I understand that we could have read this book within a week. I have read it before within a week but I really wanted time for you all to think and feel and maybe contemplate the stories. For me I am always intimated by the kind of professor Randy Pausch was. The hard working science person who understood grants and huge projects and how data was useful. The kind of professor that as an art professor I always feel I am being compared to/with. It is hard enough in Art Education to be put on the side because I am not a "studio" artist but when it comes to the University and to Academe, art can not compare to the "real" work of those who are in science, especially computers. Once I over come my own self doubt I embrace the teaching and life lessons he shares and I am reminded we are actually all then same if we follow our dreams.
So for this week, share your favorite antidote from this section of the book. In addition what is the one lesson you try to give your students and why. Go beyond elements and principals, go beyond a certain technique unless your story is based on that lesson. If you are not teaching right now, project and share a lesson you find important for yourself.
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Melissa Hidalgo - My Love, Our Public Lands
This first semester of the MAE program has been inspiring due to the readings we have had. These readings have felt personal and heartfelt....
(Rendon Chp 6,7)
ReplyDeleteI am aware that it is not possible to incorporate Rendon’s sentipensante pedagogy in its entirety. I feel the purpose is to start a change in our thinking. Just thinking is really the key. Growing our minds into questioning, wondering about our field of art and art education. She has shared some fabulous scenarios of other classroom pedagogy with hopes to inspire me and others to start with small changes. I understood her feelings on page 158 as she describes “a beautiful anxiety of life” from poet Rainer Maria Rilke. I feel sameness as I quest for new knowledge in my field. This excerpt I have typed up and posted in my calendar/ journal book:
Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to
love the questions themselves as if they were locked in rooms or
books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers,
which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able
to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now.
Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even
noticing it, live your way into the answer. ( pp. 34-35)
When I applied for the MAE program, my purpose was exact. I will also say I felt the same way the day I started teaching. Since then, my purpose has dissolved into a new purpose- as if I was a caterpillar before and always thought I would be a caterpillar. But now I am in a cocoon changing and what I will become afterwards is certain: Beautiful, changed, insightful, an artist, valid, stronger, and whole. I have decided my learning will not stop. I will continue to satisfy my thirst for new experiences in the field of art- who knows where I will land or fly away to. Rendon’s journey between mind and heart is one I feel I will keep with me and refer back to when education presents its challenges. . I am also recognized my growing discontent with public education. I, too, have become ‘caught up’ in the business of teaching art rather than teaching from the heart. So, after the readings, I feel Rendon is calling us to remember why we became educators to begin with- to remember the passion and intense love for what we do despite the bureaucracy involved.
The self-care she describes on pgs. 150-151 are excellent words to live by. It was wise for her to take time to develop this book. She also grew in the process with her wisdom and opinions over time thus her project was well planned becoming whole instead of a moment in her life. I am taking away a better understanding of my journey. There is no reason to rush- marinate in the learning.
YES
Deletethe secret is in the questions we ask ourselves
James- relationships are key. I believe at the heart of every good educational program is a teacher with heart and a determination to build a relationship with the pupil using the material to bind them. The struggle to reach every student is real and recognizing you will not win every time, every year- knowing we are all human- is not defeat. As educators we are impactful in ways we will not know until later in our career when a student from the past pops up and says, ‘you played an important role in my life- thank you’ – that is a moment we all live for and then the struggle was worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteChris- What do we have to be to implement Sentipensante? I guarantee you already do most of it without knowing you do. Wouldn’t you agree that those who seek continued learning within their fields already have a sentipensante way of teaching about them?
I would say each of you already teach more from your heart than from the book
DeleteIt's hard to realize that some students are so difficult to reach. So far I haven't had a big issue and most of mine have done very well. But coming in, assuming you could reach everyone if you just worked hard enough--that was a tough fall. You can lead a horse to water, but a student has to make the choice to take an active role in their education. Fortunately, most do, at least to the point of getting a passing grade.
