The Holiday break was nice. Spending time with family and friends is always refreshing.
As I said in a previous blog, the holiday break can be a blessing or a curse on class determination. This year the curse came on strong. Even though I had high hopes while watching students progress through the projects, the first critique date was missed because they were not fully prepared. I tried to be optimistic about what kind of work that would be shown when we returned for the rescheduled critique. I had hoped the students would use some of their down time in an effort to be ready for an important critique.
The first day back, "NOT PLEASED" was my phrase of the day. I was admittedly disappointed with the majority of the final projects my afternoon class presented. After a rather unpleasant critique and a very intense classroom discussion we went into a lock-down mode. I was unsure of whether myself or my students were to blame for the botched projects. So I decided that class would be no fun for me or them. I don't like to have that kind of atmosphere in the classroom, but sometimes it's necessary. I want them to enjoy learning but I also want them to understand the consequences of not being a productive worker. CPI is meant to prepare students for the real world of work, and although I have a few students who remind me I am not their "boss", I do have to prepare them what a real boss may be like.
I assigned a three page paper on one of six Pop Artists I presented. There was no sitting near friends, no idol chat, just quiet and keys clicking. After the paper was turned in we started back in on packet work for Illustrator and Photoshop. The students have been on their best behavior and have been working diligently. I hope to get back to a point soon where I feel comfortable with giving a bit more freedom. This will take time, being that they will need to earn their freedom and be able to handle it while producing good work.
With all this being said, I want to say that I am really proud of my students the majority of the time. This was the "oddball" that happens once in a while. I have extremely talented kids who sometimes forget that they still need to work to meet expectations. I hear a lot of things about this generation of students, but I can tell you with the right motivation and direction these kids are capable of great things. I am looking forward to the next project so they can prove me right.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Meet KP
Hiya! My name is Katherine, but my friends call me KP and I’ve been known as KP since the fourth grade. Anywho, two of my favorite things in the entire world are dancing and photography. I have been dancing since I was three and it allows me to release all of my frustrations in a creative way. I feel like everything I have ever had a hobby in was of the creative nature. For example, when I first tried photography, I fell in love. No, not figuratively, literally. It is something that I have invested a lot of time, money and effort into. I have a $1200.00 Nikon D5000 digital SLR camera. It came in a packaged deal with two lenses; one that is 18-55mm and one that is 55-200mm, and a Lowepro camera bag. Sounded like a perfect thing for me. Right? Wrong. I have had so much trouble paying for it. I had a part- time job and they only scheduled me where they needed me and some weeks I wouldn’t get a paycheck at all. Nevertheless, I kept my head up because I could finally do what I loved with somewhat professional equipment. My camera though, is still only half paid off.
But in happier news, I love my time here in graphic arts. It is also a creative outlet for me. It is very challenging, but also extremely rewarding. When you’re sitting at the critique board and everyone has very little complaints about your project, you can’t help but smile. You get such a sense of satisfaction when you feel you have done well on a project.
We have done everything in this class from writing papers, to hand work, to working on the computers on Adobe programs, to sitting at our desks, answering “if” questions and laughing while exercising our minds. I can’t see myself being in any other classes besides coming out here to CPI in a relaxed atmosphere, doing work, and pushing myself to do well. I always look forward to getting here and being with the most creative people I have ever met. Because when great minds get together, sometimes there is a clash of opinions, but usually fantastic things happen. Something peculiar happens in this class, though. At my regular school, it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and everyone only looks out for themselves. Here, it is a little different in the fact that everyone helps everyone else with their problems. Mrs. Boyd rarely has to get involved.
Another thing that really excites me is that Mrs. Boyd entered me into a district photography competition with a program called Skills USA. But the even better thing is that there is no category for photography in the district competition, but there is in the state competition. So now I get shot to the state competition. I’m very excited to go and see what I will have to accomplish. Until then, I have a lot of work to do. I hope you enjoyed reading my spew.
Nice talking at you,
KP
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