[Teachy-Keen]

I was just hired as a full-time art teacher in a K-5 elementary school. I'm incredibly excited, but a little nervous because it will be a "floating" position with no classroom to call my own. As a former full-time classroom teacher I am unsure how I will handle the lack of space and, more than that, I want to be sure that I can both support the regular teachers and their own classroom management, etc.

It's actually supposed to be a co-teaching art program where I plan and teach art in conjunction with each teacher, so I want to create the best possible working relationships with my fellow teachers. I was thinking of sending some kind of questionnaire to the teachers before I start asking their preferences. Does anyone have a sample of something like that?

Any other tips for a newbie floater?

[sandycheeks]

Hopefully you can work together to incorporate art with their curriculums, Some ideas I thought of when i read this quick (keeping what my 5th grade is learning in mind)----

-art history- teach children about artists during the era they are learning in SS, show portraits of historical figures and analyze them, show artwork that would give them deeper understanding of the era. this is endless.
-for ELA for example my 5th grade is doing unit on animals- have kids draw different animals using pastel or water color
-reading- Book about underground railroad- look at african american art, quilts that were used as symbols to show slaves safe houses to stay in, make their own symbolic quilt pattern.
- for science, use molding clay to sculpt plant/animal cells etc, trace bodies on big paper and color in parts and label, create their own animal species to survive in a certain environment, make 3-d models of whatever they are learning using any type of miscellaneous objects you can find in your house.



Thats what i would do. And i would ask the teachers for a tentative schedule of what theyll be doing each week.

[rosaclinic]

hi, besk of luck.