DeleteThe Last lecture, Introduction – p. 104
ReplyDeleteThis book is different from everything I read in a very long time. With its simple and direct tone, it is profoundly human and I think that it engages the reader at a more personal level, which makes it somehow difficult to talk about. In a sense, people are continuously training to face extremely difficult situations and prepare themselves for the big revelation which is death. However, no matter how hard somebody tries to anticipate the moment, it is difficult to comprehend its entire gravity and implications. When getting very close to it, I think that every human being is prone to ask questions as those who preoccupied Pausch: “how will people remember me”, “what legacy do I want to leave”, “was my life close to what I hoped for in my youth years” etc. This personal connection that the book creates doesn’t take away from its academic value, on the contrary, it makes it even more powerful. The first pages of the book made me think that this is going to be a very challenging reading from an emotional point of view; however, as Pausch’s story unfolded, it was like a heavy weight was progressively lifting from the initial heavy burden. This effect was similar to what he intended to obtain in the beginning of his lecture, meaning that he had a similar approach with both the book and the lecture, an approach which may be considered pedagogical at its core: if you first address the “elephant in the room” or present the “brick wall” that is so high and sturdy that it seems impossible to get through it, or simply put, if you first address the problem, then you are left with time and space to find, learn, and discuss the ways meant to help you solve the problem. I think that Pausch made a wise and wonderful decision when choosing the topic for his last lecture as “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”; in a way, this topic echoes the degree in which his profession as a teacher transformed him through time, because it speaks amounts about his concerns as an educator and about his loving attention not only toward his own children, but also toward students in general. And it seems to me that he is absolutely right when suggesting that people should never forget that their present reality is based on the one they created when they were children. This applies even more to educators who work with young minds every day; it is so important to remember that you too had crazy dreams and thoughts at an earlier age, the bravura you were maybe displaying, the mistakes you made etc. and to acknowledge that they are all part of you, part of the present, not only part of the past, because you learned from it and absorbed the experience. Also, this book connects well in certain regards with the previous one that we read, where the idea that teachers should be perceived by students as real humans, made of flesh and blood, worries, opinions, preferences etc., was constantly reinforced. I think it is really hard to get more real than Randy Pausch did in his last lecture.
One thing I wish I was told more often by my professors in the past, is to relax. The pressure of maintaining a certain academic performance was extremely stressful for me at times, and most of the professors were trying to motivate the students by attaching to assignments a sort of anxiety and suggesting that more is actually never enough. I would have also liked to be taught or advised how to deal with failure, and how to better approach different perceptions of failure (my own and others’). It was only recently that I met a professor who integrated the discussion of failure (or dissatisfaction, because “failure” is a word too strong sometimes), as a logical and constructive component of the class. “Not everything needs to be fixed” says Randy Pausch at some point, and “not everything needs to be perfect” I would add. On the contrary, there will always be imperfections; some of them have a value of their own, others just open the way for something better.
I liked the brick wall idea a lot. It makes considering your obstacles a lot more exciting.
DeleteVery well said.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteOn page 112, I really identified with the quote In the end, educators best serve students by helping them be more self-reflective”. The last couple of years I have become more aware of the need and importance of providing timely, specific feedback for my students. It’s a bit sad, but for years I never really thought about feedback other than giving a grade, or occasional assisting comment/ compliment. I have worked to develop a better feedback system, both verbal and written for my students. I have found this to be a significant challenge. The simplest and most obvious reason is because I want to encourage my students and not overwhelm them with concerns or self doubt; with some students, this is a very tricky path. However, the most significant obstacle I have encountered is time. As an elementary art teacher, time is not on my side. I see my students for art class once a week. As an aside, I see the students two times a week as a P.E. assistant. Teaching a meaningful concept or skill at such a meager interval is a feat in itself, but mixing in grades and assorted paperwork, little time is left for quality feedback to offer several hundred fragile egos. To meet this challenge, I have implemented a combination of verbal and written responses. This coupled with student self and peer evaluations had brought me closer to my goal than ever before. Unfortunately, I still do not feel good about my progress and continue to seek improvements.
