Reflect Respond Renew Teacher Institute Anthology 21/22

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Museum of Art - DeLand’s 2021-22 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute Participating Volusia County Teacher and Student Anthology

Experience the Power of Art Museum of Art - DeLand 600 N. Woodland Blvd. DeLand, FL 32720 Museum of Art - DeLand Downtown 100 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand, FL 32720 MoArtDeLand.org ▪ 386.734.4371 Established in 1951, the Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida, is a vital and interactive non-profit community visual arts museum dedicated to the collecting, preservation, study, display and educational use of the fine arts. The Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida, is a 501(c)3 organization incorporated in the State of Florida and is a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the Florida Association of Museums. Gallery Hours Tuesday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Printed E.O. Painter Printing Co. DeLeon Springs, FL Museum of Art - DeLand

Copyright 2022 Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or any other method without written consent by the Museum of Art - DeLand, Florida.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

A Special Thank You “I would like to extend a personal thank you to the following individuals for their support and participation in this year-long program.” Pam Coffman Curator of Education Museum of Art - DeLand Art of Reflection and Response Teacher’s Institute Director The Family of Dr. Evans C. Johnson for their ongoing and generous sponsorship of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. Betty Drees Johnson for her unwavering patronage and support of the Museum’s education programs for children, youth and the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. Suzi Preston, Retired Art Specialist, Volusia County Schools and Co-Director of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for her dedicated support, expertise and collaboration. Bryce Hammond, Visual Art Specialist, Volusia County Schools for his invaluable support and assistance with the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. To our new teachers participating in 2021-2022: Alexandra Gibson - Campbell Middle ▪ Christina Kromhout - Samsula Academy ▪ Kimberly Scaccia R. J. Longstreet Elementary ▪ Jennifer Surgent - Beachside Elementary ▪ Stephen Wallace - Campbell Middle ▪ Robin Weiss - Palm Terrace Elementary ▪ Sarah Wilson - Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts To our returning teachers participating in 2021-2022: Katherine Crane - Manatee Cove Elementary ▪ Heather Cunningham - Spruce Creek Elementary ▪ Andrea Finkle - DeLand High ▪ David Finkle - DeLand High ▪ Adam Harpstreit - University High ▪ Kristan Kinsella-Brinley - DeLand High ▪ Jillian J. Larriviere - T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High ▪ Amanda L. Muessig - New Smyrna Beach Middle ▪ Jennifer Olsen - Volusia Online Learning ▪ Petra Ramirez de Arella - Deltona High ▪ ▪Nicole Rose-Peadick - Heritage Middle ▪Ann Sejansky DeLand High ▪ Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown - Stetson University ▪ Christina Sills - Forest Lake Elementary ▪ Darlene Stewart - Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts ▪ Khorletta Sutton-Cressor - Deltona Middle ▪ Keisha Wallace - Campbell Middle ▪ Judy Williamson - Pine Ridge High ▪ Kathryn B. Wilson - DeLand High

Reflecting on my letter in last year’s anthology, I thought 2020-21 was the year of ultimate challenges for our teachers, students, parents, and the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. I certainly was wrong; 2021-22 proved to be even more challenging and chaotic. Masks - no masks; distance learning - in-person learning; vaccinations - no vaccinations; personal freedom - public good; quarantine - no quarantine; Delta - Omicron; changing CDC, State and District guidelines; student emotional well-being - learning loss; testing-no testing; back to normal - a new normal or what is normal; and teachers who were hailed as superheroes now the villains. It seemed as if we were all trying to juggle way too many objects with more objects being thrown at us constantly, and most of the objects had sharp points! Despite all of the uncertainty, confusion and constant state of flux, twenty-four teachers signed up for the Returning Teacher Institute and nine teachers for the New Teacher Institute. Since we didn’t meet our minimum for the new teachers, the decision was made to have separate summer sessions for each Cohort and then convene jointly for the rest of the training. For the past several years the Institute trainings have been designed with a theme or focus such as story and how we tell our stories, gratitude and resilience. Trying to decide on a focus for 2021-22 was yet another challenge, but in the end we chose perspective and perception. Kathleen Cushman and Wendy Baron write in their article, “The Power of New Perspectives” that, “the ability to see from new perspectives — whether in the home, the classroom, the boardroom, or a civic forum — can offer thoughtful and positive solutions to the thorniest of problems. Teaching that intellectual, social, and emotional skill can transform how we think, what we think, how we feel, and the decisions that we make, both large and small. Teaching perspective-taking is an important tool for educators.” Over the course of the 2021-22 Teacher Institute, perspective/perception was certainly a topic that generated much exploration, discussion and thought. As you read through the teacher reflections, lesson plans, and personal works in this anthology, several Institute projects standout. One was Twisted Tales and 100 Word Stories, a second was Two Voice Poems and the third was Gifts from the Heart – If I could give you and/or myself a gift or wish. Each of these projects required a thoughtful inquiry into our personal and professional perspective and perception. Unfortunately, not all of our teachers were able to complete the training, but for those who did, please accept my sincere appreciation and thanks. Being with you brought some joy, hope, and light into a stressful and challenging time personally and professionally. 4

To all of the teachers who have participated in the Institute and to those who return year after year this is my wish/gift for each of you. If I Could Give You A Gift I would give you FREEDOM  to teach without being micromanaged or constrained by the curriculum, testing, administration, politics or parents.  to teach for your love and passion for the profession and your students.  to embrace more teachable moments and know the satisfaction of students' ahhas.  to have a voice and exercise it freely without fear of retribution.  to be a partner in the leadership and decision making of your school.  to develop a relationship with your students as individuals and not just data points.  to build a safe and humane classroom community where curiosity, questioning, and the learning process are more valued than having a correct answer on a standardized test. I would give you TIME  to let your students go off topic or explore an idea in depth.  to be creative and encourage creativity in your students as well.  to take a bathroom break whenever you need one or just have a moment to breathe and actually eat your lunch.  to talk to and collaborate with your fellow teachers.  for reflection.  to finish your day at school without having to do grading, write lesson plans, or contact parents once you get home.  on weekends, breaks and summers free of school work.  to be with your family and friends and have a life outside of school. I would give you COMPENSATION  equal to the importance, knowledge, dedication and effort required of you.  in the form of sufficient supplies and materials to teach without having to pay out of pocket.  so you wouldn’t have to work another job or two just to pay your bills.

