Week 1

I am studying art and hope to one day become a professor of art myself.  this semester, I am shadowing a professor, Jennifer, in a beginning painting class to prepare me to teach a 100 level class in the fall.  This blog is primarily to help me keep track of the things I learn and to hopefully gain insight into the world of teaching.  I hope to learn what works best for myself and the students.

For my first week of shadowing I've, for the most part observed silently.  a few things I Appreciate about Jennifer's style of teaching is how she leaves a lot up to the students and grades on attendance, participation, and effort rather than ability or skill.  I find this especially important in a studio art class as many of the students have varying abilities and skill levels.

The students first project is a distorted self portrait.  they are to look at themselves in a distorted reflective surface, such as a chrome pitcher, or a spoon and paint what they see.  They are required to use only black and white so they may focus on value before getting into the complexities of color.  I look forward to seeing what the students produce for their first project.