The quote “I’ve heard so many people talk of a downward spiral in our educational system, and I think one key factor is that there is too much stroking and too little real feedback” adds to the lesson I hope to impart to my students. Its not enough to participate. You might get by and pass, but simply doing something is not enough to significantly grow. I have found that real growth and progress comes from reflection and critical assessment. I want my students to question their motives, process and outcomes. Doing so will help them grow and better understand what they find important and worthwhile.
Honest self reflection is terribly difficult. What I see here, with me, Future, and on this blog, is we are usually too hard on ourselves. I like your advise to me about praising students ideas. That is the first step to confidence and risk taking.
DeleteI think that these "specials" courses need to be "regulars" courses. Not sure how to handle that, as I guess they kind of replace phonics, handwriting, and recess?? What if we simply evened the score a bit? I would have gladly given up one of the THREE recesses we had a day in elementary school for more art periods.
DeleteJames, I agree with the time issue, and being a PE assistant as well! That is even more of a time crunch for you. I started choice based art ed this year. I have always tried to visit with each student before, but now, I sit down with them one on one about once every two months and we go through their portfolio. They are selecting one or two for display or an exhibit, and they tell me why they selected it (little, can not write or just barely). I tell them what I like about their work or another one. They get to reflect and I get a few minutes with them. They are little so comments regarding what I see gives them incentive to do more. Not criticism, more encouragement with this age. Would your school give you more time with the kids if you told them that you would be more effective and be able to integrate more, etc???
ReplyDelete
DeleteThat’s the catch with Texas public education. Art is slotted to allow …regular classroom teachers to have a conference period. The school day is so regimented that to change a schedule can be a monumental undertaking. My schedule gets altered occasionally, but that is a different, easier, affair. It sounds like you have a great system in place. It is difficult for me to have consistent one on one meeting with all my kids, but when I do it really seems to be meaningful. For now, I meet with each student for approx. a minute or two at a time to discuss their plans or evaluate their progress. In addition, they write project proposals, do self evaluations and peer critiques. This is far from ideal, but it’s a start.
( Pausch intro- pg. 104) It took me to chapter 10 to stop crying. It was good crying- I am truly okay. So many emotions came forth while reading. Sometimes I couldn’t get through the page and had to put the book down. Cancer is a very real word in my world. It took my step mom from our family in 2013. Watching a very healthy woman at 56 face diagnosis, treatment, pull out all the stops treatment, devastating news, dying, and draw her last breath pretty much scarred me for life… Then a year and half later, my own diagnosis. THEN my friend’s diagnosis and loss of life…. there is a well of tears and pain and loss that has not dried up yet. My step mom said she wasn’t ready to go. Are we ever?. Death knocking at your door causes weakening at the knees. Cheating death causes celebration with underlying fear. I am a different person today. I am a better teacher because of it today. I have realized the value of what I teach, the beauty of creating and I enjoy the relationships more. When I am teaching a new concept, artist, culture, etc.. I find the stories capture my students- they help us relate to life. Recently, I attended a small cocktail gathering at the home of Mary McDermott-Cook a prominent philanthropist here in Dallas. In her home are many original paintings by the likes of Calder, Milton Avery, Chagall, and a wonderful piece by Georgia O’Keeffe- one of her cloud paintings. The focus of the evening was the O’Keeffe piece. She told us stories of how the piece came to be in her possession and more stories of various encounters with Ms. O’Keeffe and Mary’s parents. I sat entranced believing certainly this was an evening to remember but what MADE the evening so special were her STORIES- not that I got to get dressed up, the wine, the conversation.. the stories made the night. I feel firmly we all have a last lecture in all of us. We all have a story to share and stories to hear.
ReplyDeleteI am changing. I saw teaching art in a new light once I recovered and came back to teaching full time. Rendon’s book was to stir a change and Pausch sounds like his style of teaching was similar to hers. So many of his life lessons hit home with me. One of the aspects of him telling stories of his childhood I loved was that it brought back memories of my childhood and I laughed – it also made me think of way I am now with my own children. I probably would not have let them paint the walls but their closets are their own. They may hang posters, decorate- whatever. It is theirs to create the space that makes them happy. We all need a personal space like that- I know my art room is that space for me.
