Kelly Lamp

Michelle Livek
Art for Children
9 April 2015
Field Reflection
Field Experience
In my host classroom I have seen a bit of art done into social studies and math activities,
but it would not necessarily be considered integrated. There was not much discussion about art
that I was able to witness, but there may have been some during a time when I was not in the
classroom. In math, the students made unique stars out of geometric equations which were then
colored in by the students. This activity was done by the students when a substitute was
teaching, so I doubt that there instruction about the artistic qualities of the lesson. This math
activity seemed to have art skills but was not an integrated activity. In social studies, the
students completed packets about different groups of colonies and they were asked to draw an
invention that was made in that specific colony. This was another example of an activity with art
skills but lacked integration because the artistic aspect wasnt discussed. Since these activities
were not accurately integrated there is not a big seed idea in place. These activities attempted to
use art in order for the students to get creative and have more fun instead of broadening their
understanding of the concept through two disciplines. I would suggest that my host teacher
explicitly integrate the subjects together in order to help students better understand the
concepts that they learn in a more meaningful way. It would be great if she explained to students
why they are doing creative activities and have more purpose in her activities. Overall, I wish
there was more art integration in my host classroom and I believe that if my host teacher pushed
her lessons just one step forward this could be achieved.
Art Classroom
The objective for the lesson was for students to review their previous knowledge of
objective and non-objective art in order to begin their non-objective art project. This was
complete by going through a presentation on the SmartBoard where students were asked to
decide if each image was objective or non-objective. Some of the images were of familiar objects
in which students excitedly shared their knowledge of it. Other items were mysterious and made
the students question the objectivity of the images. This was an introductory activity and review
of concepts in order to prepare the students to create their own non-objective piece of art. The
students were shown an example that the teacher created and then were prompted on how to
begin the preparation work for the project. The students were going to use many resources to
begin the preparation including base stand (made of thick poster board and a Popsicle stick),
black paint, paintbrushes, Popsicle sticks, and painting trays.
In the lesson that I observed the student teacher was teaching the lesson and there was a
substitute teacher for the day. The student teacher took the lead to direct students through the

discussion of objective/non-objective art and then gave instructions for the work that they were
going to do that day. The teachers has all of the items prepared for the class before they arrived
so when it was time to gather items it was a very smooth transition. The teachers invited
students to help pass out items and then they roamed around the classroom to help students
with whatever they needed. The student teacher probed students to think about what they might
want their final product to look like, which I thought to be a great discussion to have early on in
the lesson with students. After it was evident that the students were settled and knew what to
do, the teachers sat down to create the project alongside the students. I think that the format of
this lesson worked extremely well and it was great to see students work in the art classroom.
The art classroom environment is full of creations done by the students as well as items
that the teacher implemented for decoration. The ceiling is decorated with colorful fabric and
there are handmade giant grapes placed in two corners. The walls are lined with student work
and artful posters that students can use as a reference when doing their work. The art room also
has a library of books for students to use as references during their work The classroom is very
organized and all items needed for the lesson are thoughtfully prepared and ready for the
students when they walk in the door. There are also 3 sinks in the classroom for students to
clean up with which shows that there is freedom to get messy while working with art. This
teaches students to take risks and push beyond their comfort zone because they can always clean
up any mess they make at the end. The art classroom has a very relaxed atmosphere where
students were able to create their own work of art but with just a few instructions and
restrictions. Students were given suggestions about how to go about starting their work but the
end result is solely their choice. Students were shown an example of what they are going to
complete but have time to think about what they want their final product to be as they prepare
the items to use to make the piece. The students are very self-sufficient and love the
independence that art class allows them. I saw the students converse with each other while
working and noticed that they are given the freedom to work in whatever way is best for them. I
can tell that the students enjoy time with their peers while art making together based on their
happy demeanors and smiles on their faces The students seemed to have a great time during the
lesson, just as I did as an observer.