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Morning Art Journaling
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Marcus Aurelius Before we will start discovering what Morning Art Journaling is and why it’s important, let’s find out what is just normal morning journaling and why is it trend nowadays? Morning Pages are one of these things that sound so simple that you don’t think they could ever work for you. One of the things that I have realized in life is that many of the best things are really simple but our complicated minds want to tell us they won’t work for us. What is Morning Journaling? Morning Journaling is a process of creating three pages of longhand, stream of consciousness writing, ideally done first thing in the morning. There is no wrong way to do Morning Journaling– they are not high art. They aren’t even “writing.” They are about anything and everything that crosses your mind– and they are for your eyes only. Morning Journaling ...
Start New Career in Art | Alexandra Novik-Khamis
I am very often hear that people don’t feel like to start something new at pretty old age; especially if all their life they have been doing totally different activities. Same with art, people don’t want to start painting after 40-50 as they are convinced that if they did not do it before they don’t really have talent then why even try. I believe that everyone can start something new at any age. A lot of painters and musicians are started their careers at very late 40s. And there is nothing wrong with it. As long as you feel inspiration and need for it then go on. Years ago, people graduated from school, got a job and worked at the same company until they retired. Today, it's unusual for a young worker to stay at the same job for more than a few years in the first decade of their career. It's also becoming more common for workers to make a midlife career change, and completely switch gears after spending half of their adult life in the same industry. People want to b...
Creativity as a Spiritual Process | Alexandra Novik - Khamis
It wasn’t that long ago that having a son or daughter who expressed interest in becoming an artist was considered a parent’s worst nightmare. But today, many parents are encouraging of their children’s interest in art. And I am as an art mentor should guide them into art world and bring inspiration for young future artists. There are many options available to help nurture budding talent, but sending a young artist to expensive private lessons isn’t necessarily at the top of the list. Yet, when I see the new undergraduates show up at my art studio, there are some who have gotten an undeniable head start above their peers. For me art education is not only teaching process but rather creative process which inspires students. One of the main goal for me as an art mentor is to bring knowledge together with joy of creative process. First of all students understand the basics of art techniques in chosen field. And then when they know the rules they can smartly break it. Art process fo...
Teaching is hard work and some teachers never grow to be anything better than mediocre. They do the bare minimum required and very little more. The great teachers, however, work tirelessly to create a challenging, nurturing environment for their students. Great teaching seems to have less to do with our knowledge and skills than with our attitude toward our students, our subject, and our work. Although this list is certainly not all-inclusive, I have narrowed down the many characteristics of a great teacher to those I have found to be the most essential, regardless of the age of the learner:
1. A great teacher respects students. In a great teacher’s classroom, each person’s ideas and opinions are valued. Students feel safe to express their feelings and learn to respect and listen to others. This teacher creates a welcoming learning environment for all students.
2. A great teacher creates a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. The mutual respect in this teacher’s classroom provides a supportive, collaborative environment. In this small community, there are rules to follow and jobs to be done and each student is aware that he or she is an important, integral part of the group. A great teacher lets students know that they can depend not only on her, but also on the entire class.
3. A great teacher is warm, accessible, enthusiastic and caring. This person is approachable, not only to students but to everyone on campus. This is the teacher to whom students know they can go with any problems or concerns or even to share a funny story. Great teachers possess good listening skills and take time out of their way-too-busy schedules for anyone who needs them. If this teacher is having a bad day, no one ever knows—the teacher leaves personal baggage outside the school doors.
4. A great teacher sets high expectations for all students. This teacher realizes that the expectations she has for her students greatly affect their achievement; she knows that students generally give to teachers as much or as little as is expected of them.
5. A great teacher has his own love of learning and inspires students with his passion for education and for the course material. He constantly renews himself as a professional on his quest to provide students with the highest quality of education possible. This teacher has no fear of learning new teaching strategies or incorporating new technologies into lessons, and always seems to be the one who is willing to share what he’s learned with colleagues.
6. A great teacher is a skilled leader. Different from administrative leaders, effective teachers focus on shared decision-making and teamwork, as well as on community building. This great teacher conveys this sense of leadership to students by providing opportunities for each of them to assume leadership roles.
7. A great teacher can “shift-gears” and is flexible when a lesson isn’t working. This teacher assesses his teaching throughout the lessons and finds new ways to present material to make sure that every student understands the key concepts.
8. A great teacher collaborates with colleagues on an ongoing basis. Rather than thinking of herself as weak because she asks for suggestions or help, this teacher views collaboration as a way to learn from a fellow professional. A great teacher uses constructive criticism and advice as an opportunity to grow as an educator.
9. A great teacher maintains professionalism in all areas—from personal appearance to organizational skills and preparedness for each day. Her communication skills are exemplary, whether she is speaking with an administrator, one of her students or a colleague. The respect that the great teacher receives because of her professional manner is obvious to those around her.
While teaching is a gift that seems to come quite naturally for some, others have to work overtime to achieve great teacher status. Yet the payoff is enormous — for both you and your students. Imagine students thinking of you when they remember that great teacher they had in school or university!
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