First DAYS of School

Our first official day of school with students was August 19, and the first day went well.  Of course, it is an exciting yet sometimes anti-climactic day.  Students and teachers are very excited to see old faces and new faces, but it is also a day of policies and procedures.  It is true that I had to give the same info to each class about their drawing shelves, supply fees, sketchbooks, objectives, goals, and the list goes on. 

One decision I made this year is to keep an index card for each student.  Each student wrote their name, contact information, and then completed a short pre-assessment answering four questions:
1. Why did you want to be a part of an art class at Ramay?
2. What kinds of art projects have you completed in the past?  (examples: ceramics, collage, etc.)
3. What would you like to learn in art class this year?
4. What is your goal in art class this year?
I explained to the students that it was important to answer honestly, and that perhaps they did not want art class but their other electives were not available.  I do not want students to tell me answers they think I want to hear.  This year’s answers are different in many ways from last year.  Many students – about 75% - want to learn how to draw better and their goals ranged from creating a graphic novel to maintaining good grades – including a good grade in art like their previous year of art in middle school.

The students are going to revisit their notecards during the second week of school, and as a class, we are going to chart the classes’ goals and think about ways we can help each other achieve our learning needs.  The students will revisit their assessments throughout the year.  Last year I took on that burden by reviewing each handwritten goal and think about how I could help that student learn.  However, this year I am going to schedule dates when the students revisit their notecards to reflect and assess their learning needs.

So far, my classes are grand – truly!  I am hoping this grand trend continues, and we can all learn and grow together.  Have you started school with your kiddos, yet?  What do you have planned for the first days of school?  Happy Learning!

~ Nikki F. Kalcevic