Classroom Creativity Killers [part 1 of 3]
This is my confessional. Most of what I learn in art and in teaching is direct result of mistakes I make. I become aware of problems after something happens. I get into habits that are hard to break. It is hard for me to see an issue until it presents itself in the form of failure. Every student is different, so teaching is never an exact science. I am tempted to be pleased if a few of my students do well. It is when I wonder why some do poorly, that I keep trying something different. It is when I wonder why some fail to enjoy what seems like so much fun for others, that I question what I am doing. Some of these points are 180 degrees from where I was when I started teaching art. Some are direct opposite the ways I was taught.
--Marvin Bartel (art teacher)
#1. I Kill Creativity when I encourage Renting (borrowing) instead of Owning ideas.
Real artwork is based on the child's own experience, memory, observation, and/or imagination. Real artwork is not borrowed from other children or other artists. The definition of borrowing is "use it and give it back". In a sense it would be better to steal it. Thieves take ownership. They do not intend to return what they take. I stole this idea from Nick Lindsay, a good friend and poet. He is the son of poet Vachel Lindsay.
# 2. I Kill Creativity when I Assign Grades without providing Informative Feedback.
Grades without rationale give no useful information that helps a person be creative. When we give reasons, do our criteria include credit for the originality as much as for following prescribed requirements? Sometimes grades punish instead of rewarding. If grading is used as punishment, it can motivate rebellion or passive resistance unless the student is unusually mature. When grading is needed in art, we can use an accumulation of positive points including credit for growth and improvement (longitudinal grading instead of normative grading). Normative grading assumes that there is a certain equal norm that everybody most achieve. It would be like forcing all children to be a certain height by a certain age.
# 3. I Kill Creativity when I allow Cliché Symbols to substitute for Original or Observed Representation of Experience.
Snoopy dogs, hearts, smiley faces, stick figures, formulas for drawing trees or animals, ovals for people, and so on, are all counter creative activities. Would it not be more productive to spend the time generating some original symbols that go beyond the "no brainers"?
Can we encourage the use of imagination, observation, and memory? Can we prohibit Cliché production? Can more of our homework consist of idea books, journals, sketchbooks, question lists, diaries, reflections, illustrated experiences, and so on that can be turned into class future class projects?
A Woman's Word
Got something to say? Join us for... A Woman's Word
A creative writing & performance workshop
Facilitated by Aimee Suzara and Jocelyn de Leon
Thursdays 4-6 pm, January 27-April 1, 2005
Free! Open to young women & transgender folks ages 13-19. No registration necessary.
Youth Speaks,
2169 Folsom Street Studio 100, San Francisco
Contact for info: 415-255-9035 x16, aimee@youthspeaks.org
An exploration of issues affecting young women today, including the intersections of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, culture, mass media, and identity. We will collectively create a space for reflection, dialogue, and crafting your voice through writing, visual art, theater and performance exercises, movement, and sound. We can break open about the mothers, daughters, sisters, queens, warriors, sexism, sex, relationships, and love in our lives. The 10-week-session will culminate in a collaborative piece.
Workshop members may participate in the 2nd Annual Woman's Word reading on MARCH 10, 7 pm at Youth Speaks, to celebrate International Women's Day.
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
Children with delayed skills or skills advanced for their age level may be eligible for special services that can provide individualized instruction and programs in public schools, free of charge to your family. If you understand how to access these services, you'll be a better advocate for what your child needs.
Following the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 97), parents of children with special needs have become even more important members of their child's education team, working with educators to develop a plan that will help their child succeed in school. This individualized education plan (IEP) describes the goals the team has set for the child for the school year, as well as any special supports that are needed to help achieve those goals.
Who Needs an IEP?
A child who has difficulty learning and functioning and has been identified as a special needs student is the perfect candidate for an IEP. Children who are struggling in school may qualify for support services, allowing them to be taught in a special way, for a variety of reasons:
- learning disabilities
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- emotional disorders
- mental retardation
- autism
- hearing impairment
- visual impairment
- speech or language impairment
- developmental delay
Other children who have advanced skills, either overall or in one specific area of learning such as math or reading, may need an enriched education curriculum so they don't become bored.
In most cases, the services and goals outlined in an IEP can be provided in a standard school environment. This can be done in the regular classroom (for example, a reading teacher helping a small group of children who need extra assistance while the other kids in the class work on reading with the regular teacher) or in a special resource room in the regular school. The resource room can serve a group of children with similar needs who are brought together for help.
