.
  
  I have begun to write my class proposal for the topic I would like to teach. I ran into some problems and had to change my plan several times. My original idea was to teach the students how to use Photoshop and create movie posters, but the dilemma was that the class consisted of 35 students and only 5 computers. It would have taken me 2 weeks to teach and work on this with the students. I am glad that I am working in a big high school because it gives me a chance to learn how to create projects to accommodate a lot of students on a timeline. After discussing with Mr. Gritzmacher and doing some film marking research I have come up with a group project to still teach the students Photoshop and give them a nice final product. I am curious to how these high school teachers deal with the class sizes?
  
  
• Jenna Schuldt
  Karen Monson - PCAE - 4.75
  The first class of the day is an oil painting class. These are 12th graders working on master paintings of Van Gogh and Vermeer. They have two weeks for the two paintings. Today was there midway critique. Megan Rye was the teaching artist for these assignments. Megan Rye has been coming to PCAE for a bout eight years and teaching a short oil painting lesson to the students. I wasn't informed that we would have a guest that day, so I had to fill in the pieces as I was listening to her speak. Rye brought her dog class and was very high maintenance about how the students handled her dog. At first I thought that this wasn't professional behavior on Rye's part. Dogs can be very distracting for high school level students. But as the critique went on the dog was very well behaved and I think made the student feel more at ease around Rye. About half of the students didn't finish their paintings in time for the critique, this made Rye rather upset. She told the students that there wasn't a reason for her to teach there if they didn't finish their paintings, there is nothing she could teach them if they didn't do the work. I have had many college professors that have motivated me to work harder, just because I was afraid of them. The students at PCAE are very fortunate, and I feel fortunate that our state can have a state funded art school, that is free tuition and most supplies are provided. This school sets up students to succeed. They have a great advantage when they continue on to college.


• Margit Strand
  Hudson High School - Jason Lund - 9-12th grade - 5 hours Shadowing - Teresa Cox - Meeting - 1 hour Today Mr. Lund and I discussed what lesson plan I am going to incorporate in his drawing and painting one class. I am going to demo shading on a still life they have been working on in class. By using a graphite stick instead of graphite pencil. I sounds really great and I can't wait to do it.
  
  In the advertising class the students worked on their mock businesses by using different advertising software such as Photoshop. The students were learning how to work together on the computers. I'm wondering if the students could work longer on their design compositions on paper before putting them in the computer?
  
  When I was observing the Mrs. Muchlinski's drawing and painting class the students were working on short drawings. The teacher and I talked about organization in a classroom and how important it is. She also let me look through her lesson plan books for the drawing and painting class. By having the students pay for their brushes and paint it teaches them to have more responsibility and the learn how to take care of materials.,br>
  In her drawing and painting three class the students started a watercolor and pen and ink drawing. They were learning how to experiment with a new medium. I wonder if a demo of watercolor would work well with the student's experimentation of the material?
  
  The foundation class worked on a still life that will take place over the next couple weeks.
  
  I meet up with Teresa Cox this week at her studio in St. Paul. We talked about her what she was going to be teaching at the Science Museum. It was really wonderful to meet her and see her studio.
  
  
• Jake Sullivan
  Mississippi Creative Arts School
  I arrived at 12:30, today was the first day marie would be preparing students to rehearse the play. The back ground was green cloth for the forest and gray cloth for the mountains. The students really seemed to enjoy this because they were able to imagine the background instead of actually displaying mountains and trees. The story being rehearsed was about cheetahs, bluebirds, wolves, bunnys, and eagles. All students were expected to play along and participate. The play dialogue required that there be two sets of performers; group one and group 2. They would rotate and who ever was not performing would say the lines all at once. I believe this helped students to participate and understand the importance of audience and performer.
  
  Some students were more energetic and expressive thatn others, Sometimes things had to be rehearsed a second time right away.I think this was to show students hust how important it is to rehearse correctly. Marie lead one group of second graders and then she asked me to lead them through the play. I acted as narrator, and made sure that everyone was in their correct place. some students were more composed than others and those who were not composed needed some extra direction.
  
