Finding a Job, the endless journey

I have found more and more that finding a teaching job is a very hard task. I started applying though OLAS, NY state's online system for hiring/applying for teaching jobs, in February. Yet I have heard back from no one. A select few schools at least acknowledge they have received your application, but from most you get nothing. No acknowledgment your application was received, or notice that the position was filled.
I know that a lot of it is who you know. Where you have connections. But I am still here, after 60+ applications, hoping to hear back from someone.
I need to stop making excuses like that the budgets are getting voted on in May, or that the process of BOCES, to district, to superintendent, to principal is what is holding it up.

All in all, I wait, at the mercy of New York State. I wait to hear if I will have a job in the fall.
I have been told that teachers received jobs in May, in June, even two days before school started in September.

the stars of the sea

While vacationing on the Maldives Islands, Taiwanese photographer Will Ho stumbled onto an incredible stretch of beach covered in millions of bioluminescent phytoplankton. These tiny organisms glow similarly to fireflies and tend to emit light when stressed, such as when waves crash or when they are otherwise agitated. While the phenomenon and its chemical mechanisms have been known for some time, biologists have only recently began to understand the reasons behind it. You can see a few more of Ho’s photographs over on Flickr.

flexible paper sculptures

Heather Hansen

Artist Heather Hansen uses her body movement to form charcoal drawings.

"Her body contorts into carefully choreographed gestures as her writing implements grate across the floor, the long trails resulting in a permanent recording of her physical movements. Part dance and part performance art, the kinetic drawings are a way for Hansen to merge her love for visual art and dance into a unified artform. The final symmetrical patterns that emerge in each pieces are reminiscent of a Rorschach test, or perhaps cycles found in nature." -Colossal Art and Visual Culture

book edge artwork

ArtCart vs Art Classroom Teacher Inquiry Questionnaire

Please post response in comments, or email to me at euh144@psu.edu

Art Cart Inquiry Questionnaire:

How long have you been teaching?

How long ago did you get certified?

What type of teaching certificate do you hold?

What type of teaching environment do you teach in? Classroom/Art Cart

Describe your classroom layout:

Describe the process of planning/preparing: a one day lesson plan?

A multi-day lesson plan?

How long does it take to prepare for a standard lesson, one day and multi-day?

How do you prepare materials for your lesson (for example a impressionist painting lesson)?

How long does it take to prepare these materials?

How long in your lesson do you plan to:

Introduce?

Demonstrate?

Student activity?

Clean up?

Conclusion?

Where do you keep in progress work?

Describe common obstacles you encounter when teaching?

Do you believe your environment creates obstacles?How so?

What are some restrictions and/or bonuses based on the environment in which you teach?

Do you believe the classroom environment in which you teach affects your teaching, preparation and

 execution? How so?

Describe what changes you would make if your teaching environment changed? Classroom to art cart

 or Art cart to classroom?

Describe your ideal teaching environment as an art teacher?

Please provide an attached lesson plan if possible. 1 day and multi-day.

Art Cart Inquiry

I am currently enrolled in a class titled: Teaching as Inquiry, at Penn State University's graduate school of education. In this class we are guided through the practice of teacher inquiry. Along with classroom instruction we must conduct our own inquiry based project. It is not "research" but inquiry.

As I did my undergraduate studies in Art Education, I have related my research topic to art classroom instruction. More specifically I want to dig into Art-Cart vs. Art Classroom.

Because of my own encounters with art classrooms and art carts I question “How does the teaching environment affect preparation and execution of lessons by visual arts teachers?” By teaching environment I mean the distinction between art teachers with art classrooms, and art teachers which teach from an art cart. While both types of art teachers could have a teachers room and desk space in some location in the school, I would like to focus more on the teacher's interaction with students and student work. With this question I will search to compare the impact of classroom setting on the preparation and execution of art lessons. I search to find if teachers are prepared for whichever setting they are placed in.

I am looking for ART CART and classroom art teachers who will be willing to fill out a questionnaire to be used as data for my inquiry. It will be anonymous and will not be seen by anyone but myself.
Note: I do need more art cart references because I have more access to classroom art teachers.

If you would like to participate in my survey please contact me at: euh144@psu.edu