Final Reflection

Izak Erekson

24 April 2017

Final Reflection: My Journey Through the Arts this Semester

This semester was one where I could have done more with arts integration than I did. I felt that I did not want to impose teaching the arts on my teacher, and wished that I did not have to teach so much. I did not do a great job at the ABOUT portion, where we were to do short activities with the arts. I eventually did the mirroring game with different students, but I never did the song game, or the brain dance.

However, I did find time to teach the arts lessons that were essentially integrated arts lessons. I was able to teach about the Civil War with Process Drama and through song. I taught about physical states of matter through movement, and saw students be creative in their approach to representing the topic I gave them to represent through dance or movement. Though I have not done much with dance, the students seemed willing and able to use this art form in their learning.

My integrated lessons also went alright, but there is greater potential for them. I essentially taught 5 integrated lessons (with the three specific lessons, and the two integrated lessons). This was a good requirement, and honestly not as much of a burden as I felt it was earlier in the semester.

I am set to intern next year, and the school I will be teaching at has drama every week, music specialty, and this is going to be a great asset in my teaching. I will be able to use music and drama in my teaching. Art is also a specialty at the school. This means that it will be up to me to use movement, or not, in my classroom. I know that the other art forms will be an asset to my students’ learning, and I can use these things to help them. Especially drama, I feel, will be a useful Social Studies tool, given that the students will have drama weekly.

I am not sure how much I will use dance, but I will hopefully use some movement in coordination with music to help students memorize things. I plan on using drama, and music, for sure though. Visual Art I also am a bit on the fence about. I suppose this reflects my background as a student. I acted in Junior High, and I sang throughout school in various capacities.

Arts integration can be a great thing for students. I need to make sure that I integrate the arts in my teaching.