On SchoolArts' Facebook page, I asked "What are your biggest challenges as an art teacher? Here are some of the responses, in no particular order:
"Getting my new principal to value what I do!!!!"
"Time and resources. Just not enough time to give quality input, experiences, discussion, and feedback. The creativity is lost to the process because of time restrictions and class allocations timetables. I teach in Scotland and our frustrations seem to be very similar to yours."
"Having 730+ students to
keep track of. It's just too many."
"LARGE classes - I have
several classes over 30 and a class of 35 and if one happens to go to
alternative campus or move away - I have a new student knocking on my door.
Also, only ONE planning period, then 6 back to back classes. Also, classroom
management is an ongoing battle. And yet, it truly is the best job in the
world."
"Having an average of 24 hours to teach my curriculum after throwing fire drills, field trips, pep rallys and all sorts of other interruptions into the mix, and then having to give pre and post assessments for achievement and growth to determine whether I'm an effective teacher. How much can students grow with just one full day given them to learn, practice and master skills and information? Administrators and government officials in your nice offices, show me what you in do in 24 hours and allow me the privilege of publicly (be)rating you for the public to see. From what I can tell, not much of substance is coming out of state and national government even after being given a whole term to accomplish something!"
"Getting others to see the value of art education."
"Having an average of 24 hours to teach my curriculum after throwing fire drills, field trips, pep rallys and all sorts of other interruptions into the mix, and then having to give pre and post assessments for achievement and growth to determine whether I'm an effective teacher. How much can students grow with just one full day given them to learn, practice and master skills and information? Administrators and government officials in your nice offices, show me what you in do in 24 hours and allow me the privilege of publicly (be)rating you for the public to see. From what I can tell, not much of substance is coming out of state and national government even after being given a whole term to accomplish something!"
"Getting others to see the value of art education."
"Teaching a good foundation course in 45 minutes one time a week. Too
much to do, so little time! So I want pop corn lessons that pack lots of
objectives and skills in few sessions. I'm in the process of developing that.
Too much info. out there for linear curriculums, that is out of touch with the
realities of classes (field trips, extra curricular activities and other
interruptions). II am not impressed with perfect linear curriculums that don't
match to the chaotic class schedules/interruptions!!---there is just less time."
"Right now, NO planning
period except on Friday. Try 7 back to back classes most days."
"Time. I have 30 min prep at
the beginning of the day and no passing period."
"My biggest challenge is administrators think 30 minutes is long enough for art class, once a week, elementary level."
"Balancing time for the kids who WANT to be in art vs the ones who GOT
PUT in art for the credit and don't want to be there (they disrupt and slow the
learning)."
"Getting technology in my classroom. I have none... zip,
zero, zilch. :("
"Keeping materials organized. Storage."
"Like of administrative
support and lack of budget!! Also, the perception that art class is a
"dumping group" or that it's an "easy A" - you just show
up."
"Classroom management. My
middle school students think that art is recess! Its difficult to manage the
chaos with such large classes and no para educators!"
"Short attention spans of
adolescents and their addictions to cell phones."
"Too
many kids crammed in to too small of an area."
"Being cut from the budget.
Fundraising can only do some much. I am lucky to love my job. But there are no
guarantees."
"7th grade attitude..lol"
My next question is "What suggestions do you have to help any of these teachers?"
To the teacher that said no plan time- I say check your contract or talk to your NEA rep because I thought giving teachers a plan period was a requirement! That's crazy!
ReplyDeleteMy challenge is that my classes are almost all at 35 students (or more). No matter what I do, the classroom management is a bear, and the behavior problems dominate the class activities.
ReplyDeleteThe value of art education to the mainstream general education staff and faculty has been torn down from colleague to supplemental, and to the point of optional. When our K-6 art program was taken from core, we were put in untenable positions. The truth is our American Education values Art less because general education training no longer requires art education, just two art history classes to complete the BA. There is ignorance of the processes and curricular power of the arts, ignorance of the impact the Arts have on brain development, and belief that Art Educators aren't trained as real teachers. We need a stronger lobby at every level.
ReplyDeleteAnd now we get to add Corona Virus to this list!
ReplyDeleteNot a solution- asking for advice: I learned and taught art in Texas, and can empathize with the folks having 6 over sized classes, not enough time to prep and plan, and budget troubles. But I did see them everyday so getting them into routines helped a ton with the flow of classes (middle school, five Year 6 classes and one Year 7). Now, I work at a British system school out of US, teaching grades 2-8 once a week each, with way smaller classes sizes. I also make the yearbook here. And yet I struggle more - are there any other art teachers teaching this range of grades? and if so, how do y'all manage?
ReplyDeleteWhen I have had too many students all day long, and not enough prep time, it has been overwhelming. I have found that having students do similar projects, but age appropriate projects. For example if I did a school wide theme of rainforest, then my resources in the room are the same for all classes. Materials can be similar as well. Another suggestion is to use similar supplies at the same time. For example, don't have one class/grade doing clay, another using paint, another using pastels. Now I know that storage also plays a factor here. For example limited dryrack space, or storage for clay projects can be tricky. Creative storage and planning goes a long way. At the beginning of school year I map out all my projects based on themes and materials needed.
ReplyDeleteSporadic schedules can be an issue for me as we have a lot of inclement weather days, random awards assemblies, random fire drills, other class fieltrips, etc. that throw our schedules off. On top of that having a few students out 2-3 times per week for enrichment (they pull them out of electives if they are not doing well in core for tutoring), makes getting through a project and moving on to the next one difficult.
ReplyDeleteIn less than a decade, my high school art experience has changed dramatically. Remember how Friday afternoon was reserved for a big messy art project? Due to testing, kids don't experience art as often coming through the grades. And all those Obama-era benchmarks? Elementary teachers have never visited that page on the state curriculum website. They're just carefully crafted words--Nobody is held accountable. Due to video games, few children entertain themselves with drawing and painting. My high school students use to come into class with, at the very least, raw artistic instinct--They were compositionally savvy. Today, my students are able to do less than half of what I assigned just five years ago...and they do it on paper half the size! I'm expected to pass everyone...because "it's just art." Administrators are litigious. They know they'll not likely see a lawsuit because someone was passed along through art classes without ever really knowing or achieving anything. Today, a quarter of our juniors and one-third of our seniors are in running start (community college). Many of my classes, all 9-12, are predominantly sophomore and freshmen. There's very little behavioral or skill leadership. It simply makes my job more difficult. The rewards are still there, but a toll is exacted.
ReplyDeleteCovid year on top of teaching K-12, was my breaking point. I talked to administration about the the affects of a large class for my younger students, it was unfair to them. When you can't walk around because there are so many students, how are they able to paint? how are you able to teach and clean up? They heard me and my students win! This year is amazing, I have small classes now, I have time to prep between classes and best of all my students are enjoying the process! I am so glad I talked to administration,they listened! I love what I do . . . again!
ReplyDeleteRemember my fellow educators these immortal words,"The race is not given to the swift, nor the strong, but to those that endure till the end." Our battle to impart wisdom to the youth is a noble calling. Let us proceed with the mindset that this is not a sprint, but rather a marathon, so that we may claim the victory as the winners we truly are.
ReplyDelete7th grade attitude Lol!!!! so true
ReplyDelete