How do you deal with safety in the classroom?

I believe it is important to take precautionary measures in the classroom. It is best to prevent an accident before it happens.  At the start of the year, walk students through the classroom and point out potential safety hazards and explain how to avoid them.  All materials in the classroom must be safe for students to use and age appropriate.  The classroom should have posters put throughout the room to deal with accidents that will happen, such as how to use an eye wash station.  Make sure students know how to use the tools and materials they are using effectively by demonstrating how to use it before they start a new project.  Also having a color-label system in the room to identify safe and hazardous materials could be useful.

What To Expect The First Day If You Are My Student

If you are a student on the first day of school in my art class you can first expect to get to know me as a person outside of teaching.  I would share information about my family, pets, my hobbies, and some of my own art work.  I think it is important for students to feel comfortable with me as an instructor.  After I give a brief introduction about myself, I would go on to sharing my rules and expectations of the students.  This needs to be in detail and make sure that if the students have any misunderstandings of what is to be expected of them.  After rules are established, I would give a brief explanation of what to expect in the course.  At this time I would give the students a survey to give suggestions and to voice what they expect of me.  If time, at the end of the period I would do an icebreaker to get to know the students.

Present and My Future

Currently, I am finishing my last semester at Stout and will begin my student teaching in the fall of 2012.  Over the past 4 and 1/2 years I have gained valuable knowledge and skills to succeed in my field of profession.  I am very anxious to start student teaching and find a job after completing graduation.


Once I have obtained a teaching position, I hope that I can influence and be a part of the communities art movement in the school district that I teach in.  After I have established myself as an art teacher, one of my goals is to have my own art studio and continue to make worth throughout my life.  I want to outreach to my student's and serve as an inspiration to them to pursue their dreams in the art world.  In my future teaching years, I also hope that I can have an influence on those students who are not interested in art as much and show them how art serves as a positive dimension in our society.