I would give you a feeling of JOY and renewed PASSION each time you enter your classroom and satisfaction knowing that you truly change lives and inspire your students to develop a love of learning. I would give you the RESPECT and TRUST you have earned and deserve -- from your administrators, students, parents and community.

What I can give you is my Gratitude. Gratitude for you dedication, professionalism, caring, tenacity, and creativity. Gratitude for your commitment to the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute. Gratitude for having the honor to know and work with you. Gratitude for the joy and hopefulness you bring each time we meet.

“Part of the art of teaching is the ability to rearrange the world for students - to force them to see things in a new way. I’ve known too many stupid intellectuals to believe that education and wisdom come as a package deal along with facts, it's your perspective that counts - your ability to see differently, not just to see a lot.” ― Sunny Decker, An Empty Spoon Pam Coffman, Curator of Education, Museum of Art - DeLand and Director of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute

The selected artworks and writing included in this publication were produced by the new and returning teacher participants in the 2021 - 2022 Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute and from students in their respective classes. The Museum’s Department of Education worked collaboratively with Suzi Preston, Retired Art Specialist, Volusia County Schools and Co-Director of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, and Bryce Hammond, Visual Art Specialist, Volusia County Schools to develop and implement this professional development program and accompanying classroom materials and resources.

2021-22 New Teacher Participants Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute

Alexandra Gibson

Campbell Middle

Christina Kromhout

Samsula Academy

Kimberly Scaccia

R. J. Longstreet Elementary

Jennifer Surgent

Beachside Elementary

Stephen Wallace

Campbell Middle

Robin Weiss

Palm Terrace Elementary

Sarah Wilson

Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts

2021-22 Returning Teacher Participants Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute Katherine Crane Heather Cunningham Andrea Finkle David Finkle Adam Harpstreit Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Jillian J. Larriviere Amanda L. Muessig Jennifer Olsen Petra Ramirez de Arella Nicole Rose-Peadick Ann Sejansky Dr. Rajni Shankar-Brown Christina Sills Darlene Stewart Khorletta Sutton-Cressor Keisha Wallace Judy Williamson Kathryn B. Wilson

Manatee Cove Elementary Spruce Creek Elementary DeLand High DeLand High University High DeLand High T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High New Smyrna Beach Middle Volusia Online Learning Deltona High Heritage Middle DeLand High Stetson University Forest Lake Elementary Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts Deltona Middle Campbell Middle Pine Ridge High DeLand High

Katherine Crane Gifted, Grade 5 - Manatee Cove Elementary School The unicorn of professional development. This is what I’ve called the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for years. Years. I can think of no other professional development course that teachers willingly return to year after year. The community that Pam and Suzi have created is what sustains me as an educator. This may sound hyperbolic, but I assure you that it is not. For the past few years, even before the pandemic, teachers have been under increased pressure. I could list the demands placed upon our backs, but I currently have neither the time nor the bandwidth (and Pam doesn’t have the space in this book) for even a cursory review. Suffice it to say that the burden has become quite heavy. I can tell you, without hesitation, that I feel lighter after each Teacher Institute session. For a few hours on a Saturday morning, I get the gift of collaboration with colleagues (from all grade levels) across the district. Pam and Suzi consistently cook up engaging activities to challenge us to connect with our creativity. We never end an activity without Pam asking, “Is this something you can use in your classroom?” Without fail, the response to that question is an immediate, “Yes!” I remember an end-of-session reception a few years ago. The late Tom Russell was superintendent, and we had a few moments to chat. I shared some of the activities we’d done in the Institute and what I’d taken back to my classroom. “This is the good stuff,” Mr. Russell said. “This is what the students will remember years from now.” The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute injects much needed creativity into our classrooms. It brings like-minded educators together to share, to (occasionally) commiserate, and to grow. We reconnect with what we want education to be, what we know it can be, and how we can make that happen in our little corner of the world. We lessen the burden, at least for a moment. We tap into the good stuff. We find our unicorn.

