Amy Chou
AA 192 SL
Entry #5

Wednesday, February 20, 2007

What NOT to do (next time):
• Forget masking tape
• Assume the will provide supplies
• Forget that not all the students can paint at the same time
• Purchase paint bins liners

Preparation and taking everything into consideration is key in running a lesson. Above were a few things I forgot to consider this past week, which made things a little hectic.

What to do (next time):
• Make an extensive list of supplies, run it through Sonja, and double check the list

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.:LOVE:.

I am currently taking Barbara Kruger’s Advanced Drawing course. Our class is given a different word each week and this week’s word was, “Love.” I am interested in how the word “Love” is a socially constructed idea that altars over time, especially with age of an individual. I provided the word “Love” on a large white poster board, which I place one in Broad and another in Ms. Williams classroom. I wanted to compare what the word meant to different age groups. The students got really into the project and contributed endless photos, poems, and drawings. I was surprised in what the word “Love” meant to them and how it related to romance, sadness, humor, family, and friends.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

Amy Chou
AA 192SL
Entry #4

February 24, 2007

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Ms. Chou!” screamed Stephanie. The students began clearing their desks and removing the heavy chairs down to the floor. I call them my ‘core group’—they arrive to school half hour before the bell rings (7AM!) and despite the earliness, they are eager to start class. We continued last week’s project, which we decided to call “Glue with Chalk.” Ms. Williams is planning to display the works along the walls in the hallway.
Reynaldo raises his hand and asks, “Ms. Chou, what else can I do to this [picture]?” I try to stray away from ‘telling’ students what to do because I do not want to impose and interrupt their process. I have come to realize as a student, myself, I encourage and respect suggestions and comments from my professors, T.A., and peers. I worked with Reynaldo in developing his piece—adding a background, highlighting the flowers and creating a stronger foreground by adding details of grass. I could tell he appreciated my suggestions, which allowed him to think about the various possibilities of this assignment.
We began the layout of the murals and hopefully, we will be able to paint next week. The students are ecstatic to have their works displayed for the public and so am I! I think the mural will set a brighter tone in the school (versus the dull, yellow stained walls).

Entry #3

Amy Chou
AA192SL
February 8, 2007
Entry 3

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Even till this day, I still feel a bit odd when a student calls me ‘Ms. Chou.’ We had a wonderful experience with printmaking last week and I was afraid that this week’s curriculum would not be as successful. This week’s topic focused on plants, particularly flowers, in which I introduced the artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. I’ve begun a trend of having the students read a quote from the artist, followed by a discussion before jumping into the activity. The students were hesitant to talk at first, but they in fact had a lot to say once the discussion began. One student explained how O’Keeffe grabs the attention of the viewer by enlarging the image and placing it in focus.

We used the same process of synthesizing realism and abstraction as O’Keeffe. While some students created a more simplified flower, others worked in detail and precision. There is a sense of accomplishment from each student whether they were interested in creating an image of a flower or not. Just the whole idea of having a completed piece of work that one had created on his/her own is meaningful in itself. As I walked around the room, I noticed some students who quickly drew a flower and I am curious in whether they were really satisfied with their work. How do I differentiate a student who may like simplicity from a student who’s just too lazy to put more effort into his/her work? I know I cannot expect every student to fall in love with art but what are some other ways can I relate art to something they’re interested in without ‘telling’ them what to do?

While we were waiting for the glue to dry, we critiqued last week’s project. I truly believe in the importance of having oral skills and articulating oneself in front of an audience. It was not so much of what they had depicted, but to practice speaking about process, purpose, and significance behind a piece. Ms. Williams and I discussed about painting a mural along the hall to ‘beautify’ the campus. Unfortunately, we only have 3 more sessions before they go off track so it will be somewhat difficult to paint a mural within that time. I suggested we use the prints we had made and create sort of montage out of them. Ms. Williams also suggested the idea of including some haikus written by the students, which I thought was absolutely brilliant (I believe in the importance of fusing different subjects such as poetry and visual arts).

Entry #2

Amy Chou
AA 192SL
February 1, 2007
Entry #2

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

We began the class with a brief history of the famous Japanese artist, Hokusai. Despite the fact that it was 7:26am, the students were very attentive and eager to create works of art. The students were assigned to create their own interpretation of a wave, incorporating their own sense of style. One student, Alex, designed a wave that transformed into a dinosaur. Another student cropped the size of her print, and overlapped them on top of one another in a diagonal direction. The decision-making in the choice of size, style, perspective, and depth are all characteristics of what defines as a creative artist. Drawn by the vibrant colors spilling over the roller, the students were ecstatic to print and reprint their etchings.

As the rest of the class participated in the workshop, a few had to sit out and complete their previous day’s homework. This brought up the issue of making sure students complete their homework—as a teacher, how does one reinforce the importance of homework and how to seek help in completing it as well. I also noticed a parent came in to speak to Ms. Williams in regards of her son’s problem in completing his homework. Ms. Williams had to ask one of the students translate for her—how important is it for a teacher to know Spanish, particularly teaching in a school made of mostly Latinos? How do teachers promote parent involvement in a student’s academic life? Many of these parents work all day or speak English, so what can the teachers, the school, the school district, and the community do to promote a stronger relationship between the parents, the students, and the schools?

FIRST SESSION!!!!!!!!!!!

Amy Chou
AA192SL
January 25, 2007
Entry #1

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Today was the first day of my residency. Ms. Williams truly has an amazing class, and each student exemplified so much potential. The students began the class by reciting a poem called “Deepest Fears,” by Maryanne Williamson. I was breath-taken by their confidence, clarity, and power in their voices. I hope that one day they will realize how significant this poem is in relation to their education and their future. I decided to teach the class about color, and the class took the assignment to an unexpected level. On student, Carmen, described to the class why she decided the draw a triangle and a circle, and what they represented. She explained the triangle as an object that represented power because of its sharp angles, while the circle represented weakness because of its roundness. Another student, Alex, created an image of a crown above a triangle and called it “King” (he had referred to himself as ‘Alexander the Great’ in the beginning of the class). These sixth grade students discussed the same topics and issues as Art students at UCLA during a critique. It is astonishing in how Art can act as a universal language, igniting complex and intellectual conversations among all ages.

As Ms. Williams and I discussed about the schedule, she brought to my attention that Carver M.S. would be on a two-month break from February to March due to the lack of funding and they make up those two months by having the long (7:30am- 3:30pm) schedule. During these two months, the Carver M.S. does not provide any extra-curricular activities for the students. Most of the students’ parents work during the day, so it leaves the students with lots of free time and more possibilities of getting into trouble. Since the school goes on a two-month break, it enables the students have sports teams or clubs. These students have no other means of expression, which is so important in the process of learning.