I wish I was told not to be discouraged- teaching is hard. No matter what you are presented with, it is all about you and the students. Shut the door and just teach every day. Teach what you love.
Such courageous battles you have had to face and fight with your kind heart!
DeleteRoom painting: One night when my daughter was in 5th grade, I heard her and a spend the night friend giggling late into the night. When I woke up, I saw they had painted her bathroom walls with big decorative words "Kissing Wall". They then put on lipstick, kissed the wall and signed their names. All friends who come to our house have to kiss and sigh the wall. To this day, even after repairing and repainting, I will not paint over the 100s of kisses and signings.
You were on my mind, Debbie, as I was reading this book.
DeleteBeautiful....and touching, thank you for letting us know you a bit better
ReplyDeleteComments for Last Lecture, Intro to 104
ReplyDeleteSarah and Debbie, I have a friend who lost his son at 25 years old. He told me, “If God said, ‘you may have this person in your life for only 25 years’, I would still choose the 25 years”. This statement continues to radiate through me. When I think of people I have lost, I remind myself of the joy and fond memories they bring to me. I also experience the feeling they are near and often in ways of nature, a frog ribbit or even a horse fly bite telling me to quit feeling sorry for myself.
James, I also played team sports from childhood into adulthood. I thought it was terribly important for my own children to play a team sport to learn, not only from their coaches, but each other. Sharing the experiences of winning and losing, cheering accomplishments of others, and the accountability to perform personally have helped me be a better person. I even learned how to take the blame or not to blame others. I now benefit from work with 5 practicing artist and teachers the past few years. We make a great team using these same skills developing our art, our curriculum and friendships.
Following your strengths: Seems many of us have issues with confidence, asking for help, and Niloofar, aiming for perfection. Starting my masters, I was afraid I would be holding others back and not able to hide my weaknesses. This journey has helped me gain confidence in knowing I am following my strength and given me support in decision making.
Future, After reading the book and seeing the artist part of Randy Pausch, don’t you wish you could have met him. I bet he would have been in awe of you. Another social media plug: I just listed to this podcast about da Vinci and the book Walter Isaacson wrote. He talked about how da Vinci questioned constantly and searched for the answers through art and science.
ReplyDeleteDecoding The Creative Genius Of Leonardo da Vinci from On Point with Tom Ashbrook
“Get in Touch with Your Crayon Box” excited me! Imagining the smell of a new box and the sight of unused crayons all in a beautiful row, gave me such a delight. I remember the anticipation of making marks and fantasizing the art I could create with such a great box of crayons. At one of the TAEA conferences I won a drawing for a large box of construction crayons for my class. For a few weeks, the students and I viewed the box of crayons and admired the attractiveness. I also took a set of each color out just to keep perfect for awhile longer.
Two lessons I try to push into each assignment are accountability and self expression.
Being accountable has developed over the years of teaching and has become easier with technology. Students upload a weekly progress picture, cropped and edited each week, labeling it with last name and first name. Grading is much easier for me and I am able to share art on our website or social media with ease.
Self expression is a bit harder to teach. I have to make sure the art studio is safe and comfortable for open discussions and unique interpretations. My impression, as I have stated before, is students can openly talk one on one, but worry about their peers. We have critiques on their Abstract Expressionism art assignments this week. It will be interesting to see if the students can openly articulate their feelings.
Any suggestion on how others teach self expression?
Self expression is also a challenge for many of my students. This applies mostly to my 3rd to 5th graders. It took me a while to nail down the main cause of the issue, but the more feedback I received the clearer it became. Many of my student struggle with self expression because of their concept of what “important” art is. I think they feel that their lives and thoughts are not worthy of inspiring their artwork. When I talk to some of them about what they are going to create they tell me their inspiration/ concept and ask “is that okay?” I like to pause, ask them a inquiry question that leads them to better explain their idea, and then say something like: Wow, that’s really interesting. I think that would make a great artwork. The look of affirmation on their face is very rewarding.