  Jackson Preparartory Magnet Elementary School
  I arrived today at 830, a half hour before class was going to begin. For the second time students greeted me very nicely. Although i was already excited about being present, the students being happy to see me made me feel happy. Today there was alot of people trying to get there journal homework done before class was called into session. Mr.Nelson said that books now needed to be closed; I believe this was to stress the importance of getting work done on time and ahead of time. The math test was at ten, but before that everyone gathered in the back of the room to play a game called 'honey do you love me?' The teacher who was in operation of this game was not Mr.Nelson, but a teacher who goes into multiple classrooms and does lesson plans throughout the day. The teacher is Mrs. Boulanger. Mrs. Boulanger gets very excited when she enters the classroom. My first day at Jackson she had been way for a couple of days and when she entered the classroom the class cheered in excitement. We gathered in the back of the classroom and formed a circle we were now going to play "honey do you love me." One student starts in the middle of the circle and then they have to walk up to someone and say as crazy as they want "honey do you love me" the other person has to say " honey I love you but i just can't smile" if the student smiles when replying they have to go to the center of the circle, and the process repeats. The first girl who was up was hillarious with the game, she jumped in front of some one got on one knee, threw her arms up in the air and yelled "honey do you love me" everyone broke out laughing and of course the person who was suppose to reply started cracking up uncontrollably also. This game works well because it loosens up everyone and they lower their boundaries a little bit.
  
  Mississippi Creative Arts
  I arrived at 12;30 and was just in time to watch the class perform the play which I participated in helping them rehearse. There were some parents who arrived and another second grade class as the audience. everyone was so excited. The play ended and everyone did the cha cha cha. Now it was time to be rewarded for a great show, and the class went back to the classroom for some milk and cookies.
  
  

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of February 18–22

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek
  Jackson Elementary - Mrs. Simmer - 3rd Grade - 3 hours
  Today was a great day and children were excited to have recess outside, since the previous weeks were too cold. I had a discussion with Mrs. Simmer in regards to the arts infused lesson plan. We had decided to work with the subject of space and let the children design their own paper mache planet. The rest of the day consisted of visiting the library and watching a movie on the Chinese celebrations and customs. This was to share other cultures with the students, many of which the students already celebrate. During silent reading time, many of the students were not following the rules and some did not even check out a book. The class was stopped, and new rules were addressed. I think in this case there were too many options for the students to remember and they are not individually assessed as they read. The new regulations and library visits seemed to make the class more comfortable.
  
  Marie Olofsdotter - Mississippi Elementary - 5.5 hours
  Three second grade classes were to come to one room at a specific time and practice their play with the animal masks they we had previously made. Each classroom had their own story and songs to sing as the students acted out the scenes with each other. Marie was very fun and relaxed around the students and read over their lines, while directing them. The students were great and tried very hard to recite and remember their lines! It was also Valentines Day and everyone was excited to open his or her cards and eat candy. One of the teachers would not allow her students to celebrate until they earned ten hearts on the board for being good. Throughout the practice they lost and gained many hearts. I thought that this idea was a great way to enforce the importance of what they should be doing and focus on their actions. Every student was very determined to do well and in the end everyone received candy! My favorite part was the singing and dancing to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Song, the YMCA and the Cha-cha! I had a great time working with Marie.
  
  Jackson Elementary - Mrs. Simmer - 3rd Grade - 6.25 hours
  Today was my day to teach a lesson plan that was based on the planets. Since the students had just visited the planetarium and are going through their lesson on space, this project was perfect. We started the day off with a worksheet that allowed the class to name, color and give characteristics to their planet. I thought that everyone had understood the worksheet, but when it came time to color the planet, the worksheet had to be re-explained. Doing the worksheet together on an overhead could have solved this problem. After the class completed the first step, it was time for a paper mache planet demonstration. When the children saw the green balloons they were very excited and it was hard to get their attention. When I brought out the glue and showed the students how to put the newspaper strips on the balloon, many were disgusted. Especially the boys! They did not want to get dirty and did not believe what they were getting into. Right away the class got started on their projects and they seemed to be very excited. The boys were getting a little bored with the project, while the girls loved it and did not want to stop. I think this was due to the boys wanting an end result right away and having to wait for them to dry for a day was not fast enough. They seem interested in testing their planets strength over anything else. Soon the class had to go to recorder practice and I and the other teachers worked on double layering their planets. I was afraid that the planets would be too weak and not up to the boy's strength standards. After double layering the planets I felt better about the end result. Mrs. Simmer had labels printed off to put on the covered balloons. Something that I had completely forgot about! Overall, the project went very well thanks to the other teachers help and guidance. I'm glad that the class was open and willing to try something new and have the chance to be creative.
  