Heather Cunningham Art, Grades Prek-5 - Spruce Creek Elementary School I have taken the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for three years. This course is not just another professional development, it is so much more. The Teacher Institute is held at the Museum of Art in DeLand and on occasion we visit the downtown museum. The Teacher Institute is different each year. My first year in the Art of Reflection and Response was very eye opening. I am an elementary art teacher, and I took the course the first year so that I could get ideas on how I could add reading, language and writing into my class routines. The Art of Reflection and Response class is made up of a variety of different types of teachers from all grade levels. I left the Teacher Institute with so many ideas on how I can add reading, writing and language into my art class. My classroom and students benefited from what I took from the institute. I began using writing response to my class, I would ask the students specific question about their art and that allowed them to write about their work. This year in the institute we are focusing on perspective. Perspective is not something I focus on or teach in my art room. However, after this course I am adding perspective activities and discussions in my daily art lessons. An interesting lesson we did on perspective was a drawing activity. I described an image to the entire class. This class was made up of 17 4th graders. As I was describing the image, the students could not see the image. Students were to draw what I was describing. At the end of the lesson students held up their drawings. Students were amazed at how different all the drawings looked. They were all trying to draw the exact same image, but they all looked so different. This activity allowed us to discuss how different we each preserve things. Students were able to understand more clearly, through their drawings, how different each one’s perspective is. I have invited many of my educator friends to join this professional development course. The more diverse this course is the richer the conversations. The conversations we have during our opening sharing time are something you don’t get at any other professional development courses. I value the conversations I have with other educators. Other professional development courses don’t allow enough time for discussions. Also, my professional development courses usually are made up of art educators. In this course I have the opportunity to discuss lesson ideas with a variety of educators from all grade levels and all subjects. We meet once a month at the museum. Meeting at a museum gives us the opportunity to be up close to images. Some of the activities we are learning or doing incorporates details from the art pieces in the museum. Having the actual images there as we are viewing it is much more engaging rather than looking at the image on my phone or a photo of the image. I remember that when I am teaching my students. I understand now that having the actual image there in front of them is more engaging and will allow them to see more details, in turn give a more detailed answer or response.

Heather Cunningham - Teacher Lesson/Activity: Paint a Picture, Art, Grade 3 The classroom assignment I had my students participate in was the Paint a Picture activity from the book “Visual Intelligence.” The activity is on page 106. The author wants the reader to understand that when describing a scene or a painting it is important to fill the blank canvas without biases, only facts. Accurate, objective, descriptive facts depict an image. In the classroom I explained to the students the importance of describing an image with facts and not opinions. The students were to describe what they saw, every detail. They were to use inches or centimeters when describing how long or big something was. I asked the students to use geometric shapes to describe how something looked. They were to use colors and textures when describing how something might feel if they touched it. They were to use foreground, middlegorund and background when describing where something was in the image. Students were paired up. One student was the describer, and the other student was the drawer. The describer had a magazine image glued inside a manila envelope. The describer had to describe the image to the drawer. The drawer could not see the image being described. The drawer could not ask any questions, they could only listen to the describer and draw. This lesson took my students 45 minutes to complete. This activity was done by third grade students at a Title 1 school. Before the students were paired, I asked them how they were feeling about the activity. “Confident, I know I can do this.” “I feel nervous because I’m not a good drawer.” “Worried because I don’t want to be the describer, I want to be the drawer.” “I’m excited! This sounds fun.” During the activity students said, “I’m confused because she’s not drawing what the picture looks like.” “I feel good, my partner is doing a good job describing the picture.” “Skeptical because I don’t think my drawing looks like the picture he is describing.” When the activity was over students said things like, “I am relieved, I had a hard job describing all the details in the picture.” “I’m proud of myself, when I finally got to see the picture, I drew it pretty good. We worked good together.” “Tired, that was a lot of work, it was hard.”

Heather Cunningham Paint a Picture (continued) Kayden Law and Gabriel Johnston, Grade 3

Kayden Law Grade 3

Andrea Finkle English 4 and English 4 IB, Grade 12 - DeLand High School Since I have been with this program since its beginnings, I am constantly grateful that it is has continued and grown into the present year, and it sounds like I will have an opportunity to reup for next year. This program has given me so much, and so much of what it has given me are the intangibles. It has improved my attitudes and my teaching. It has grown my collegiality and my collaboration skills. It has enhanced my creativity and my tolerance for ambiguity. I have been constantly impressed by how talented and committed my fellow classmates are. Pam and Suzi have a way of offering us new and surprising perspectives with every iteration of this professional learning. Every class is a living organism that offers a chance for us to bond and grow as educators. I have used countless activities from the institute in my classes over the last seven years: What’s the Story?, Visual Literacy, Two Voice Poems, etc. I have been a part of the Art of Reflection and Response for almost half of my public teaching career, and I know it has enriched me and the lives of my students. I have also been fortunate in recommending it to fellow educators who have also benefited significantly by participating in the program. One of those educators is my husband- one of the most creative people I know, and he has really gained much from his participation as well. The gratitude I feel for being a part of the Art of Reflection and Response knows no bounds. I am a better teacher and person because of this program.

David Finkle English 1, English 1 Pre-IB, and Creative Writing , Grade 9 - DeLand High School I was not able to join the Art of Reflection and Response for the first few years of its existence. Another commitment (teaching cartooning and fiction writing at Stetson) kept me from being a student each year. When the Stetson program ended, I was finally able to join my wife at the museum, where it became, perhaps, the only thing that could have taken the place of my summer teaching gig. This program is about activities involving images and words (two of my favorite things!), of course. But it is also about open talk about what teaching should actually be about - what it could be, if we actually let teachers teach. I am in my 30th year of teaching, and I sometimes despair of what will become of my profession. It seems at times that we have been reduced to users of educational products who encourage our students to also be users of educational products. Give your students these textbook pages, this piece of tech, this online program, and they will meet standards better on this other product, the test! No need to think! Teaching becomes less and less an interaction between human beings and more an interaction between various products designed to create a stream of data with students and teachers caught in the middle. But at the Art of Reflection and Response, we talk about teaching as a human endeavor, teaching as an art. Art itself is a distinctly human endeavor - as teaching should be as well. The author Frederick Buechner defines art as putting a frame around something - an image, a moment, a story, an arrangement of sounds - and saying “Pay attention to this!” I think the art of teaching does much the same thing. Pam and Suzie put frames around art by asking us to pay close attention to what we are seeing. They also put a frame around the whole idea of teaching. They create a frame around us as teachers, too, where we have a safe space to vent, explore ideas, and share. Frames are something I am very familiar with: for the past 22 years I have been drawing a comic strip about teaching. I’ve drawn over 6,000 strips using thousands upon thousands of frames. I decided to end the newspaper run of the strip this year. As I pondered the final strip, I wanted to create a visual representation of what teaching and learning can be at their best. I thought about the very best classes I’ve had as a teacher, and of the very best learning experiences I’ve had as a student. The Art of Reflection and Response counts as one of the latter. Pam and Suzie teach, but they also encourage us to teach, and learn from, each other. Teaching becomes a collaborative art. And so I leave you with my final comic strip… in its own way a tribute to this wonderful class. 15

