2nd and 5th Grade Art Class

Today was a bit different than expected.  I arrived well before class so that I could assist in arranging and organizing the materials for the day, but was surprised that there was a substitute teacher filling in.  I introduced myself and why I would be working with her and asked her about her experiences as a substitute teacher.  Mrs. Logge, told me that she was actually an english teacher and had worked briefly as a teacher, but that as her children got older, she decided that she wanted to be more actively present in their lives.  Thusly, she opted to teach on a substitute basis.  I learned that she has been substitute teaching for my Cooperating Teacher for over 8 years.

Aside from the initial surprise of the substitute teacher, I was eager to get working with the second grade students on their projects, and fortunately Mrs. Logge didn't completely understand the projects, therefore I was able to teach the class, based on my previous experiences.  We worked on a straw weaving project, that was very similar to a technique I had learned in Belize Central America.  The children found this information fascinating and it became a teachable moment.  While the students worked I explained the reasons for different cultures to create weaved containers.

In addition to contributing to the three second grade classes, I was similarly able to help the fifth grade on their plating projects.  This project was similar in that it involved weaving patterns in paper, so many of the same lessons applied.  As the students worked, many of them experienced difficulty remembering how the project was intended to come together.  So I asked a student who clearly was understanding the project, to give a class demonstration for everyone who was having difficulty.  This was a good choice, as it uplifted the student who was excelling, and those who truly needed a nudge in the right direction.

This classroom experience was enjoyable, and challenging because of the unexpected substitute, and the lessons themselves.  I was satisfied with my response to these challenges.  It was good to know that I was truly prepared to handle the unexpected, and that I was flexible under pressure.