One of the bittersweet things about being a teacher is the ability to start over at the beginning of each new year. It's nice to get a fresh start with new classes, new ideas, and new energy, but I always feel like I'm reinventing the wheel.
Today I sat in a meeting where we went over the Feldman method of art criticism. Feldman's method involves using four parts to evaluate a work of art. You begin with describing the work, then analyze it, move on the interpretation, and finally evaluate the artwork. I was first introduced to Feldman in undergrad classes at KU. I recently finished researching the implementation of this methodology as a part of my Master's thesis. I wasn't surprised, but it was disheartening, to learn that relatively few art teachers know and understand Feldman at all, let alone well enough to use it to teach students how to look critically at art. While I was glad to see Feldman presented to art teachers district-wide this morning, it was review for me.
Every school year, except my first one, has started this way for me. I'm always excited to see friends and try new ideas, but I get stuck in hours of meetings about things that I already know, understand and use. I wouldn't mind the broken record so much if we could only write some new verses. We need to be pushing farthering into understanding, presenting new ways of teaching that engage students in meaningful ways. I want to be the kind of teacher that students can't help but pay attention to and learn from.
While I was in our basement one day, after Keva, our dog, was fully grown, but before she outgrew all of her puppy-like habits, I heard an enormous racket up-stairs. It sounded like a heard of elephants running around on our hardwood floors. It turns out that that's what it sounds like when an 85 pound dog chases it's tail on hardwood above your head. That never ceased to make me smile. The funniest part was the sheepish look she gave me when she realized I was watching.
As I sit through professional development this week, I feel a little like the dog who got caught chasing it's tail when she was old enough to know that it belonged to her. And yet, I'm still excited to have a new beginning.