In the Fall of 2017, I was a teaching assistant for a course at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign where the undergraduate students in Art Education facilitated an after school program at Stratton Elementary in Champaign, IL. I assisted with two groups, 1st/2nd grade and 3rd-5th grade. The undergraduates we're responsible for the curriculum, classroom management and organization and I was there to assist and guide them.
The program was unique in that the school is an arts magnet school and these students already receive arts integration on a daily basis. This program was meant to challenge their ideas of art and push them to conceive bigger ideas in art. Being an after school presented different challenges than in the classroom. For example, they have already sat through an entire day of school and are tired, restless, and want to have fun. We had to find a balance between having fun and learning new things. I have included a few images and videos from the time I spent with them.
The program was unique in that the school is an arts magnet school and these students already receive arts integration on a daily basis. This program was meant to challenge their ideas of art and push them to conceive bigger ideas in art. Being an after school presented different challenges than in the classroom. For example, they have already sat through an entire day of school and are tired, restless, and want to have fun. We had to find a balance between having fun and learning new things. I have included a few images and videos from the time I spent with them.