David Finkle David Finkle - Mr. Fitz

Alexandra Gibson Mathematics, Grade 7 - Campbell Middle School The Art of Reflection Institute is a great professional development program where teachers from across the county come together to share experiences, ideas, and collaborate on projects. I strongly recommend this workshop to all new teachers and experienced teachers, especially, those who feel stressed and overwhelmed. The Art of Reflection Institute maintains a positive and safe learning environment where teachers can share ideas and experiences, all of which are very therapeutic. This program will revive your passion for teaching and, therefore, enhance your teaching practice. The Art of Reflection Institute revived my passion for teaching and introduced me to creative ways of incorporating art, storytelling, and perspective into my instruction.

Alexandra Gibson Lesson/Activity: Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem, Mathematics, Grade 7 Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem On January 4 , 2022, I created an activity where students needed to create and solve their own real-life word problem. The purpose of this activity was for students to create a word problem based on a real-world situation based on their experiences with math in the real life. This activity was originally called “Bell Ringer 1/4/2022”, students were asked to describe situations in the real world where you would use mathematical operations to solve a problem. Students were then prompted to create their own word problem based a real-world experience. After creating their own real-life word problem, they needed to solve it. th

Criteria for creating a word problem:  Your word problem should contain decimals or fractions and/or percent’s.  Your word problem should contain at least one question.  Your word problem should contain a minimum of two numbers in the form of decimals or fractions, and percent’s.  Your real-life word problem should include who, what, when, where, and how much. After creating your own real-life word problem, then you must solve and show your work for the word problem you created.  Create a word problem based on a real-world situation based on your experience with math in the real world. Be creative. Try to create a word problem based on your interests such as shopping, sports, science, cooking, etc. During class discussions students described several situations in the real world where mathematics could be applied. One student suggested converting ratios of cooking ingredients in a recipe. Another situation a student mentioned was calculating deposits/withdraws from a bank account. A student interested in sports thought about calculating yards gained and lost from a football game then converting those yards into feet. Overall, this activity sparked student creativity in storytelling with mathematics.

Alexandra Gibson Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem (continued)

Ashton, Grade 7

Alexandra Gibson Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem (continued)

Riley H., Grade 7

Alexandra Gibson Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem (continued)

Musarat Mansur, Grade 7

Alexandra Gibson Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem (continued)

Amina Moseley-McCloud, Grade 7

Alexandra Gibson Creating Your Own Real-Life Word Problem (continued)

Londyn Oxendine, Grade 7

Adam Harpstreit ESE Math, Grades 9-12 - University High School In teaching mathematics, first Algebra and then later with Geometry over the course of this year, it was at times difficult to convey what was actually occurring in a given problem, however one of the strategies that I implemented from Art In Reflection and Response was about being mindful when identifying components from a complex image. Equations though not a visual medium, such as a painting or a statue, are frequently a difficult image for my students. Therefore I made the components of equations more visual, I either changed the color of the different components, for example making the coefficient and the x variable red, or in another case making the coefficient represent a certain number of ‘adults’, thereby making the elements of the equation more relatable, to my students. I also went further when we began doing more complicated problems such as those involving multiple variables, highlighting how the coefficient related to the number of this variable, or the amount of hours of another variable, thereby making the problem more tangible and visually accessible to the student. In working directly or one on one with students this method has been especially advantageous. Additionally I have found that in my role as a support facilitator I have been able to better communicate with the students, detailed standards when I have been able to utilize methods that we’ve discussed in Art in Reflection and Response. Student’s Just Like ART more than they like Math… Go figure.

Adam Harpstreit Lesson/Activity: Drawing Angles of Elevation and Depression, Geometry, Grade 10 Background Information: Students were instructed how to identify Angles of Elevation and Depression as they are found in the world around them. Specifically, this is important when determining the way an aerator works in a plane or how to determine the height of tree when using a sextant. Groupings: Students were assessed individually and in small groups to determine their level of understanding of the concept. Learning Expectations: Students were given open expectations as to what the image created was to look like, but it needed to be understood that an Angle of Depression looks a certain way and an angle of Elevation though it might be congruent does appear different and requires different trig ratios to solve for. ____________________________________________________________________________ Lesson: Students were broken up into small groups and given a written description of Angles of Depression and Angles of Elevation. Students were then encouraged to use these descriptions to find situations in life that aid them in identifying these types of angles and by identifying them be able to solve using the Trigonometric ratios, to find either distances, or what the measure of the angles themselves were. Students then drew pictures representing this understanding.

Materials/Resources: Power Point presentations, Paper, Crayon’s, colored pencils, and markers. Modifications: Students that were not particularly interested in drawing were able to download images from the internet and use them to help demonstrate the relationships.

