| How to successfully teach Art and Architectural | | | | respectful never intimate or inappropriate. You will fine |
| Drafting to Inner City High Schools Students | | | | that showing love, care, and respect to your students |
| In Fine Art I teach Landscape Painting, Water Colors, | | | | will come back to you ten-fold. If you have their |
| and Pen & Ink Drawing. In Architectural Drafting I | | | | respect you have everything. |
| teach Working Drawings, Technical Illustrations, and | | | | 2. Second, become familiar with the students parents |
| Architectural Renderings. | | | | or guardian. I have made it a policy to call the parents |
| It has been both an honor and blessing to have the | | | | of each of my students the first week of school. I |
| opportunity to teach art to students at inner city | | | | cannot over state how important that this action is. |
| schools. For the past three years I have taught Fine | | | | With it comes a bridge of understanding that deepens |
| Art and Architectural Drafting at Lane Tech College | | | | as time passes. You will find that your greatest |
| Prep and King College Prep High Schools, part of the | | | | advocate and support comes from your student's |
| Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in Chicago, Illinois. | | | | parents. Do not be afraid to call them they want to |
| The ethnic make up for Lane Tech (all figures are | | | | hear from you. Most of the time they are stunned that |
| approximate) is in the range of 40% White, 40% | | | | a teach will call them! It is a pleasant surprise. This |
| Hispanic, 10% Asian, and 10% Black and other ethnic | | | | takes a lot of time but it is worth it. |
| backgrounds. The figures for King College Prep is 90% | | | | 3. Write plans that are modular and flexible. This is |
| Black, 5% Asian, and 5% other ethnic backgrounds. | | | | imperative in today's classroom. What I mean by |
| The first question that has been posed to me is the | | | | modular is this: Have a clear objective in mind from the |
| following: | | | | outset as to what you are going to teach as well as |
| How do you adjust the lesson plans for the students | | | | what the student are going to learn! This is where |
| at each school? | | | | most teachers fail. Take into account the propensity of |
| My response is that I adjust my curricula for each | | | | your students. If you do that you have the key to |
| class according to its needs. When you are dealing | | | | successful teaching and the joy of watching students |
| with High School students you are working with a | | | | advance both academically and socially. Be sure to |
| complex group of young adults. Not only are the | | | | have many variations on your lesson plan modules so |
| students different in their ethnic background they are | | | | that you can dove tale it to the need of a student with |
| also different because they are being merged into a | | | | a special need. If you plan modules into your lessons |
| large and complex social system that has tremendous | | | | you will find it very easy to teach to the student and to |
| impact on each one of them both personally and | | | | keep track of their progress. |
| academically. | | | | The three points that I have listed above are what I |
| There are three things that have to be done to teach | | | | have stated as the three most essential things that |
| effectively. | | | | need to be done to teach affectively. This is not to |
| 1. First and foremost get to know your students. Take | | | | say that this is all that is to be done. Certainly you need |
| the time to become acquainted with them and more | | | | to know your subject matter, get along with your |
| importantly as you listen to them listen for what is | | | | colleagues and administrators as well as work with |
| being said "between the lines". The students will tell you | | | | members from the community. The rewards are rich |
| what they want you to know, however, there is much | | | | when you but in the time and focus on the above |
| that you can and need to learn about them that is not | | | | mention points. |
| clearly brought to you by them. Often times students | | | | In my case I am a teacher of Art and Architectural |
| have many pressing needs that they want to share | | | | Drafting two very different disciplines. Art synthesizes |
| with you but lack the security to bring these things out. | | | | many subjects and brings them together. Architectural |
| Let them know that you are there for support and | | | | Drafting does this to a point; however, it is more |
| guidance. It should be noted that you can never under | | | | analytical seeking to break things down before putting |
| any circumstances be their "friend". Your relationship to | | | | together. |
| the students must always to be proper, polite, and | | | | |