This was first thing in the morning on the 2nd day of my teaching practice. I stepped outside and snapped a quick shot with my iPhone.
First Lesson of my practice.
Unbelievably the first week is over. Admittedly it was a four day week but still, the week flashed by in the blink of an eye. I’m teaching in a elementary school here in Red Deer in a grade 2 class.
This week has been about finding my feet, getting to know my students and spending time thinking about where I want to go with my teaching over the next nine weeks. I find myself in a bit of a strange position. Having been a teacher before I feel at ease and comfortable in the classroom. This is in no small part due to my mentor teacher who has embraced my experience and is helping me take my teaching to the next level.
Teaching is not as straight forward as some people would have you believe. It is a complex mix of science and art. Last week I came across this article “Educating kids isn’t rocket science. It’s harder.” It makes several keen observations. In particular how much change has been thrown at the profession over the last two decades and in many cases with little to show for it.
Contour Drawing
Contour drawing is a technique for improving observational drawing. It involves drawing an object without looking at the paper, drawing very slowly, and without taking the pen or pencil off the paper. It’s as difficult as it sounds and for these grade 2 students it was the first time they had ever attempted it.
We brought some pumpkins into the classroom for them to draw. Many of them found it very hard not to look at their paper which you can see in some of the images above. That said there were a few of the students who gave it a proper go. This is an activity that can be done very quickly and one that will improve their observational skills as well as their drawing skills.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the activity and it was interesting for me watching them try to cope with the instructions.
