Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach. The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that he or she teaches (e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement area(s).
ELEMENT A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards and their district's organized plan of instruction.
During my time at Cache La Poudre Elementary and Middle School, I was able to design multiple lessons addressing different medias and practices within the Art worlds. For example, Six Grade Art Exploration created sculpted clay creatures that focused on one emotion or feeling. Each student had their own decisions to make, but each standard was address through the natural artistic process. By aligning artmaking through Colorado Visual Art Standards, students have the opportunity to explore, observe, ideate, created, and reflect. Students begin understanding how process is equally, maybe more important than product. Here is an example of the Learning Objectives aligned with CO Visual Art Standards:
"By observing Ceramic Artist Examples, students will be able to explore and see Pottery’s wide range of cultures, locations, and time. (Comprehend, GLE: 1A, Bloom’s: Evaluate, Literacy: Vocabulary)
While exploring the properties of clay, students will discover the relationship between clay, air, and water. (Create, GLE: 3B, Bloom’s: Understand, Artmaking: Pottery, Literacy: Vocabulary)
Students will be able to choose their emotion, use existing art elements to communicate body language, facial features, and personality. (Reflect, GLE: 2A, Bloom’s: Apply, Literacy: Clay Creature Plan)
Students will use simple clay processes and rules, like slip and score, clay thickness, and kiln properties. (Create, GLE: 3B, Bloom’s: Apply, Artmaking: Pottery)
After using paint to help communicate emotion through color, students will reflect on their artistic process and decisions that led to the final product. (Transfer, GLE: 4C, Bloom’s: Remember)"
ELEMENT B: Teachers develop and implement lessons that connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematics.
The most important component to lesson design is the connection to students and the world around us. To develop a project that allows students to see the opportunities beyond the classroom is very important to my teaching philosophy. At Cache La Poudre Elementary, I designed a STEAM lesson on fish with Third Grade. We began the project by studying fish: Where do they live? How do they live? What do they look like and why? An artist uses observation to help enhance their art and students got the opportunity to connect to the wildlife in their community and around the world. Once students studied and observed fish, they were able to create a fish out of clay using a real fish for reference or design their own. Here is an example of a diagram talked about together as a class:
ELEMENT C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
While studying Art Education, I was taking classes that covered all disciplines including painting, drawing, screen printing, graphic design, Fibers, Pottery, Sculpture, and woodshop. Throughout the years, students would develop a deep knowledge of studio styled learning to help implement content, concepts, and special characteristics being taught. During my years in the art program, I took began concentrating in Fibers, which means I took second level and advanced classes to push my Fibers work further. This allowed me to equip myself, as an educator, to know what can be done, what is best for students, and what is important to address in the art classroom. For example, I designed a weaving exploration project with Fourth Grade. Without the training I've had, I wouldn't be as prepared. On the left is the work from the Fourth Grade class, and on the right is my weaving.