Adam Harpstreit Drawing Angles of Elevation and Depression (continued)

Student Example

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Art, Grades 9-12 - DeLand High School The Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute had been an integral inspiration to me in my teaching. As a new teacher to Volusia County Schools in 2016, I met Pam Coffman on a visit to the Downtown DeLand Museum of Art at an opening. After touring the museum with Pam and learning about the educational program, I decided to register for the teacher institute. I was new to the area and thought “what a great way to meet new people while immersing myself in the arts!” Well six years later here I am completing my fourth season in the institute! The teacher institute provides participants with an in-depth immersion in the arts through gallery walks and talks exploring the museum’s ever-changing exhibitions. We participate in various hands-on activities and collaborative experiences based on the artworks on display. We collaborate with fellow teachers in sharing progressive ideas and lesson plans that we bring back to our classrooms to engage our students in higher level thinking. he collaboration among participants is one of the highlights of the class. I believe I am speaking on behalf of all of us who have been enrolled in the course that the camaraderie between us is invigorating. We inspire each other to share the best we have with our students. In sharing our ideas and experiences in the classroom, we learn to elaborate on teaching and take it to another level. The professional development we experience in the institute is immeasurable. I highly recommend teachers of all curricular areas and in all grade levels to take the opportunity to enhance their teaching by experiencing the teacher institute firsthand. Its addicting! I guarantee they’ll return for repeat sessions.

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Lesson/Activity: Inspirational Portraits, Drawing, Grade 9 Objective: Students will exhibit their learned skills to create a portrait in oil pastels, of a person in their life who has inspired them. Purpose: Student Artists will learn how to use a grid to create an enlarged portrait in the style of portrait artist Chuck Close. Essential Questions: How do others influence us in our lives? How can your feelings be depicted in a work of art? Vocabulary: inspiration, depiction, grid Materials: Rulers, 16 x 20 in. drawing paper, Pencils, Oil Pastels, photo reference Resources: Website “Americans Who Tell the Truth” Works from portrait artist Robert Shetterly Documentary Film on YouTube “Chuck Close - A Portrait in Progress” Procedure: 1. Students will view the website of portrait artist Robert Shetterly and discuss portrait art and the inspiration of others. 2. Students will select an individual who has inspired them at some time in their life to use as their subject for their portrait art. 3. Students will submit a written statement explaining who their inspiration is and why, with a quote from that person and a photograph to use as a visual reference. 4. Students will view the Chuck Close Documentary on portrait art. 5. Students will use a grid to enlarge the portrait of their inspirational figure to create a portrait of them. 6. Student art works will be displayed with the written statements and quote from their inspirational figures. Assessment: Self Evaluation, Classroom Critique and Teacher Observation

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Chelsea Christoffers, Grade 9 Tim Tebow has inspired me in many ways. I have been fortunate enough to be in the same room as him and hear him preach in person. He is an excellent speaker and has never been afraid to share his words on religion with the people around him. Tim Tebow inspires me to be a better version of myself, and to trust in my religion. I feel encouraged by him to trust in the path that God is leading me on, and to not fear the thought of the future. Quote “I don't know what my future holds, but I do know who holds my future.”

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Leela Church, Grade 9 I find Andrew Garfield to be inspirational for many reasons. For one, Andrew Garfield has all the love in the world for people, he loves everyone and everything despite their flaws. He has supported foundations such as Small Steps Project, Stand up to Cancer, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Worldwide Orphans Foundation, as well as causes like Adoption, fostering, orphans, AIDS & HIV, cancer, health and poverty. Quote “Hate doesn’t end hate. Love ends hate” 30

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Isabelle Jagers, Grade 9 I chose Toby Mac because he is my favorite singer/song writer. He writes a lot of inspiring music. His music is also very catchy and upbeat. Toby Mac unfortunately lost his son two years ago, but he still continues to write music. Although it tends to be slower, it still has the same inspiring message. Quote “You’re not alone, we’ve all been there Scars come with living” “It doesn’t matter who you are This world goin’ leave some battle scars”

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Rio Lawrence, Grade 12 Marilyn Monroe is one of the people that inspires me the most in my life. She is an American model and actress that has accomplished a lot throughout her life and career in Hollywood. I love how elegant she is and how she portrays herself to the world. She still makes an impact on the world even after being deceased since 1962. Being a model is kind of a secret dream of mine, and knowing how Marilyn was in the modeling industry makes me want to do it more. Now days, people are pressured to look a certain way and be certain way, or under a certain weight, especially in the modeling industry. What I love is that she didn’t have the “perfect” Barbie doll figure that people may think they need. That definitely gives me, and should give other people the hope, that even if they don’t fit a certain image, they are still beautiful. One of my favorite quotes from her is “Give a girl the right pair of shoes and she can conquer the world.” This quote helps me embrace my femininity as a woman. 32

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Kaylee McGonigal, Grade 9 The person I choose is Paul Walker. Paul Walker was a TV actor who is known for his role in the Fast And Furious. He sadly passed away in 2013 in a car accident, but his legacy lives on in the movies he starred in. A famous quote of his is “My philosophy is: if you can’t have fun, there’s no sense in doing it.”

Kristan Kinsella-Brinley Inspirational Portraits (continued)

Rebekah Rengifo, Grade 9 Bruce Campbell is an American actor and film producer. He inspires me with the story he tells of his lifetime and film career. He often sites how he was ashamed to be considered a b-movie actor. I find it inspiring how he claims he now owns that title. He is also known as an overall kind, good guy, making him easy to idolize. Bruce Campbell’s perseverance that he describes in his books is much so inspiring. Quote: “groovy”

