For today, I was assisting Michelle with a water marbling workshop. This was actually the class that I was assisting with on my first day at MCBA, so it was the second time that I got to be a part of it. This felt like an advantage because I knew the processes and techniques that were required and as such was able to be more helpful for the students when they required help, such as during cleanup when I knew where most things belonged and what the steps were to cleaning the eye droppers or draining the tubs. This makes me more confident in my own abilities in the future, when I start teaching in my own space. This also shows how helpful practicing a skill before writing a lesson plan would be.
I also assisted Michelle today by helping with prep such as cutting paper and filling containers with water. I cleaned the paint table and eye droppers throughout the day so that students could use them and the cleanup process at the end would be faster. Set-up and clean up are a very big part of art classes because so many materials are involved, and this helped me realize how long this process can be. Planning an in-class clean-up time is important so that students can learn how to clean up a project that they want to do at home, especially if the project is new or messy.
When she was introducing the project, Michelle used a handout so that students could follow along and take notes while she demonstrated. It was detailed and included almost everything she said during the explanation, so it was easy to refer back to.
Throughout class, Michelle taught through three or four different methods of applying the paint. She left time in between each one for the students to explore the new technique on a few different pieces of paper. By presenting the options in this staggered way, Michelle ensured each student would try out each new method and remain engaged for the entire class. She also ensured that the students were not overwhelmed, as they could have been if she had demonstrated all of the different methods at the beginning and let them work for the rest of class.
Overall, the class was really happy with the work that they produced and everyone seemed to enjoy the class a lot. Students were connecting with one another and supportive with each other’s art. I really enjoyed being a part of this class and getting to be a part of so much fantastic art.