  
• Gretchen Doebler
  No Journal this week.



• Alissa Rae Koch
  Perpich Arts High School - Nancy Norwood - Intro to B&W photography - 2 hrs
  Today when I arrived Nancy and I once again looked at the schedule for the semester and how it is going to unfold. We made some final decisions about the cyanotype lesson that I have been developing, which is very helpful in planning my sessions with the students. We decided that sensitizing the fabric ourselves is too complicated with the amount of space and time that we have to work with, so I have decided to use my allowance towards pre-sensitized fabric. When the students arrived they went straight to work making contact sheets and prints for their assignment. I stayed in the darkroom with the students and helped them with any questions they came across. A couple of the students were absent on the day that Nancy went over printing, so I had to instruct them how to do so. I found this really enjoyable because not only do I love to teach, but it was also a good refresher for me. These experiences help me develop a vocabulary and a way to teach photography, which is extremely helpful since I have the intentions to teach in my future. It was also nice because I was able to build some one on one relationship's with the students; I want the students to feel comfortable with me and confident while in the darkroom.
  
• Amanda Olson
  White Bear Lake High School - Mr. Gritzmacher - grades 9-12 - 6 hours
  This week the students spend the two days I was there, watching Ratatouille. They are starting on their animation assignment for this class so they watched it to get ideas.
  
  On Thursday I did a mini introduction for the project and I felt like I was talking to the wall. The students were looking at me so blankly it made me really self-conscious and I want to crawl under the table and hide. Is this a defense mechanism against new authority figures or is that just what they are like at that age? This made me really scared for next week when I have to teach my lesson, which will be all week long. For the PowerPoint presentation I tried to find ads that they could relate to, or would think was funny to hopefully show that I am not that much older then them and that I can relate to them on some level. I also thought that if I used some ads that were funny or cool it might help them learn and retain the information given to them easier. I also realized this week how much work goes into planning these projects. It is very tiring, but I can't wait to teach the kid at Barton in a few weeks.
  
  
• Jenna Schuldt
  PCAE- Karen - 11-12 grade painting - 3.5 hours
  Today started with the final critique of the 12th grade oil painting class, of their master studies of Vermeer and Van Gogh, with Megan Rye leading the critique. Rye was in a lot better mood, despite the fact that about half of the class didn't finish their paintings. By the end of the class we were all laughing and joking around. All the students are very talented, but struggle with time management. Rye really pushes the students to her high expectations. At first, I was very unsure about Rye's teaching methods, I wasn't sure about her scare tactics, but now it is very apparent that these students have less structure than traditional state schools.
  
  In the after noon the 11th grade drawing class used reductive methods. They all toned their paper with sticks of charcoal and then continued to highlight with the eraser and add shadows with a heavier applied charcoal. Their still life was a small skeleton. Next week the students will be drawing from a model. Karen is teaching them the structure of the body. This class is always very focused and producing very interesting and individually different drawings. During the class critique the students are very active and involved. The class has important dialog about the work in the last 10-15 min of class. These students have such a strong advantage than other high school students who are interested in art. There are using methods of drawing that I learned in my first year in college. With the right amount of discipline, structure and personal ambition these students have real potential to work in the competitive art world.
  
  
• Margit Strand
  No Journal This Week


• Jake Sullivan
  Jackson Elementary - Christopher Nelsons - 3rd grade - 6.25
  Today I gave a short materials lesson and worked with students on using water color. I am not presenting them with the illustration art project until next week, so today I had some time to get them more comfortable with paint and drawing. While everyone was finishing up their journal entries I was busy setting up. Slowly the students gathered and sat in the back of the room before I gave the short art lesson. I reminded everyone that I was an artist and that I was a college student because some had asked me if I was an artist, so I figured I should clear things up. I showed the class some watercolor paintings I brought with and everybody went "ewe" and "awwwed." It was comforting to see instant excitement shown. Mr. Nelson asked everyone if they have ever used water color before and most of the class raised their hand. I showed the class what we would be doing; we were going to paint a very simple fruit. Two fruits total, an apple, a pair, or an orange. I did a quick demonstration of how simple it would be, and everyone became instantly eager to begin. I had everyone go sit at their tables and the "getters" would get two water cups per table. Other students helped me pass out the paints, paper, and drawing references.
  