Christina Kromhout Music, Grades K-5 - Samsula Academy Unlike my peers, who came in from recommendations to take this course, I came in blind. It is harder to find PD for non-core teachers, but with my license renewal coming up, 40 credit hours to gain, and nothing planned for the summer I decided to give this a whirl. In hindsight I am glad I did! I truly believe this course has some of the best minds Volusia County has to offer within it and the best instructors around! If this was mandatory for all teachers, we would see a positive upward trend throughout the district. This biggest impact this course had on me was personal. My first year of teaching was during the Covid shutdown, with my second year being far from normal. Through this course I realized I had just put my head down and started the grind. Come in - hope that cough wasn’t covid - try to keep the students away from each other - hope that kindergartener who sneezed all over me wasn’t covid - try my hardest to make my music class still enjoyable without sharing or touching and limited singing - oh and a whole class I just had in my classroom is now quarantined for covid - and finally going home dead after sanitizing my entire room to do it all again tomorrow. I didn’t realize until after how much of a toll that took on my personal well-being. During this shut down I also lost all my normal gigs/rehearsals for various groups I performed in. Playing music with others was my way to be creative and destress. This class shed light to just how much I was in the hole and how that effected my ability to teach. Since then, I have been playing music again, and picked up an old passion for creative writing. I can see the difference when I come into school with some gas in my tank. I am able to use that extra energy to create fun and rewarding lesson plans for my students. Although I have always made a huge focus of my teaching practice geared towards SEL and creating a safe learning environment for all my students, this class reiterated just how crucial it is. When you have 20 students, 100 students, 300 students, or 1000+ students there is no way to know exactly how each of them are doing day to day. They could be the best student in your class but go home to a broken home life. Or they can be “the bad kid” that teachers talk about in the lounge during planning. Teachers can try to understand, but students aren’t always the best at explaining what they are going through and how we can give them the support they need. We as teachers need to do what we do best and TEACH them how to express themselves in positive ways through creative means. During this year I have taken a few days out of each semester to focus on writing and verbal discussion of the students’ emotions and how they handle those feelings, instead of music. And I have seen the culture of my classroom change. Students have more confidence when a lesson calls for it. They are also more genuinely caring about their peers’ feelings and feel empowered because they been taught approaches they can take to help. In conclusion, you need to take this class if you have not already. Teacher, admin, para, it doesn’t matter. There is something in this course for everyone. Professionally and/or personally, this will help you succeed! Thank you, Pam, and everyone at the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute for this opportunity! Hope to be back next year! 35

Christina Kromhout Lesson Plan/Activity: The Bodyguard, Self Confidence and SEL Strategies, Grade 5 While teaching K-5 music I have learned that as students grow up their willingness to perform and be creative diminishes. I have longed pondered the reason this may happen and have settled on the conclusion that as students become older, they become more self-aware. Although it is amazing that the students are beginning to form a self-identity, the side effects are not. Students begin to become self-conscious; they don’t want to try anything that might make them stand out. They begin to form self-doubt and give up easier when the going gets tough. All they want is to fit in and not be judged by their peers. This lesson was created out of a need for a tool to combat the natural progression of puberty and the emotional roller coaster these students will face for years to come. This activity was derived from the book “The 9 Modern Day Muses and a Bodyguard.” Throughout this book the muses have noticed that humanity have become less creative and go on a mission to solve this crisis. The bodyguard is there to protect the muses and anyone who follows their advice from outside threats to our mental psyche such as embarrassment, judgement, and “fitting in.” All common challenges humans face as we navigate from the beaten path and find our way in the world. I have noticed specifically my 5th grade students have become anxious about moving to middle school next year. As we began to talk about their fears it was clear they could benefit greatly from a mental bodyguard to protect them. We had a discussion on what students could do to combat these fears. Many said tell the teacher or talk to a friend about it. Well, these are great ways to deescalate situations do they always make us feel better? Safer? This is when I explained the story of the 9 muses and more specifically their bodyguard. The students liked the idea of having almost an imaginary protector they could call upon when others were not around to talk to. Thus, we created our bodyguard and wrote some things they would be able to protect us from. We also wrote phrases they might say/remind us of when faced with difficult emotions. Not only was this lesson a great way to teach/give the students a healthy coping mechanism for future challenges they might face, it also helped in class. The students felt safe to discuss their biggest fears moving to middle school in a safe environment surrounded by peers who felt similarly. They knew they were not alone by the end of the lesson. Many even compared bodyguards and found they needed protection from the same problems/fears. I also saw these in action as we prepared for our Christmas Performance and the students started getting anxious about performing in front of hundreds of parents and guests. I think this should be integrated as a 5th grade lesson across the county to help transition all students into the next chapter of their lives.

Christina Kromhout The Bodyguard (continued)

Terra Taylor, Grade 5

Christina Kromhout The Bodyguard (continued)

Kendall Shaw, Grade 5

Christina Kromhout The Bodyguard (continued)