However, children who need intense intervention may be taught in a special school environment. These classes have fewer students per teacher, allowing for more individualized attention. In addition, the teacher usually has specific training in helping children with special educational needs. The children spend most of their day in a special classroom and join the regular classes for nonacademic activities (like music and gym) or in academic activities in which they don't need extra help. Because the goal of IDEA 97 is to make sure that each child is educated in the least restrictive environment possible, usually every effort is made to help children stay in a regular classroom. However, when the child's needs are best met in a special class, then he or she may be placed in one.
The Referral and Evaluation Process
The referral process generally begins when a teacher or parent notices a child is having trouble in the classroom, and the teacher notifies the school counselor or psychologist. The first step is to gather specific data regarding the student's progress or academic problems. This may be done through:
- a conference with parents
- a conference with the student
- observation of the student
- analysis of the student's performance (attention, behavior, work completion, tests, classwork, homework, etc.)
Having this information will help school personnel determine the next step. At this point, strategies that are specific to the student could be implemented for a period of time, which may help him or her become more successful in school. If this doesn't work, then the child would be tested for a specific learning disability to help determine whether the child qualifies for special services. It's important to note, though, that the presence of a disability doesn't automatically guarantee the child will receive services. For a child to be eligible, the disability must affect the child's functioning at school.
To determine a child's eligibility, a multidisciplinary team of professionals will evaluate the child based on their observations; the child's performance on standardized tests; and daily work such as tests, quizzes, classwork, and homework. The professionals on the evaluation team may include:
- a psychologist
- a physical therapist
- an occupational therapist
- a speech therapist
- a special educator
- a vision or hearing specialist
- others, depending on the specific needs of the child
As a parent, you can decide whether to have your child assessed. If you choose to do so, you'll be asked to sign a permission form, which will describe the kinds of people involved in the process and the types of tests they use. These tests may include measures of specific school skills, such as reading or math, as well as more general developmental skills, such as speech and language.
Once the team members complete their individual assessments, they develop a comprehensive evaluation report (CER) that compiles their findings and outlines the skills and support the child will need. The parents then have a chance to review the report before the IEP is developed.
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Wellness Center
Christy Parsons (Wellness Coordinator) is available daily.
Ian Enriquez (Youth Outreach Coordinator) is available daily.
Sheening Lin (psychologist) is available daily.
Emi Koga (Japanese speaking counselor) is available from Tuesday to Thursday.
David Thompson (psychologist) is available Mondays.
Kory Okun (relationship counselor) is available Tuesdays.
Wayne Hayes (counselor) is available Tuesdays.
James Guay (therapist) is available Wednesdays.
Rebecca Peng (Mandarin speaking counselor) is available Tuesdays and Fridays.
Jane Steiner (Tobacco Intervention Coordinator) is available on Wednesday. Lincoln no longer has a school nurse.
Derek So, Pauline Ong, and Henry Ha (Cantonese speaking counselors) are available on Thursday.
Peer Tutoring available 7th period and after school in Bungalow A.
Reasons Not to Fear the SATs
3. SAT GUIDE BOOKS AND PRACTICE TESTS ARE ALL THE
PREPARATION YOU NEED: The research shows that practice
improves SAT performance. "No duh," you say, and you would
be right. If you need to take an SAT prep course that
costs your parents a lot of money so that you will not
worry that your friends in the course are getting ahead of
you like a certain young person of my acquaintance, then
go ask mom or dad to write the check. But please remember
that buying a practice SAT test book, or borrowing one
from the school library, is likely to be all the
preparation you need. The many SAT guide books are full of
good tactical advice, when to guess, how to handle the
tough questions, etc., so read them, and relax.
4. THE NEW ESSAY QUESTION WON'T BE THAT TOUGH: The new
25-minute essay, written by you and graded by human
beings, is new for the SAT, but the very similar SAT-II
writing test has been around a long time and college
applicants have not found it that daunting. You have heard
rumors that if you don't follow the new SAT essay scoring
rubric to the letter, you're chop suey, but those reports
are not true. All you have to do is answer the question
with a few concrete examples and try to be as clear as
possible. No need to worry about topic sentences or
spelling or impressive vocabulary. The readers are being
told to grade at a glance, with no more than a minute
spent reading each essay, and letting their overall
impression be the deciding factor. If you don't believe
me, read my colleague Michael Dobbs's eye-opening article
on what he saw and heard in a room full of SAT essay
graders practicing recently in Iowa City.
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