Element A: Teachers demonstrate knowledge about the ways in which learning takes place, including the levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students.

- At the beginning of the year, teachers are required to give students a pre-test to track their growth throughout the semester, to compare to their post-test. The pre-test given to students the first week of school is to create a piece of art that symbolizes them. Many students make a self portrait, and many will draw the most important thing in their life (sports, family, pets, etc.). This topic is very broad for a reason, so that when it is time to complete their post-test they have more skills to express themselves in different ways. Their growth is calculated through an extensive rubric. After they complete the art portion, they must complete a written component to explain their process and why their piece of art represents them. 











(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)


Element B: Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student learning, provide feedback, and use results to inform planning and instruction.

- Using rubrics is the most efficient way to grade equitably. The example I used in this case is a rubric from a still life summative. The main categories of the rubric include composition, drawing accuracy, values, and presentation of artwork. The rubric is available to students throughout the entire unit, so it should not be a surprise when they hand in their work. By having the rubric available to the students from the beginning of a unit or assignment, expectations are clear, so students know exactly what they have to do in order to receive the grade they want. For informal assessments (formative or ungraded) rubrics will be provided when necessary, and for any assignment, clear instructions will be provided with an end goal so students are aware of all expectations that should be met. It is important to note why we do some informal assignments, and how they benefit us in the long run. As for informal assessment in the classroom, I like to make sure everyone is on the same page or understand what is going on by asking everyone to give a thumbs up or thumbs down. This is a great, quick way to assess everyone's understanding of a topic. 


























(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)​


Element C: Teachers integrate and utilize appropriate available technology to engage students in authentic learning experiences.
- When it comes to teaching some methods, I am the first to admit that I do not know everything. One concept that was always hard for me to explain or teach to others was sight measuring. It was always a challenge for me, even though I saw the value in the method. When it came time to teach this lesson, I knew I would need some reinforcements using technology to help teach it. YouTube became my best friend for this lesson. I showed my class a short video about how to sight measure to make sure they understood how to do it, and why it was important. After the video I did a short demonstration using objects in the class to reiterate what the video said. In this case, technology was beneficial to my teaching, and the students understanding of the concept. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGWGf3jVpeo  

(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)

Element D: Teachers establish and communicate high expectations and use processes to support the development of critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Using rubrics is a great way to communicate your expectations of students from the very beginning of a unit or assignment, to ensure everyone is on the same page when it comes to quality, effort, and promptness of an assignment. Below is an example of a general rubric for discussion posts. This is always published for students to see as they are working on an assignment. 






(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)


Element E: Teachers provide students with opportunities to work in teams and develop leadership.
- For this element I thought the Enduring Understanding/Big Ideas portion of my Social Justice- Multiples Sculpture lesson fit well. In this section it discusses the big ideas students will explore during the lesson, and how collaborating as a group can benefit the learning process, as well as the outcome of the sculpture. Originally, this lesson was going to be a solo art piece, but after talking as a small group they all decided they wanted it to be a group project. I think this worked out well, because multiple ideas were explored and expanded upon. This allowed for leadership roles and dividing the work evenly among their peers. 








(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)


Element F: Teachers model and promote effective communication.
 - Communication in the art classroom is a vital part of collaboration, the creating process, and reflection. I have found that critiques are one of the most beneficial ways to provide feedback to students in an open conversation, but it also promotes effective communication amongst students and their peers. Critiques- written and oral, give students the confidence to provide meaningful feedback to their classmates, and to receive feedback for their own work. A critique sandwich is a fun way to do a small group (or pairs) critique because it allows students to write down their thoughts. Critiques can be scary at first when students do not know what they are supposed to say in front of a group. Writing their thoughts down gives them the freedom to say what they want without feeling judged. 















(accomplished, proficient, developing, emergent)



When I first started teaching my own classes at Sussex Central High School,  I felt as though the delivery of my instruction tended to be long winded, resulting in confusion among my students. As time went on, I felt more comfortable in the delivery of my instruction with the help of the several tools and strategies listed above. These tools oftentimes helped reiterate my brief instructions because they are always available to my students. A lot of times when I am giving instructions or teaching lessons, the students don't realize they are teaching themselves by answering the several inquiry questions I ask them. In my opinion, this is the most beneficial tool for effective instruction.