Sunrise

The sunrises on new opportunities,

it sheds light on what we have not yet seen.

Take what the daylight has to offer, 

with it make something beautiful.

First Impressions

           As society moves forward and is ever evolving so are the arts. The arts have grown to encompass so many new media and methods of presenting ideas that it makes my head spin. Installations, light art, and digital art are only a few of the many exciting ways artist's express themselves. As I continue visiting Quakertown High School, I look forward to exploring the digital realm with Mrs. Migliore's classes that focus specifically on digital art.

            Yesterday was my first day in the field. I arrived over an hour early, anxious to be on time. As I watched the sunrise I thought to myself, I can get used to this. Something about the early morning air and the overwhelming beauty of the sunrise reassured me that today was going to be a good day. My co-op was so welcoming and cleared a desk for me right away. She insisted that I have a home and a place to call my own. The first period of the day Mrs. Migliore has prep and during this time I helped her organize her closet while we talked about what her classes were working on. After seven years at the freshman center Mrs. Migliore had just gotten acquainted with her dwellings when the administration asked her to move to the senior center. She was glad I could help her settle into her new space and organize the camera equipment. This year she has taken on the task of writing the curriculum for many of her classes. She teaches five classes total in the senior center: three sections are digital photography, one fine art, and one digital communication class, and she oversees the cyber art history class.

             While classes took place I wandered the room to check what students were working on. I was excited to connect with several of the students, and found one conversation especially meaningful. I am so glad that I am not a wallflower and I had the opportunity to talk with this student. He was looking at photos of motorcycles when I approached him and asked him what theme he chose for his collection of photos. He told me he wasn't sure yet, and I was thrilled to be able to help him brainstorm. I mentioned that one of my photography assignments was to transform an object by zooming in and looking at the subject out of context. I suggested he try this out during a photo shoot of his friends motorcycle. He seemed excited and he mentioned that the motorcycle had a light kit. I was shocked at how easy it was to relate complex photographic techniques to his interests. I told him to practice taking shots of the motorcycle while in motion and while still, and to try panning while the bike is in motion. I was so happy to be able to consult with this student and offer him some exciting new techniques to experiment with while shooting.


            During lunch I was able to talk with Mrs. Migliore and her husband, who is a Spanish teacher. I asked them if there were any conflicts that have occurred in their classrooms that were memorable or that have significantly affected them. They struggled to think of an instance and neither of them came up with a situation, however Mrs. Migliore had some advice. She suggested when a problem arises in the classroom to choose your words carefully when confronting a student. She mentioned that it is wisest to give the students options. Tell the student that they can stop the problematic behavior or continue and face the following consequences. She explained how it might be easier to connect with students when you tell them that you understand. Students want to be reassured and know that they are not the only ones who struggle if they are having a bad day and may not want to be in class. I found that Mrs. Migliore's advice is realistic, especially in high school where students have already learned what is expected of them. It is up to the teacher to offer the students to tools for success, but it is the student’s responsibility to utilize them to their benefits in order to succeed.

            I think this is one reason I enjoy the high school level. I feel there are so many opportunities for me to dive deeper into critical thinking with my students and push them to think outside the box. I know from my personal experience that art has opened my eyes and enabled me to see things in a different light than others. I cherish this, while I look forward to showing this to my future students.