Danny Woodard, Grade 5

Jillian Janiec Larriviere Visual Arts, Grades 6-8 - T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School This is my 2nd time participating in the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute at the Museum of Art in DeLand. My participation in this Institute has benefitted me personally to give me a place to relax and talk with like minded people to observe and enjoy art. This institute is good for my soul and is just what I need to nourish that side of me. This institute has benefitted me professionally by being able to share fun and engaging lessons with my students and giving them interesting ways to look at and experience art. Sharing our experiences with other teachers and getting advice in areas of trouble also provides invaluable perspective I may not otherwise get. My participation in the institute increased my skills in writing, this is an activity that as a child I always dreaded so I can find that commonality with my students. I feel uncomfortable expressing myself in that way so doing these challenges at the institute allows me to stretch that side of me and it helps me relate to my students who are finding this activity troublesome. It has increased my knowledge and understanding of arts integration and the importance of creativity and visual and verbal literacy by giving me the tools to expand on just glancing at a painting. This allows my students to get a better understanding of not only a piece of art for my class but life in general. The tools I am giving them can apply to other areas of study and the world around them. This new knowledge is very important to my teaching practice. This year’s theme was perspective and it couldn’t have come at a better time. These past two years, I have felt like I needed to be in these classes for my personal growth and it also benefits my teaching practices. The classes are giving me inspiration and messages that makes me feel they are necessary at the exact moment I am needing to hear them. It has energized and inspired me to continue to help my students learn the importance of perspective in more ways than just seeing what is in front of them. I look forward to every class even though our days are often overwhelming, the museum course and the colleagues I work with are a breath of fresh air in the current climate of education. I will be able to utilize the lesson plans I received during my course at the museum in future art classes, having students analyze artwork will always be valuable in my art room to help students dig deeper into a painting. The writing assignments will also help to use a different part of the brain and give my students more of a toolbox to pull from in other classes. I like to hear how other teachers in the museum class interpret the assignment and how they use it in their classroom, being able to get a different perspective than I have is helpful and I am grateful to have access to the valuable assets that our teaching community has. This museum class has provided me with a much-needed respite and a rejuvenation full of endless ideas and opportunities to help me become a better teacher for my students. We are very lucky to have an opportunity like this in our county.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere Lesson/Activity: Lesson One - 100 Word Story and Lesson Two - Twisted Tales, Art, Grades 6-8 I chose to share the 100 Word Story and Twisted Tales Assignments with my students. At first my students seemed reluctant to participate in these activities because of it being a writing assignment. But with some coaxing I think that they had fun with it. For the 100 Word Story, I explained and reiterated that it should be 100 words total, no more no less. That this should be a story either what happened before, during, or after we see this still image in front of us. I gave about 6 different options to provide a variety of images that would appeal to each person and I found that to be successful and was surprised how many chose the same image. For the Twisted Tales assignment, I used the photos of the artworks provided in our museum class. I split up my students into groups of two and explained the directions. At first, they were caught up on the amount of words, based off the previous assignment, but after it was explained it could be unlimited, they got right to work. It was exciting hearing all the chatter between the groups coming up with their twists, I am surprised how many went so dark with it. The purpose of this activity was to have my students take a deeper look into a photograph or painting to look beyond what information in right in front of them. This assignment was an opportunity to observe and infer to create a story based off their perceptions. Overall, I found that these 2 assignments went over well with my students, I was very transparent with them about the intentions behind them and I feel it was received well. I think some of them even surprised themselves with their ability to be creative and think outside of the box without the pressure of being in an English class. I think it was a good confidence booster for some of my students who struggle with writing.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story (continued)

Twig People 100 Word Story Teriauna Carruthers, Grade 8 We come alive in the night We are angry and disgusted. Why do you do this to us? Why do you poison us? Why do you hurt yourself? Stop the pollution. Stop the carelessness Why can’t you care about you and nature. Just reduce the waste, with plenty of haste. Just reuse. You don’t need glasses to see the harm you are doing to us. Pollution all around Filling up my atmosphere We give you oxygen and this is how you repay us? Mother Nature is not happy with humans. You’ll wonder why it is 70-80 in December But it’s you, all you.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story (continued)

100 Word Story Christine Collins, Grade 7 One day, a mother gave birth to a beautiful child. Since the mother loved nature, she named her daughter Ivy. As Ivy grew up, she seemed to love nature. One day she found bird, not a pretty one but it still was Ivy’s little companion. As she continued to grow their relationship was unbreakable. But the bird was growing too. Ivy knew she couldn’t keep it away from its home anymore. Ivy went down to the beach and sat with her bird for a while. She wanted to keep the bird, but to Ivy’s surprise, the bird was already gone.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story and Twisted Tales (continued)

The Bridge 100 Word Story Azeraya Gonzalez, Grade 6 The Bridge is a story that was tragic, long ago the bridge was beautiful. Well that was before the major accident. The bridge was first built in 1968, destroyed. Not destroyed completely, but when the bridge was first built, people threatened to burn down the bridge. One day, a boy named Jose promised to burn the bridge down. Protests, fights, riots, everything was going bad. So, one day Jose drove to the bridge and had Molotov cocktail, 36 to be exact threw seven and burned the bridge. But Mary gathered money to fix the bridge again. She helped, the end.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story (continued)

Can’t Let Go 100 Word Story Valeria Hernandez, Grade 8

Trying to let go of something or someone who you took as a prize, it’s heartbreaking. You value all that, just for it to go when you least expect it. They say it’s going to be “ok”, is it really though? It’s just words. I would like to have fun in life with that someone, but I can’t cause I can’t let go just yet. It takes time, right? Well how come all these days pass and I still can’t let go. It’s like someone cursed me to repeat my mistakes. Why though? It’s like saying good

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story (continued)

The Super Heroes 100 Word Story Rylyn Rogers, Grade 6 It all started when two very evil scientists decided to release a very rare and deadly fungus. Only four kids knew, the son and daughter of the explorer who found the fungi. Abby and Hayden, with their two friends, Violet and Blake. The four of them work really hard to stop them, but things were very difficult for the children to try and convince anyone and everyone what was going on. No one would believe them, so they took matters into their own hands. They had much trouble and learned many things. Those four kids have probably saved the whole world.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere 100 Word Story (continued)

100 Word Story Zack Sheppard, Grade 6 It’s been 1500 years since the sun hit Earth with a solar flare. It dried up all the water on Earth, including water below the Golden Gate Bridge. Only a few humans and animals survived because they hid. Present day, there is still barely any water and there are only a few buildings left on Earth. Everyone had a meeting today to discuss how we will get full supply of water and food back. Scientists are trying to make hybrids to produce meat for humans. Luckily, they think there is DNA of animals we had. Humans might thrive again thankfully.