  Once everyone had their materials and had a drawing down I passed out the brushes and the class began painting. Many students applied the paint very carefully, and paid attention to the shading and movement of the shape as I had mentioned in the demonstration. It was nice to have some time to walk around the classroom and give tips to those who were struggling. There was not one miss behavior in the class, they all did so well, and some were amazing for not having experience with paint. I made sure to recognize and compliment as many as possible. Today when I left I felt as though I did something important. When I put my coat on every student said goodbye one after another "bye Jake" and waved.
  
  I am unsure about giving feedback to the fifth graders. I was worried about giving any sort of criticism. Do I tell them if something could be better than it is? Or do I stick with compliments? It's easy to tell them if a problem is wrong but I am concerned on how to tell them their illustration isn't working. I noticed that some students can become very critical of their own work and beat themselves up if something turns out unexpected.
  
  

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of Feb. 25–Feb. 29

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek
  Mrs. Simmer - Jackson Elementary - 3rd Grade - 6 hours,/i>
  Today was an unpredictable day because the students were going to paint their paper Mache planets that they had previously made. I have never painted with 3rd graders before, so I did not know what to expect. I knew that the students did not have much painting experience, so I had planned to do a painting demo. At the beginning of the class I saw the students working on their morning math problems and other assignments. To cover the tables the teacher and I put large pieces of cardboard over them. The class then put away their morning assignments and I saw the teacher helping them to put on their painting shirts. I gathered the class to surround one table and then went over are planet painting goals. The students had previously designed and colored their planets on worksheets, so I had to explain how to paint their planet with the colors they had chosen. Mrs. Simmer did a great job in preparing the paint and finding enough brushes. I placed one color of paint on a single plate and gave each plate its own brush. There were about six colors at each table. This prevented the students from using water or making their colors muddy. It worked out great because the class had to take turns and share.
  
  Since some students needed colors that we did not have, I mixed the colors from what the class had. I showed the students how to create pink, teal, gold and grey. They were absolutely astonished that I knew how to create colors. As the class painted, Mrs. Simmer and I replenished the paint and helped the students with painting. Overall, the painting project turned out great and students wanted to take them home immediately. I saw nothing but excitement and happy faces! The planets turned out fantastic and I was glad to take photos of them I had a great time with Mrs. Simmer's class and I will miss them greatly! I hope they will have more opportunities to be artistic.
  
  


• Gretchen Doebler
  No Journal this week.


• Alissa Rae Koch
  Perpich Arts High School - Nancy Norwood - 11th and 12th grade Intro to B&W Photography - 2 hrs
  When I arrived Nancy gave me a little introduction into her life and how she stays organized; she has so much on her plate and I don't know how she does it. I really enjoy observing her and how she interacts with her students; I think that there is a lot to be learned from her. Before the students arrived, N ancy and I tested the different cyanotype surfaces that she had stored away from previous classes to make sure they were not expired. We wanted to prepare them before the students got there, so we didn't get in their way. We exposed the pre-sensitized surface under the ultraviolet light that is stored in the classroom, which naturally attracted many of the students. They were very curious to what was going on, so they asked an abundance of questions. This made me happy since this is what I will be teaching them, they seem really excited for this lesson on cyanotypes. Over the course of the class period, the students worked independently on finishing up their prints for their class critique that would be f ollowing the next day. Nancy and I made ourselves available to any questions that the students had about their work, however, many of the students seemed to have a good grasp on what they were doing.
  
  
• Amanda Olson
  White Bear Lake High School - Mr. Gritzmacher - grades 9-12 - 15 hours
  After all of my stressing out and planning I finally got to teach my lesson to the movie production class. I began with teaching them about Advertising and what makes a good/bad advertisement. I had a power point presentation for the students that consisted of scanned advertisements that we then discussed. The discussion was the part that really made me nervous because I didn't think they would actually talk. To my surprise they were actually quite engaged and had some really interesting thoughts about the ads I chose. After the class on the first day I thought back to what I could have done better, I am wondering how I could have kept the students more on track? Could I have been better prepared? How could I have explained the project better?
  
  On Tuesday I just had the students draw out the composition they wanted for their ad. This part was also something that I could improve on. I am wondering if I should have made everyone from the group do a sketch or just on person? I feel that there were people in some groups that did most of the work and others that did almost nothing. How do I grade something like that? Are group projects good/bad to do?
  
