Problems & Solutions

For my independent study on tuesday, I met with the coordinator an hour before class started to better implement the class structure. We came up with a solution to split the class into two groups. The 6th graders will work in the classroom where the materials will be readily available for them. The 7th graders will work in the hallway because they needed space to lay everything out. We realized that the major flaw was that we were not allowed to set up our materials prior to the class.

Once class began, I immediately began placing the required materials onto separate desks. Some of the students began to sit near the projects due to their curiosity. The desks were grouped in a way that students can sit and work on a specific project along with their neighbors creating a production line in a way. I could not believe how quiet the classroom was with the other half of the students working in the hallway with the coordinator. The classroom environment seemed somewhat more controllable.

On thursday, I began to get a glimpse of the darker side of the public education system in Philadelphia. Before I arrived, my coordinator informed me that a girl from the school and was last seen at school but she did not go back home. When I went into the art room to gather supplies, the art teacher told me that she was just punched in the stomach by a second grader. As I tried to collect my thoughts and accept the startling news, I begin to realize how important this visual class might be for the 6th and 7th graders. The visual arts elective is not only a 30 minute class about designing the school but also a class that allows students to feel a sense of accomplishment while working with other students.