Jillian Janiec Larriviere Twisted Tales (continued)

Dennis Weller, Interior XXII Carolina Cleere, State of Mine

The Dark Room Twisted Tale By Azeraya and Jesus, Grade 6 Once upon a time, a little girl was wandering around the woods with her older brother. He took a photo when a bird all of a sudden landed on her. She followed the bird and lost her older brother. The bird lured the little girl into a dark room with two doors, thinking her brother was in one of them. She picked the left door and when she walked in it and woke up to no one seeing her. Like she was nobody, invisible. She cried but no one seen, suffering all alone. She rested in peace.

Amanda Muessig Social Studies, Grade 6 - New Smyrna Beach Middle School Throughout the last three years in the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute, I have grown both professionally and personally. This training has endowed me with so many new skills, life lessons, and perspectives. I have been able to expand and stretch my mind by both trying new things and listening to the perspectives of the other participants in the training. This training has brought new life and spirit to my relationships with my students, co-workers, administration, and personal connections in life. Professionally this training has engaged me in the idea of using other’s perspectives in my teaching practice and when working with other teaching professionals. While working with co-workers and administration, I have tried to keep their perspectives about situations in mind. If we are working through everyday struggles and challenges that are present throughout the school, I always try to think about what the other person’s perspective is on the situation and keep this in mind before I speak about the situation. It is now an important part of my professional practice to listen to the perspectives of others before even finalizing and speaking on my perspective. While working with students, I have tried to listen to their perspectives and situations before reacting to their need, request, or issue. I have found that this strategy has allowed me to have a better relationship with students and provides me more insight into their lives outside of school. Students have shown more respect for me and my classroom this year using this perspective technique. In the classroom, I have also incorporated art, drawing, and perspective-based projects for every unit we study. Students learned about the perspectives of other people in the past through both the engaging curriculum-based history lessons and through the Samantha Smith Project with the aid of the Americans Who Tell the Truth website. This year I have also run two drawing and coloring contests in my classroom to aid in encouraging students to find their artistic sides. Using the techniques taught during the Art of Reflection and Response Institute, I have been able to gain a new respect for using other’s perspectives and points of view to make me a better teacher and coworker. In my personal life, I have also been able to use the skill of taking on other people’s perspective to aid in my relationship building. Helping friends through family tragedies, loved one’s deal with stressors of everyday life, and building new friendships. I am grateful to have learned how to listen to other people’s perspectives and carefully craft the words that I use to build honest and respectful relationships with others. In my first year of the Art of Reflection and Response Teacher Institute’s reflection, I wrote that I never thought I was an artistic person, but this training has taught me to tap into a creative side that I never knew I had. Recently in my personal life you can find me creating drawings by the bonfires outside my house just for fun, or even writing poems for Christmas gifts. After every Art of Reflection and Response Institute training, I feel so uplifted, heard, inspired, motivated, and energized to be the best teacher and person I can be. I am always so grateful to our leaders and the other participants for letting me hear their perspectives, working with me to grow my point of view on the world, and pushing me to find my artistic side. 49

Amanda Muessig Lesson/Activity: Lesson One - In Our Daily Life, Lesson Two - Samantha Smith Project, Grade 6 Observing life through different perspectives allows humans to keep an open mind and be lifelong learners. The focus of the Art of Reflection and Response Returning Teacher Institute’s training this year is on seeing the world through many perspectives and using these new perspectives to become more emotionally and academically intelligent. In the classroom this year, I have tried to incorporate the concept of giving the students new perspectives on life. This includes the perspective of how the ancient civilizations we study influence their daily lives and how the students may influence the future of our world. The first lesson plan that was brought into the classroom this year was the “In Our Daily Life” lesson. At the end of each unit on an ancient civilization (such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Israel) students were asked to analyze how that ancient civilization influenced their lives today. This lesson required students to change their perspective from these old faraway lands that have nothing to do with me to opening their eyes to how these civilizations truly changed the world into what they know today. For each civilization, students had to write one to two sentences with pictures about how the civilization influenced their life in eight categories. The eight categories included agriculture, government, religion, writing, social structure, art, technology, and famous people. The students synthesized their notes to create wonderful projects displaying the impact that civilizations had on their life. The students were very engaged during this lesson and were able to draw on their new knowledge of the ancient civilizations from class to see how their daily lives have been influenced by these civilizations. Changing the students’ perspectives from these ancient civilizations that are old and have nothing to do with me to now fully understanding multiple ways the civilizations influenced them has been a great experience for my students this year. The second lesson plan that was brought into the classroom this year was the Samantha Smith project and the Americans Who Tell the Truth website. During WIN time, students who did not have class remediation were taught about who Samantha Smith was including watching a video and researching her story on influencing the ending of the Cold War. Then students did research on the Americans Who Tell the Truth website about other Americans of their choosing who made big changes in the world on an issue the students were most interested in. Students learned about different causes and issues happening both locally and globally that impacted their lives. Students then completed research on a cause or issue they thought they could help. Students were encouraged to create projects to help make the world a better place like Samantha Smith. Students completed projects such as creating posters, songs, writings, and events proposals that would make an impact on causes such as homelessness, recycling, ocean cleanups, school safe, bullying, LGBTQ community, underprivileged youth, and more. In the beginning of the project, many students thought a sixth grader could not make a difference in the world, but by the end of the project many students were encouraged to go out into the world to make a positive change for their cause. 50

Amanda Muessig Lesson One - In Our Daily Life, Lesson Two - Samantha Smith Project (continued) In the classroom this year it has been my goal to make sure the students see the world from new perspectives. This includes allowing the students to reflect on how the past ancient civilizations truly changed the world to make it the place they know today, and how the students could make a change in the future of the world. Students were engaged in both the classroom curriculum and the issues of our communities today. The skill of observation and changing your perspective will allow my students to be lifelong learners and positive global citizens for years to come.