GLBT

I like and agree with the thought that "good teachers teach about all different types of people." We are not doing our jobs if we avoid or try to leave out people's sexuality. I am in no position to tell students or give advice about their "sexual identy" but I am there to treat them with respect and provide a safe environment to learn. I would have not problem with students who "came out" to me because I support and have gay friends. I would show them the same respect I would give any of my other students and offer help and guidance just like I would to any of my other non-gay students.

To tell their friends and family is completely up to them. I had a friend that after he told me he was gay, he waited a whole year before he told his mom. When she did find out it was a huge relief to both of them because they could actually talk about it from then on. Every gay friend I have had has had a supportive family and community. I am shocked when reading about harrassment to the level of yelling and abuse within the schools to gay students. There needs to be some quick action by the community to get involved, educate themselves, and learn their manners. Its OK to have different opinions but that does not give anyone the right to harass and threaten others.

I like how the chapters talked about using non-threating and offensive language like "that's gay" because it is unnecessary. I also like the idea of showing examples of gay artist especially ones that are very familiar. I think it would be really great for the art teacher to provoke conversations about sexual identity but I think teachers just assume to keep taboo subjects like that out of their classroom. I would have no problem but would probably find other adults that would not feel comfortable allowing that to go on in their school especially in the smaller school district that I am hoping to teach in after college. That area just has not been exposed to issues such as GLBT but that would not keep me from teaching about all types of people.

discimination

First, I am tired of reading stereotypes about cultures and what the statistics show because they lead to more stereotypes. If we are going into the teaching world thinking that we know about this group because of the statistics we will make our own judgments that could turn into discrimination. I want so badly for the day to come when we stop looking at how different people are and start looking at how much alike we are.

Secondly, I strongly believe you will get out of your education what you want from it. It is not because you are this or that or male or female that you will do good in school or not. Every stereotype that was listed in this chapter I knew a personal account that contradicted it. I came from a high school that you could walk down the halls and hear four different language being talked between the students. I think I was most surprised at the fact that because our school was so diverse, we had very little discrimination between the groups. In fact, there was little grouping within your culture to begin with. I loved it. The fights and poor misbehavior issues came from the white students, or at least what I remember.

Thirdly, to answer the question given to us by our teacher,Yes I have discriminated against people, whether it be prejudging them or not even giving them a chance. As a culture, we do this all the time. It is like looking for context clues when you read a book. How do we read people? Is there any such thing as GOOD stereotypes? And Yes I have been discriminated against and you learn to pick your battles. I am not going to let someone tell me I cannot do something because they feel like I am incapable of doing it. Once again, I get most frustrated when people focus merely on our differences.

After that thought, it brings me to my last thought about this chapter. How do I demonstrate respect for cultural heritage as a teacher? What does that even mean. I respect people and by doing that would and should respect their culture. Does respecting another culture mean I become more familiar with it? Should I teach about in my class? Why can't we teach about people in the large retrospect versus this culture and that cultures. Guess what...the whole idea of "culture" sound to me like a bunch more stereotypes coming into our schools.

Drawing withYour Imaginiation

Drawing is important to an art curriculum and there are many component that I would use to make up my drawing lessons. Basic contour lines, positive and negative space, value and shading are very important. I also think that perspective and foreshortening skills should be taught. Students want to know tools and tricks to make their art appear more realistic. Visual spacing and proportions are difficult for me as an artist so I would want to teach that and how practice and good observation makes a big difference.

When I try to balance naturalistic drawing with abstract expressions, I want to make sure to point out how one reflects on the other. Shading can make a naturalistic drawing appear more real and rich. In an abstract it adds more interest to areas and a person who knows how to render an object and has basic skill of shading can apply that to their abstract image. The tools that are taught in school are the background of making art. It is up to the teacher to use these in their lesson, along with creative expression and imagination, to keep students interested and so that they can solve the problem in their unique way.

I love the artist Julian Beever and his 3D sidewalk art. He draws on the sidewalks and uses perspective from one angle to make the images look very 3D. It is a different approach other than using proportions, he has to stretch out the image but from a certain angle the image appears coming off of the sidewalk. He images from the other angle look abstract and unreal. I would use this artist to show realistic images being drawn in an abstract way.

Identity Change

High school was not all that long ago but in those few short years I feel like I am a new person. I look at life differently. I have different friends, different demands, different choices I have to make. It is funny to me because in high school you really do think that you are grown up and very mature, or at least I did. But then you go to college and get a huge smack in the face and actually have to start caring and worrying about things you never needed to while living with mom and dad. I think that I am wiser now, which I should be since I have been through more, than that of a 18 year old high school graduate. I also takes things more seriously like school and work in college because I know that my choice now will really affect my first job that I hope to get in the next few years.

My artwork has changed and I think it is because I was very much about pleasing others in high school whether it be my teachers or my parents. I did do a lot of portraits and realistic paintings in high school and now I am starting to do more and more abstract ( which I never liked in high school) basically because I am starting to develop deeper ideas and emotions versus making art work to WOW my peers. I think this is a good step for me to improving my art and making my identity as an artist stronger and more personal. After the readings in RWR where it discussed about teachers and their horrible step ups for a classroom and how art if often was on the defense and the teachers has to stick up for what they were doing, it made me think of how my identity after I have been teachering for some time will change. I have a feeling that my artwork will change as well.