Centering

With my third week of student teaching over (only 13 more to go...) I am finally getting the hang of it. Its funny teaching a class like ceramics because I tell the students that are overly critical of their work that they will eventually get the feel for it and to not give up or think they can't do it and as I have been telling them this I've realized its the same advice I have needed to hear myself. The more I teach and the more I learn the more comfortable I feel as a teacher and the more I begin to enjoy it. It just took time, like most things, to develop a feel for it.

Now that the students are focused on their coil pots they are quicker to listen to me and ask for help. Going from student to student to offer guidance and encouragement has reminded me of why I thought I might want to teach art; there is nothing like being able to instill inspiration and confidence in someone while they do something they never thought they could do.

I also love it more and more each day because the things my students say are hilarious. One student came up to me while I was working the pug mill (a machine that mixes clay to get it back to a good plasticity, it then pushes the clay out the end, like toothpaste coming out of the tube) and said, "Ms. Bowdler, I'm not going to say what that looks like...but you know what that looks like right? I mean, it looks like, well...you know..." Yes. I did know. And I couldn't help but laugh. He is right. It looks like poop. There. Now you know.

And we have also named a groundhog that frequents our window. His name is Chucky and he always comes to visit us at 9th period.

And its only occasionally that a student has to be escorted out of class by security.

So glad it is friday.


[image via The Little Red House]