DeleteI loved how the colors would be arranged. It all made me feel ready and organized and safe. A result of living in an alcoholic home. Order equaled safe.
DeleteI have trouble with self expression because I do not believe my story is important enough or good enough or as good as everyone else's AND I knew my "abstract b.s." really was not any where near what others seem to honor. And this is as a professor.
I find it difficult to choose just one piece of advice from those offered in the last part of the book. They all seem meaningful to me. There are advices which reflect some of my older concerns and I am already working on these, while others, like “Send out Thin Mints” are quite practical and good to remember. But “Let’s Make a Deal” is something I would really try to apply in connection to teaching, maybe as a way to motivate students to think and act beyond the class setting, or simply as a method of better administrating the class.
ReplyDeleteOne lesson I would try to give to my students is that they should never be afraid to dream big and if they want to see their dreams fulfilled, they should learn how to use everything that comes along the way toward building the path that will eventually lead them to success. As a teacher I would like to be a small part of this process, to help them recognize their potential and help them deal with the “not so great” moments, while identifying more practical ways of applying the skills they acquire through training. For smaller classes, I envision doing this by meeting with each one of the students at least once in the semester and discussing their expectations for the class, their disappointments, and how that particular class can be put to use toward accomplishing their larger professional objectives. I would like to make them understand that office hours are not only for the students having difficulties with what is taught or wanting to improve their grades, but for every student who wants to get the best of that class. Even more important is to make them aware that teachers are happy to help and can offer further resources tailored to their needs. Of course, this is not possible when teaching big classes. In this case, I would like to have them participate to an online discussion, where they could share their dreams for the future and how that particular class could contribute to their fulfilment. I think this sort of discussion would be beneficial not only because it would help them to clarify their goals, but also because they would have the possibility to reflect upon others students’ similar of different interests and ideas.
I agree that dreaming big is a great tool for students. Some of my students do not seem to get pushed to have dreams or lofty goals in their domestic lives. Having someone, hopefully many voices, who both encourages their dreams and helps make their path more lucid, is especially important for them. Unfortunately, many of these students are also the hardest to connect with and encourage. One positive I have seen in today’s public education is the trend to really promote the idea that all kids can reach a high level of success. When I was a kid, I remember that there seemed to be times when certain kids were not held to high expectations, or even written off as a lost cause.
DeleteNice. conversation is the key
DeleteOn line discussions are a great idea, especially if they could include sketches and photographs for inspiration.
DeleteI like the Thin Mint story too because it is a nice way to ask for help without nagging for them to complete it.
The Last Lecture, Introduction – p. 104 responses
ReplyDeleteNiloofar, I came to the same conclusion as you, that when I don't aim for perfection, I do more and ironically, the outcome is better. I often spent too much time worrying about what I was going to do, than actually doing, and loosing precious moments of concentrated work this way. It's like a trap that lately I'm trying to avoid at all costs.
James, I can relate to your struggle between giving a positive feedback and avoiding unnecessary coddling while being sincere. It is difficult to balance these. Probably the biggest challenge is to make students understand that everybody makes mistakes and these mistakes must be somehow cherished because they move us forward, while a sincere feedback is like a medicine whose taste you don’t really like (even if it has the fruity aroma of some well-chosen words), but you have to take it in order to get better.
The story I enjoyed reading was, “Don’t Complain, Just Work Harder”. Paush end this story stating, “Anytime we spend whining is unlikely to help us achieve our goals. And it won’t make us happier”. From time to time, I personally relate to this quote, simply because there are occasions where, as an artist, I get stuck with whatever art piece I’m working on. At that point, I get so frustrated; I tend to only focus on the outcome I wanted and not the obstacle I need to cross to get there. But when I think of Paush and his quote, I suck it up and stop complaining and push through my hard times to get my work done.
