Art Educator
Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School
During my eight weeks student teaching experience at Falk, I was able to teach over 150 students at a Kindergarten through Eighth grade laboratory school affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh. I was mentored by Cheryl Capezzuti, the sixth through eighth grade art teacher and well known puppet maker. I was able to develop lesson plans using contemporary artists and pop culture as inspiration, as well as teaching ceramics, weaving and printing to sixth and seventh graders. Keep reading to learn more about my experience at Falk.
#WHAT LIFTS YOU
During this lesson, seventh graders were exposed to artist Kelsey Montague, a street artist who creates large public murals all over the world. Students learned about her #whatliftsyou campaign, which consists of people interacting with her work, posting it onto social media and sharing what inspires them or lifts them up. The seventh grade students received a black feather and were prompted to create intricate doodling, just as Montague does, and to include three symbols of things that lift them up, make them unique or inspire them to be better students. These feathers were compiled into large interactive wings and each student posed with the wings and also wrote a two sentence response explaining their detailed design.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
During this lesson, sixth grade students were exposed to two new artists, Peter Anton and Claes Oldenburg, who both use food as a focal subject of their work. Students were prompted to think about food culture and to connect to the food that brings them joy. Students were asked to hand build a life size version of the dish of their choice in order to work on ceramic skills. Each class then collaborated to create a class restaurant title and menu to be displayed with their work. They named, described and priced their ceramic dishes.
WEAVING, PRINTING AND BUILDING MINIATURES
In the beginning of each seventh grade school year, Falk students design and create a 3-dimensional dream bedroom sculpture taught by their art teacher, Cheryl Capezzuti. In order to keep students on task with this assignment, I taught lessons to incorporate different techniques into the overall project. Students wove rugs and wall hangings, they block printed different patterns on fabric to be used as bed spread, curtains and pillows and also created miniature knickknacks to incorporate into their dream bedrooms.
Fulton Elementary School
During my eight weeks at Fulton, I taught 350+ students at a French- emphasis magnet school that promotes the study of French culture. I was able to teach in various classroom settings traveling on a cart thoughout the school. I created lessons that fit the Pittsburgh Public School Curriculum while also including children's books and current artists to kindergarten, first and third grade students.
LINE MAPPING
In this unit, kindergarten students were introduced to a book titled Little Green by Keith Baker, in which a hummingbird flies through the air in all different types of lines. Students used their imaginations to learn different types of lines while thinking about Little Green. They created a line map, showing a hummingbirds flight from point A to point B, being a flower. They learned the technique of wax resist painting and also used different types of lines to create a hummingbird finger puppet to interact with their line maps.
REGGIE LAURENT COLLAGES
First grade students learned about artist Reggie Laurent, based out of Georgia. I contacted Laurent and received a video from him made specifically for the first graders at Fulton, explaining his work and the process he goes through to create it. Students discussed geometric and organic shapes, warm and cool colors, as well as lines and patterns to create a Reggie Laurent inspired collage.
