Your lament sounds very much like what I was going through during the
first semester this year. Judy and company are so supportive and we are
all so lucky to have this group for times like this. It is sounding
like many of us are having similar frustrations with students...is this
just one of those years where there is "something in the wind" and a
majority of the students are catching it? There have been so many great
ideas coming through that I will also be trying with my "darlings".
Together we will not only all get through the tough times, we will come
flying through and hopefully bring some of those temporarily-discontent
with us. As I told one of my eighth grade students who was having
"issues"..."I liked you better when you were little, but I know that
this is only temporary and you will be yourself again one day"...Of
course, she answered that her mom said the same thing and that she
didn't plan on being normal again until at least age 25! Ya gotta love
em!
Hang in there. We are all in it together.
Judi Morgan
Saint George's School
2929 W. Waikiki Road
Spokane, WA 99208
509.466.1636
judi.morgan@sgs.org
-----Original Message-----
From: staciemich@aol.com [mailto:staciemich@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 3:21 PM
To: TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group
Subject: Re: [teacherartexchange] Motivating Middle School Students
(some resources)
Thanks Judy,
I printed out some stuff to read over tonight. I was enthusiastic, and
I hate that I feel like I've lost some of that enthusiasm due to
frustration. I need to get it back. I know that I need to figure out
interesting projects to get them excited. I'm just having a rough time
with that...especially since I never feel caught up. I always feel a
step behind. I'm constantly researching and reading. It takes up so
much time!!! I know that each year will get easier as I see how lessons
go, gain more information and resources for lessons and so forth. I am
truly starting from scratch at this school since I was given an empty
room and had to make it my own with nothing. Perhaps my brain is
feeling a little fried...trying to be creative and work with what I've
got. I know that it's not impossible. I'm thinking of doing that
"Michelangelo" lesson where the kids do designs to hang on my ceiling.
I want to start creating a more inspiring atmosphere. I don't feel like
my room looks like a real art room. This is all such a learning
experience...I'm having to relearn a lot of things myself since my art
history and technique classes were so long ago. It's time to brush up!!!
Thanks for the motivation. I feel better this week so far.
Stacie D.
-----Original Message-----
From: Judy Decker <judy.decker@gmail.com>
To: TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group
<teacherartexchange@lists.pub.getty.edu>
Sent: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 17:32:06 -0500
Subject: [teacherartexchange] Motivating Middle School Students (some
resources)
Greetings Stacie and All,
The key to motivating middle school students is to have lessons that
matter and have meaning AND inlcude an element of FUN. I researched
motivation of students quite a bit when I did my Interactive
Hypermedia Research project. My lessons not only taught art concepts
and skills - but also integrated with the core curriculum as well as
what was going on in the world around them. There were no quick
lessons - lessons were in depth and often spanned several weeks. I was
fully engaged in the lesson and brought in current events that
connected. Students were involved in the decision making as well as
the assessment. I also brought in visual artists who were doing
similar work to theirs.... showing art wasn't just "dead white guys".
Even with cultural lessons, I found contemporary art that connected. I
guess my enthusiasm and dedication just showed. Now of course, I did
not reach every child in the classroom (slackers often met with me
after school).
Lack of motivation is wide spread.... teachers in all subject areas
face this problem.
Here are some references to read up on motivating middle school
students:
Middle School kids are the same everywhere.... Here is article from
Australia:
http://www.curriculum.edu.au/eq/archive/spring2002/html/cool.htm
Some quotes:
"Children, particularly those in the teenage years, are almost
impossible to excite about learning"
"When the arts are considered as an integral part of education, the
overall performance of students and their engagement with school
increases markedly."
There is lots more out there.... these should give you some guidance.