  Wednesday I started three of the groups on their poster design. I did I little demo to show them how the tools worked and then let them go at it. I helped a lot, which I thought I would be doing since they barely knew the program. The rest of the week I continued working with all of the groups on their advertisements and got them all finished Friday. I feel that they turned out pretty good. Some of the students caught on really fast and that helped a lot with the creation process. I am wondering if this project should have been made longer to better explain what an ad is, how it is made, why certain choices are made and so on? I feel that they didn't understand text and color and I am wondering if I should have explained that better? I am feeling relived to be done with this project and proud of the final products that came for this lesson.
  
  


• Jenna Schuldt
  Shadow Susan Armington - Patrick Henry High School - 12.5 hours
  I met Susan in the classroom that we would be teaching all day at Patrick Henry High School. We were teaching ninth graders in a geography class. She had the students working on a large-scale map of China. Each class was about an hour long and there was 6 hours. Each student had a province to trace, cover it with fabric, make a capital city, and insert mountains or deserts if needed. The day went by very quickly, the students would just begin to work and then it would be time for a new class to come in. I helped the students with all the different tasks and some took the project more seriously than others. The hardest part for the students is knowing where to start. They had a hard time with tack-oriented projects When I was helping the students individually I would ask them about their experience with art and if they liked to take a break from their studies to learn about geography through the arts. This high school is located in North Minneapolis and it is much different than my high school experience. I have learned so much from these students. They have put in me unexpected situations. I have learned so much about myself and what kind of teacher I want to be. The teachers are very inspirational, their students challenge them every day, and they always keep their cool and set a great example for the students.
  
  Karen Monson - PCAE - 7 hours
  This was my last week of observing. I used some of the class time to research in the library and work on examples. The day began with the 12-grade oil painting class. The students are working on an independent series of paintings. This project is mostly self-motivated and these students still struggle with time management. There is a longer due date for this project and less structure. Some students work really well with this amount of freedom, but others have trouble focusing. Some students hadn't started painting by Thursday, when the start date was Monday. These students are so talented, they need to learn discipline to be able to work to their full potential, I am wondering if these students are mature enough to take on an assignment of this scale, without specific instruction.
  
  The 11th grade drawing class was working from a model for this week. This class is very focused and follows direction well. They produce great work and they are improving each week. They are all very smart and they have very interesting discussions about the work. They have been working with charcoal and different experimental drawing techniques. They enjoy getting a little dirty, but they ned to continue developing their craft. The studio feels a bit physically disorganized and it is easy for the students to forget about upkeep of the studio. I can't wait to do my own lesson with them. I think they will benefit from longer observed drawings. Most of their drawings are about a half hour studies. This will be a two highly observed drawing. I've been working on my lesson plan, using the backward planning model.



• Margit Strand Jason Lund - Hudson High School  - 8hrs
  During the prep hour Mr. Lund and I talked about the still life that the students had been working on for the last couple of weeks. The Advertising class finished there business card and was staring a new project with Photo shop. The students were all working hard on their projects and were very involved with the computers. They were helping each other with photo shop problems. I'm wondering how a teacher can be more involved with a computer based class?
  
  Drawing and painting two was still working on their shoe drawing which are almost done and look really great!! This class has a wonderful sense if composition and negative space. I noticed in this class that some students had finished there drawings while some were just starting. How can you keep a large class moving at the same pace?
  
  Drawing and Painting three are in the middle of working on a watercolor still life. They have come a long way in there watercolor skills since the first time I saw them experimenting with the medium. There was a progress critique were the students had to fill out an evaluation of their work so far and how it could be improved. I think that the review is a really good idea because it helps the student step back from there work and hear what others are thinking. I had a hard time participating in the small group critiques because I found I wanted to give too much constructive criticism. I was scared that I would offend the students if I was honest with there work. how much constructive criticism is too much? Can high school aged kids take that kind of constructive criticism? I found my self asking a lot of question but getting back short and not thought out responses. What kind of questions help students think about their work more deeply?
  
  The other Drawing and Painting one class was a lot more gratifying. The class was working on a still life and it was there second day shading. They all had beautifully thought out contour line drawing of the still life and were VERY scared to start shading. I was hearing a lot of students say "I always wreck everything when I start shading". I went around the room trying to convince them that they were not going to ruin anything by shading. I could feel confusion and frustration with the students. It was really hard for me to explain to them in a clear way what they needed to do with there work.
  
