Confessions of a Weeb Art Teacher

caroline, 23, adult(?) weeb. i masquerade as a competent human being and make art with kids all day.

[the-weeb-art-teacher]

04

One of the biggest takeaways I’ve had from my Media and Information Literacy class is the concept of UDL (Universal Design of Learning), which advocates for classroom curriculum to be accessible to all types of learners (including ELLs, students with IEPs/504 plans, and those that align with one or more of the VARK modalities). 

Technology in the arts classroom can facilitate the expression of curriculum in in multiple forms: for example, instead of simply giving oral directions to the class when initiating a project (which would appeal solely to Auditory learners), one could demonstrate the process of creating the project using an overhead camera that projects the process visually in real time (which appeals to Visual learners). A teacher could also provide students with written instructions or guidelines (which would appeal to learners with an affinity for Reading and Writing) on a PowerPoint slide or a printed handout. 

Providing students with multiple points of access to the curriculum not only has the potential to increase their retention and learning, but also makes the learning environment more equitable and accessible to individuals who might typically struggle to succeed in the classroom. 

[the-weeb-art-teacher]

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[the-weeb-art-teacher]

02

In the art classroom, we tend to encounter a lot of issues surrounding artistic/intellectual property and copyright. While a lot of students understand that it is not okay to copy and paste content and insert it into their work without citing it properly, the concept does not oftentimes naturally translate to the arts. Most of the time we see this as students copying reference images of other people’s art (more often than not obtained from the internet) and claiming the ideas as their own, and in my ceramics classroom I have noticed that several students tend to make their projects very similar to the in-class examples rather than taking advantage of the flexibility of the project criteria that I give them. 

The issue of copying in art becomes more complicated when you introduce the idea of using reference images and inspiration, and when you encounter students whose foundation for an interest in art resides in a fixation on a specific artist or aspect of visual culture (for example, I went to school with people that would draw anime and literally nothing else). It is also further complicated by the fact that becoming an effective artist sometimes involves copying others’ work (this process is frequently employed in arts education, and many artists claim that it helps them to get a better sense of how a master artist works or how they might use a specific approach or technique).

Thankfully, there are a lot of resources out there that can help students obtain a better grasp on what it means to use references in a way that can both help them learn and keep them out of legal trouble: Common Sense Media offers several resources on copyright, fair use, and creator rights, while a page managed by the US Government offers several primary resources that clarify what copyrights are, how they work, and how they differ from similar terms (trademark, patent, etc.). It would be interesting to offer students several different resources to investigate regarding copyright and fair use, and to have those students present and compare their findings to others (which not only solidifies the content on an individual basis, but helps clarify more complicated information). 

I would also direct my students to modifications that they can make to their search tools to ensure that the results they see for a given search only yields images that are fair to use, including this quick and handy filter for Google:

1. Search an item as you normally would.

2. Go to Settings, then scroll to Advanced Search:

3. Scroll down to Usage Rights, then select the desired filter. 

One can then resume the advanced search and discover items that fit their criteria. 

[the-weeb-art-teacher]

So this is the nifty SAMR model, which basically breaks down the different tiers of technology integration in the classroom. In the earlier stages we have enhancement, where tech is basically used as a substitute, and then in later/more advanced staged we begin to enter augmentation territory, where tech allows for “significant task redesign.”

While it’s great when we’re able to completely redefine a task using technology, though, not every single classroom activity necessarily needs to be modified in such a way: in a traditional art classroom we do not usually go beyond enhancement, but I could conceivably see tasks becoming transformed if students posted their artwork to online platforms for public view (and, in some cases, even sale!). 

I’ve heard of art teachers posting their students’ work on Redbubble (with permission, of course), a really nifty company that a lot of artists (including myself) use to expose their work to a more global clientele. Customers can choose to have a selected artwork printed on a variety of products--from mugs and t-shirts to wall tapestries and posters-- and a portion of the proceeds always goes back to the artist. Redbubble is great because there’s no risk (i.e. having 25 shirts printed and then only selling 20 of them...which has definitely happened to me...), and the artist doesn’t have to manufacture, print, or ship anything. The funds raised can be used to purchase class art supplies, and students are provided with the opportunity to showcase (and validate) their artwork, which has been super important to my own confidence as an artist. 

[the-weeb-art-teacher]

01

As of maybe August 2017 I will (hopefully) be a full-fledged, salaried art teacher working in Southern California. I’m currently finishing up my teaching credential and Master’s Degree and student teaching at a local middle school, and will be teaching middle school art for a few weeks over the summer. 

As a teacher I am all about helping students reach their full potential: I aim to engage and challenge, and am interested in finding alternative ways to engage students (particularly students that are hesitant to engage and participate) in learning. I am also into differentiating curriculum, or adjusting projects to fulfill individual student abilities, interests, and needs, work hard to ensure that individual students are reaching their artistic goals.

I am also all about students being themselves: I see kids trying to mold themselves into something they’re not far too often (especially in middle school), and know from experience how difficult it can be to be different. I hope to be able to provide an environment for my students where they can feel comfortable coming into their own as individuals, and don’t feel pressured to act or do things a certain way. Instead of putting each other down, I encourage my students to collaborate and learn more about one another, to not make assumptions or draw conclusions about other people, and to be empathetic to others’ situations and circumstances. 

[the-weeb-art-teacher]

introductions

This blog is a required participation component of the teaching program into which I am currently enrolled. That being said, there’s no reason that I can’t make something of a project out of this. 

First off, however, I wanted to clarify a couple of things before we go knee-deep into the trenches of a middle school arts classroom:

I say “in the trenches” because a middle school art classroom can be nutty. For those of you who are un-indoctrinated: yes, it does get louder and messier than you would think. Part of the appeal?

I love my students: they’re weird, and wonderful, and do lots of things that make me scratch my head and others that leave me with a belly ache from laughing so hard. I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t love them. I imagine that on this blog I’ll talk about them a lot, but to respect their privacy I won’t post pictures of them or their work. You might have to suffice with an MS Paint doodle or use your imagination.  

Teaching is so much harder than it looks. Like, holy crap, it takes everything out of you. People like to think that art teachers have it pretty easy; that we just pass out supplies and give instructions, and rely on the kids’ own talent to get them through. I’ve been a teacher for less than a year, and already know that I am going to encounter students who, for some reason or another, do not want to be there and are not going to change their minds. Part of the reason I’m starting this blog is to vent about situations that I cannot change, but it’s also intended to serve as a window into the reality of the classroom. It’s not all glitter and puffy paint in here. 

I’m not a miracle-worker: In continuation of the above point, I thought it pertinent to mention that I am under no illusion that I will be able to help every student that walks through my doors, as much as I wish I could. It’s difficult to teach one to appreciate art, and in some sense a lot of the most vital aspects of appreciation are rooted in an internal drive to want to engage and understand. In these cases I do what I can for students, but the reality is that there are oftentimes things outside of the teacher’s or administration’s control. 

If you have any advice for any situations I might bring up on this blog that I have yet to identify solutions to, please let me know. I’m a new teacher, and still have a lot to learn in terms of the more practical side of arts instruction. If you are a student, teacher, or parent that has encountered a similar issue, I’d love to hear your side of the story and how (or whether) the issue was resolved. 

If you have any questions, drop me a message!