Week 8 & Reflection

For my last lesson with Ms. Gustafson's 6th grade class I decided to do a review of our Egypt unit. We revisited the content and coordinating dance elements we covered in previous lessons. I was surprised by how much the students remembered! They knew so much about Egyptian life, culture, religion, and government, and they still hadn't started learning about Egypt in their social studies rotation yet. They also remembered all of the dance elements we had experienced together, and were able to demonstrate and explain them. I was so proud to hear and see that my lessons were actually being absorbed and remembered. After reviewing I had the students create a phrase in a small group that reflected one specific aspect of Egyptian life and used each of the dance elements we discussed. I was impressed by their creativity and performance etiquette. Overall it was a great lesson!

Looking back on my Arts Bridge experience I see that my teaching has definitely gotten stronger. I have learned a lot of things from my students as well as from working with Ms. Gustafson. I learned that there are different kinds of students and how to best teach them. In most classes:

• There will be complainers. Learn to encourage them and help them be positive. 
• There will be minimal participators. Learn their interests and incorporate them in class.
• There will be outcasts. Become their friend and help their peers see the good in them. 
• There will be cliques. Break them up and help them get to know more of their classmates.
• There will be teacher's pets. Let them speak but allow others the opportunity to participate. 
• There will be quiet students. Don't let them slip through the cracks and go unnoticed. 

Each of these student types present a different challenge and have pushed me to adjust the way I normally teach. Also, with these different student types I've had to remind myself not to fall into stereotyping, but rather be consistently observant and responsive. That is what will help me teach to the individual and facilitate the most growth possible. 

A few other things I have learned from my experience are:

• Assigning groups is not always the best choice. Sometimes students do their best work within the comfort of friendship.
• Improvisation needs to be worked up to or done with clear parameters in order to not overwhelm them.
• Addressing potential problems in safety or behavior before the opportunity for them to occur  happens is always the best practice.
• Clarity in instruction is crucial to successful accomplishment of the task. 
• Surprises are a powerful tool to increase engagement and enthusiasm. 
• It is hard to teach full bodied movement in a small classroom.
• Even if it doesn't feel like it, students are constantly learning from not only the things you teach from your lesson plan, but from your actions, attitude, personality, and overall example. 

As a whole, my Arts Bridge experience has been informative, challenging, and rewarding. It was so fun to get to know the students in my class and teach them about the art that I love so much. I am grateful for the chance I had to participate in this program, and am excited to keep developing as an educator.