  The Foundation class was working on the same still life as the Drawing and One class. They were also starting shading. Some of the students in this class were more talkative and it was hard to have them focus. I was hearing the same frustration with shading as the Drawing and Painting One class and tried pushing them to just start laying in values. I am wondering how to get students so they are not so afraid of ruining there work?
  
  
• Jake Sullivan PUT THIS WEEK'S ENTRY HERE

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CVA Student Journal entries from the week of March 3–7

The following are excerpts from this week's Teaching Artist Students Journal Entries.

• Nicolle Brichacek No journal this week.
  
  
• Gretchen Doebler
  Jaci Sullivan - Clara Barton Open School - 3/4 grade - 6 Hours
  I am transitioning to a brand new classroom with a new group of students after having gotten to know the students in Ulla's classroom so well. One of the first things I noticed when walking into Barton was all of the art and projects covering the walls, so exciting! I also noticed it is a very old building and it reminded me of my own elementary in Elk River, which I loved just for that reason so I new I was going to love it here as well. I met Jaci for the first time in her classroom, she seems wonderful and I love her room; there is just neat stuff to look at and explore everywhere! It was really great. Also I don't think the students have lockers, but they have these two neat little cubby closets where everyone puts all their stuff, it just feels more homey or something, I don't know but I really enjoyed that feeling.
  
  The students were all coming in and looking at me and I noticed instead of introducing me right away, Jaci simply let the students approach me on their own and ask me myself why I was there, which I thought was great but I assumed most were too shy to come ask. A couple said hi, but I mostly got curious gazes. When everyone was in, she then introduced me to the class and I found out that her classroom is actually a mix of third and fourth graders. I continued to walk around looking at all the neat stuff and projects while the students chatted and read books until it was time to start the day. They first worked on finishing up some math assignments and Jaci also included me as someone who the students could go to for any questions or help with their work. I wondered if anyone would because I had noticed that in Ulla's class, a lot of students were hesitant to ask me, either because I don't know them quite yet or because I'm not the teacher and therefore they might think I don't know exactly what their working on. But I was glad that someone did ask me!
  
  They had morning meeting and one student who was in student council filled everyone on the upcoming events, like the book drive. It was great to watch because I noticed that all the students' questions about the book drive were directed to the student in the student council instead of to Jaci. Not that Jaci doesn't know, but because it gives students a chance to be leaders, teachers, and show how they can learn from each other too, not just from the teacher.
  
  The students then had a spelling test and I took half of the class out into the hall and gave them their words while Jaci gave the test to the other half. After that, the students actually had a visiting artist come into the classroom. He I believe was a performing artist and it seemed like he had been working with them for a while. They started with activities such as making noises with their mouths, making movements with their bodies, using their imaginations and exaggerations. Then we did an activity where we learned how to work together and trust each other with one student trying to lead the other student across the room by giving commands and directions while the other has their eyes shut. It was a great teamwork exercise. I also noticed in myself the ability to let students know when they should be paying attention without hesitation and always in a respectful way. Before, I was hesitant to do so because I was afraid of how the relationship with the student would be from that moment forward with my discipline but I've realized so far from working in Ulla's classroom that it's what students need and actually expect that from an authority figure. I was also more aware of picking up on students that might have a little problem paying attention or listening when sitting next to each other and purposefully chose to sit next to these students just to keep them engaged in the activity and not with each other. After the teamwork exercise, the visiting artist pulled out a guitar and performed songs while the students sang a long, it was really
  
  fun. Then the students got to work on their writing assignments which involved research on Greek and roman gods, and describing their gods. I wasn't quite sure exactly what they were doing, but by to read and locate facts and details about their god or goddess and then summarizing and goddess and all of them were fantastic!
  
  We had recess and lunch and Jaci gave me a tour of the school and then had me meet and join Meri, the art teacher for a bit while the students were at gym. Meri was really great, talking to me about teaching and her own experiences and stuff like that. Then we discussed the projects the students were currently working on and how she goes about creating lessons, and such. It was fun.
  
  When I rejoined the class, I noticed Jaci had set out a bunch of odd and end pieces on all of the tables. I wondered what they were going to do next. When the students came in and saw, they were al