I’ve always enjoyed working with kids as it has always made me feel that I was making a difference in this world. When I lived in Oregon I taught a mural class at a middle school. I also taught a class in computer design. Both of these were school driven but the curriculum was based upon designing a mural or learning the technical aspects of computer design. The last time that happened was in Winter 2003. Since then I have only thought about the past as a memory. In recent months I have talked to friends about working with kids again. Being here in LA can make a person feel very selfish. I wanted to get back to what made me feel good about myself, sharing. If you search you shall find.

 

I’ve been interviewed and hired to be a teacher at a school somewhere in San Gabriel California. I’m really looking forward to getting back to things that meant a lot to me. The only difference is that I must do this in a specified curriculum. I’m nervous but also excited.

 

Thesw are the people who I will be talking to during this whole production: www.bluepalminfo.org.  I feel that I will need a couple of sessions with the kids before feeling completely at ease. I feel a bit overwhelmed with the subject matter because it seems so much in such little time. I will have to teach a little bit of everything in art, mostly history. In all fairness to how this program needs to work; it seems that the LAUSD has a policy in keeping the art academia as it’s priority. So I’m supposed to teach historical periods, famous paintings, artistic vocabulary and hands on training one hour a day; to three classes of 5-6 students. Let me catch me breath here as I think about what lays ahead of me. Hmmmm…this should be exciting to say the very very very very very least. I’ll be working with these classes one day out of the week for the next month or so. After that it will be twice a week. At that point they will be geared up to be outside and paint a mural for the public. I feel very excited about the coming months.

 

Tomorrow I have mock class session with Jackie to go over my style of teaching. I’m going to have to pretend that she is my class and talk to her like a teen. Talk about acting, I should be in Hollywood! Give me a minute to settle into that idea and I should be fine there on out. I’ll be getting pointers, criticicisms and food for thought. I will be able to use that coacing when I engage these kids on Thursday for the first time.

 

This is the first in a series of  entries about this project. I hope to get permission from the proper channels to take pictures of the kids. I think this will help you the viewer see the story unfold each week. Stay tuned to find out more. Welcome aboard!

Filed under: Community Art- San Gabriel CA by slopez Date 12 February, 2008