Community: New Setting, New Faces
You enter into a new educational setting. Some (or none) of the faces are familiar and you are expected to attend to your duties straight away. You have lessons plans and examples to prepare, displays to set up, and in some cases, classrooms and carts to keep organized. As a first year educator, attempting to jump right into the community may not be the first thing on your list. If you feel alone, remember that you are not the only one! There are plenty of new faces to meet, and every one of them has been in the spot that you are in right now. So the question remains…What can you do to join your community? There are ways of plenty to achieve your goal of becoming part of your community!
The Co-Workers. Your co-workers are going to be your supporting staff for the time you spend in your work environment. I would recommend getting to know them as soon as you can! In my situation, I got to know 4 out of 5 elementary schools in my district. I enjoy the fact that I got to know so many people and work so well with my community. In the beginning, I did feel somewhat left out because I did not feel like I was a part of any group. I wasn’t around to get to know my peers as well, and I was always busy setting up for the next class. I soon realized that I didn’t need to be a part of one group, but that I was a part of all the schools I visited!
I had the joy of becoming a first time mother while I was a first year teacher as well. My experiences with all the schools helped me to appreciate the collegiality and dedication in the district. Teachers were helping out toward the end of the school year when I was close to the due date, and all three had even offered a small baby shower. I was overwhelmed with the generosity and friendship shared!
You’ve heard my story, now create yours! Is there a social committee in your setting? You may want to join, or ask to observe the meetings until you have a better handle of the policies and protocol. Many school districts have plenty of committees to join that you can offer your expertise in! I highly recommend getting to know your co-workers and being a part in creating a positive environment in your school. When the teachers have a positive attitude, it does wear down to the students!
The Parents and Guardians. In my situation, it took some effort to have a good connection with the parents and guardians of my students. This is a step that most teachers need to take on their own in order to show the dedication and hard work to help children be their best in their classrooms. With the travelling, it is difficult to keep up with parent phone calls and letters home, but it’s an important step that needs to be taken.
One of the bonuses of living in one of the most diverse school districts in the Chicago land area is that many parents have knowledge to share about their cultures. When I taught a lesson on Egyptian hieroglyphs, I had a parent from Egypt come in and show artifacts and papyrus sheets to my students. Many others parents have volunteered their time to assist at the Multicultural Fairs and Literacy Nights.
Kindergarten Mandalas at the Multicultural Fair, 2008
If you meet a parent that offers their assistance in your classroom, discuss it with your superior and take advantage of the experiences offered. Invite the parents and guardians of your students to join an art club project, or even set up an invitation for an upcoming field trip to a local gallery or museum.
1st Grade African Masks, 2008
If there is a parent/teacher organization in your school, try to show off some of your student work at the meetings. Parents always love to see their students’ work displayed! Make sure you have a typed out explanation of the lesson along with the state/national standard.
The Local Community. In my district, all art teachers have an appointed time to set up a local village display and a board meeting display. The local public loves to see the local accomplishments! If you have a set date to display your students’ work, collect items from each class (don’t forget to label the artworks!), and prepare the display with the lesson descriptions and standards.
Many communities offer contests and art shows to participate in. I have my 3rd through 6th grade students participating in art show contests (supported by local frame companies), vehicle sticker contests, and even poster contests. Encourage your students to take advantage of these opportunities and enter their artworks. If you have a difficult time locating information on contests and displays, don’t hesitate to ask your superior or call a local paper for which direction to go.
In some situations, you may be required to create a media posting for a local paper or even the school newspaper. This is a great opportunity to promote the students’ work!
The State and National Community. The state and national conferences are great places to make new friends! Even when you sit next to another art educator in a presentation, you have the capability of creating a new connection. He/she may be another elementary art teacher in search of newer ideas! It’s always a great idea to network at the conferences and participate! It’s one of the most enriching experiences you’ll have in your professional development.
I had also mentioned in a previous posting about the division groups available. Take advantage of the opportunities given to you and contact your division group. Since I am at the elementary level, I had joined the online group and shared lesson examples with others. If you are interested in joining your division group, visit the board of director’s page!
You may not achieve all your goals in the first year of teaching, but it never hurts to take the steps to assist in building a stronger community all around. You are part of a foundation that strengthens in time!
“Even the newest team member has something to contribute to the effectiveness of the whole team.”
--Jennifer L. Steele and Kathryn Parker Boudett
-Heidi O’Hanley
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Steele, J. & Boudett, K. (2008) “The collaborative advantage.” Association for supervision and curriculum development. Vol. 66, No. 4 pp 54-59
You might not even achieve any of your goals. People should prepare for the fact that it could take many a year before any single goal is achieved; depends on the goal, of course.
Posted by: flirting tips | May 03, 2011 at 03:35 PM