USE OF FEEDBACK TO THE CREATIVE HEART - PERSONAL REFLECTION

Working with 33x11/12 year olds and their class teacher to make mosaic birdbaths.

The beauty of our school's structure, dividing the day into three parts -
thinking, feeling, willing and having the same class teacher for 7 years promotes a harmonious social climate in the classroom of trust and co operation. This particular class have a male teacher who is an exceptional artist, hence a large majority of the class have excellent drafting and design skills. Presenting mosaic to a group with a strong foundation of artistic practise, that is recognisable prior learning, makes my task much easier.

The whole group reached a very high standard of work.

The pitfalls for me came at the grouting process as I have very limited experience at grouting, and although I could work one on one successfully, when they were all going for it, there were some grout cleaning up situations that left much to be desired- (I needed tomuse hyrdochloric acid at a later date to potentialise the final work of art)

Retrospectively I could have given clearer instructions about grouting and sought assistance from one of the other teachers at the school at this stage of their mosaic process.

Working with a large group had other pitfalls in that some students experience learning difficulties and needed more intense attention.

I worked hard to reach each person in the group over the three weeks and highlight a strong aspect of their work, their choice of colour, subject, attention to detail, beauty of design etc. I work to find something positive to say about each piece. Where I have difficulty is in my desire to reach perfection and at times imposing my standard onto them, I do not know at what point to draw the line with regard to their finished work - I think I can be a little hard and critical. I see it in their faces and if I push too hard for quality they will give up rather than strive further. Children are very sensitive.

I would like each of them to have a sense of accomplishment and pride in their work. If I sense I have made the students feel disheartened I do my best to rectify this over the days of the block lesson, even a comment in passsing once the lesson is complete.

When I studied printmaking at artschool I was very fortunate to have a gifted and inspired teacher - she was young and had come to our school at the last minute as another teacher had left the post.

Over time, at critique sessions, I noticed she had a certain style of teaching, she listened very carefully when each of us talked about our work, what we were trying to convey and the techniques we were using. She would then sincerely compliment and or make a positive constructive comment about an aspect of our work. Then if necesssary, very gently she would point to an area and suggest a way to improve the image, method and or whatever was relevant. I received her feedback with openness because I was feeling good about my work from her initial comments.

I became very enthusiastic about improving the image, trying out her ideas and discovering more of my own. For some it is a huge step to actually like one's work - and as a teacher to find a way to honestly feedback critique to student is a skill and it is a skill to be heard . If trust exists between the teacher and student, a trust that the teacher is speaking the truth and not just being positive for its own sake then much can be accomplished. I am always working on developing the skill of finding positive and constructive feedback for the student. I am dissappointed when a student is not happy with work that they have done well. Not with the student but I experience a certain sadness that the student can not perceive their own strength.

I think that later in the year when students see their work displayed for open day and hear the comments and enthusiasm of others for their work that they can step back with more objectivity and see their achievement.