ReplyDeleteI work on building relationship with each of my students. I teach at a predominately low-income based school, where most of my students are at risk. Just about every student in my classroom comes from a different background/home life. Forming relationships allows me to educate myself and how our students learn best. It also allows me to ensure we incorporate, the most disruptive students' learning style, into every lesson. Also, when I’m in my classroom I teach with enthusiasm and a positive outlook. Before students enter my room, I greet them at the door with a smile and a hug for each of my kids. When my students are down about their artwork or personal problems I come sit with them at the table and have conversations to make them feel better before leaving my room. Student respond well when I treat them with respect and give positivity.
I genuinely loved this book. If it wasn't for this class, I'm not sure when I would have picked it up from my bookshelf but I'm glad my mom passed it on to me. What I enjoyed most about the second half of this book for this week was his decision to always choose to be a Tigger in life. I have great respect for Pausch for his attitude and what he chose to do after finding out he had a short time to live. Not many people can do that but his book shows that there's no point in being sad or mad about a situation you can't change. Also reminds me to really live your life.
ReplyDeleteThere are two lessons besides responsibility that I like to make sure my students get from me that are not just about art making. I remind them that they should give things a chance and not let fear of failing stop you. I have ran into a couple of students in my past that are afraid of trying something new or simply using a different medium/drawing in a different style because they're afraid they may not be good at it. When they hesitate I try to use encouraging words, if they are still hesitant, I have them try it little by little.
Another lesson I try to teach them is to not give up. Some are for the fear of not being able to do it. I feel like these are important lessons to know. The "not trying something new because fear of failing" is something I learned later on, way past high school. I believe people can grow from failing too.
Fear of failing, that is so prevalent in a world where we think we need to be prefect.
DeleteThere were a lot of good lessons in this book. I think the one that resonated with me the most was the section on apologies, simply because of the number of times I've given them versus received them. I have some loved ones who just can't apologize, and the closest they've come is a massive excuse thinly veiled in a chilly "I do apologize but." To this day I can't understand why people have such trouble with this. Some of it might come from arrogance or being unable to see or admit to themselves that they've genuinely hurt someone. I can remember feeling a desperate need to apologize upon realizing I've hurt someone...and being completely loath to apologize in other instances. I think the difference is in whether I was being genuine, or simply giving an unnecessary apology to keep the piece.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson I try to teach my students is to look for the positive. I know this is an odd thing to teach, but I frequently find myself encouraging a lot more than disciplining. I see very little value in making a student feel bad. There seems to be a culture of degrading students rather than encouraging them to be better. I think our friend Terry Morrow is very good at addressing issues without making students lash out or feel hurt. I remember hating the teachers and professors who made me feel like they could not see it from my perspective and only saw me as a nuisance. So, trying to be encouraging and helpful and teaching my students to see value in the positive is important to me.
One other thing--the Tigger/Eeyore paradigm. In Bojack Horseman they refer to this as the Zoe/Zelda paradigm, and psychologists call it Type A and B personalities. One is carefree and optimistic, and the other more cynical and high-strung. But there is definitely some overlap within the binary, and as these personalities seem to be largely engrained, I'm not sure it's as easy to simply "choose" to be a Tigger. I've tried to be an optimist my whole life but my cynical nature always pushes through. Doesn't mean I don't keep trying, but I don't think it's something that we can really wish away.
DeleteI agree about Terry Morrow. He can always find a positive within the worse negative.
DeleteI loved the crayon box section, the Tigger/Eyeore part, but I really liked the Never Give Up section. Yes, work hard, but also take advantage of what can help you as well. That can be the hardest part, but it helped Dr. Pausch make a greater impact on more people.
ReplyDeleteI want my kiddos to not be afraid to make mistakes. I hate when they have a little mark on a big old sheet of paper and say "I need another piece of paper." Well, try to make it into a new creation, or turn it over, there is another piece of paper on the other side!" One kid got it when he announced that he made a new creation. But it goes with fear of failing, getting outside your comfort zone, etc.