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Quality Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach.
The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that s/he teachers (e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement area(s).
Element A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards, their District’s organized plan of instruction, and the individual needs of their students.
For my first project with my 7th-grade classes, I had students create Identity Maps that would later serve as their sketchbook covers. I provided a demonstration by outlining the criteria they would be evaluated on and explaining what was required to meet each expectation. This lesson was based the standard 4: "Relate and Connect to Transfer", where students were tasked with taking their personal experiences and interests and translating them into a visual representation through art. On the right side there are screen shots of the steps to follow, the guidelines students needed to meet, and a rubric outlining the grading criteria. The three categories were developing, creating, and evaluating.
Students began by planning their design and generating multiple ideas. For the final composition, they were required to incorporate either color blending or value shading to demonstrate their understanding of techniques covered in previous lessons. This project also aligns with Standard 3: "Invent and Discover to Create," as students were demonstrating an increasing level of skill and technique for their personal growth as artists. At the end of the project, students wrote a reflection explaining the significance of the places they included on their map and what each location represented to them personally.
Artifact: Screenshots from the Identity maps slide show demonstrating clear and organized instructions for students' success.
Element B: Teachers develop and implement lessons that connect to a variety of content areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematical practices.
Below is a screenshot of part of my lesson plan from the Identity Map project, briefly describing how literacy and mathematical practices are integrated into the project.
While creating their Identity Maps, students had to consider spatial relationships between the different elements on the map. This could involve mathematical concepts such as proportions, symmetry, and scale as students map out locations in relation to each other. Students had to use these mathematical practices to find the proper balance and organization of their design.
Additionally, by writing a reflection on the significance of each place on their Identity Map, the project incorporated literacy skills like writing, self-expression, and critical thinking. Students had to organize their thoughts clearly, providing written descriptions of each location and explaining its personal significance. This aligned with the emphasis on literacy, as students not only created art but also communicated their ideas in written form.
Looking beyond art, some students may have included cultural or geographic significance based on their own backgrounds, creating connections to other content areas like social studies and history.
Artifact: Screenshot of my Identity Map Lesson plan showing how both literacy and mathematics are being used.
Element C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.
To demonstrate my knowledge of the content and appropriate instructional practices, I began by discussing light sources with students, drawing examples at each table to facilitate understanding. I then demonstrated how to blend graphite effectively using a blending stick and a blending sharpener. In the past, students would often peel the paper off the blending stick, which made it unusable. To address this, I showed them the correct method for sharpening the blending tool using a specialized tool—essentially sandpaper on a stick—which helps maintain the blending stick's effectiveness and durability. This hands-on demonstration allowed students to engage with the materials appropriately, reinforcing key concepts through inquiry and evidence-based practices.
Artifact(s): The example I drew at each table asking students to tell me where the values would be based on where the light source was located.
A value scale both blended and not blended. Demonstrated what happened when you add more pressure.
Standard Reflection
I believe I have effectively met Standard 1 throughout my time student teaching at both Lesher Middle School and Johnson Elementary School. I demonstrated content knowledge in visual arts by designing standards-based, developmentally appropriate lessons that supported creativity and critical thinking. In each lesson I made sure to set clear expectations, so students understood what was being asked of them. I also consistently incorporated other disciplines such as music and history, into my lessons to deepen student understanding and make meaningful cross-curricular connections.
Professional Goal: I want to continue developing interdisciplinary lessons and work on better understanding how art can support core academic areas like literacy and social-emotional development.
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