A Student Teacher’s Reflection

November 1, 2024Leave a comment

Mackenzie Ellefson

Student teacher Ms. Ellefson and cooperating teacher Mr. Juárez

As I wrap up my time at this high school placement, it’s hard to believe how much I’ve grown since I first stepped into the art classroom. When I began, I felt a mix of excitement and nerves, eager to connect with students and share my passion but uncertain about the best ways to bring out their creativity and confidence. Now, after weeks of planning, teaching, and learning from my students and colleagues, I can genuinely say I’ve come into my own as a teacher.

One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in myself is my confidence in the classroom. At the start, I was so focused on following my lesson plans to the letter, afraid of deviating too much in case I lost control of the room or didn’t cover everything. But as the weeks passed, I learned to trust my instincts and adapt to my students’ needs on the fly. I became comfortable with the ebb and flow of each class, recognizing when to let them experiment freely and when to step in with guidance. This flexibility allowed me to connect with my students on a deeper level and encourage their individual artistic voices. I’m so grateful for this shift because it’s made teaching feel more like a collaboration than a one-way street.

Another highlight has been the incredible support and warmth from the staff. The teachers here have been so welcoming, always willing to offer advice, share resources, or just listen when I needed to talk through a lesson. Their kindness has not only made my transition smoother but has also shown me the power of a supportive teaching community. It’s reassuring to know that there are people who genuinely want to see me succeed and have taken the time to help me grow. I was lucky enough to work with a co-operating teacher that gave me the space to experiment with my teaching style and be very supportive and thorough in his feedback and suggestions. I also was right next door to another outstanding art teacher, who was always ready to give me a boost when I needed it. Their advice, stories, and comraderie has made this experience that much more impactful to me.

And, of course, I’ve made so many fun memories with the students! From their creative ideas to the unexpected classroom jokes, these moments have brought so much joy to my experience. Watching students discover new techniques or see them light up when their artwork turns out better than they expected has been beyond rewarding. The laughter and energy in our classroom are something I’ll carry with me as I move forward in my teaching career.

Leaving this placement is bittersweet. I’m excited about what comes next, but I’ll miss the students, the staff, and the daily rhythm we’ve built together. This experience has taught me the value of patience, adaptability, and kindness, and I know these lessons will shape me as a teacher for years to come.

I wish Sheboygan North a great rest of their school year, and thank you again for having me!

Ms. Ellefson

(FA 2024)

Sheboygan North High National Art Honor Society Members Install Youth Art EXPO

March 8, 2024March 8, 2024Leave a comment

Yesterday, several National Art Honor Society members installed Sheboygan North High students’ artwork at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center’s Youth Art EXPO. Under the guidance of JMKAC’s Programming and Engagement Coordinator, Claire Carlson, art students curated the submitted work and installed the work of their peers.

Join us for an opening reception on Thursday, March 21st from 4 – 6:30 pm at the Social Studio, 608 New York Avenue, Sheboygan.

This exhibition is part of the Youth Art Month celebration across the United States.

Photo: Sheboygan North High School Art Department

The Sheboygan North High Art Department became a National Art Honor Society (NAHS) chapter in 2018. This is the first chapter of its kind in our North High history dedicated to the visual arts and art education.

Visual arts education is essential to 21st-century learning. As a NAHS chapter, we utilize NAEA (National Art Education Association) to stay ahead of developments in the field of arts education by being introduced to a broad perspective of important research, issues, and policy trends that are important. As an NAHS chapter, we are connected to thousands of chapters from around the U.S. who are passionate about the integral role of the visual arts in ensuring all students to receive a high-quality, effective, and well-rounded education.

We believe that the National Art Honor Society will provide our students with pathways leading to career and college readiness. In addition, introducing them to diverse art experiences beyond the walls of Sheboygan North High School aimed to expand their creative minds, gain new art skills, collaborate, and provide them with leadership opportunities, which will contribute to their personal, artistic, and academic growth.

Virtual art exhibition,”PSYCHE: Surreal Intuitions”, featuring new works by our Spring 2021 Artist-in-Residence, Liala Amin

May 31, 2021May 31, 2021Leave a comment

PSYCHE: Surreal Intuitions features 20 works on paper by Spring 2021 artist-in-residence, Liala Amin. All works were created at her Milwaukee art studio in Walker’s Point. Due to COVID-19, we shifted our program to become virtual for the North High community.

This exhibition will run through August 31, 2021.

Psyche

psy·che

/ˈsīkē/

“the human soul, mind, or spirit.”

Who am I?

The answer to that question is found through introspection. Self-discovery arrives in soul-searching.

The spirit moves in seasons, constantly forming and changing. To find meaning I turn to what my body and mind speak and translate dreams and emotions into free flowing images. This is intuitive making, letting the unconscious speak.

Human experience is vivid and transformation endless.

Click **here** to access this virtual art exhibition.

How to navigate virtual art exhibition

View Exit Interview with Liala Amin. Facilitated by Frank Juarez, art department chair. Click here.

AIR Happenings as of February 26th

February 26, 2015February 26, 2015Leave a comment

In two of Dr. Michels’ Social Studies classes we discussed Leonardo da Vinci, the arts during the Renaissance period, and the act of perception. Following this talk we did a couple drawing exercises including drawing some organic shapes, drawing flowers with our non-dominant hands, drawing the figure from an upside-down reference and blind contour (drawing without looking at the paper). These drawings turned out awesome and many of them are now being exhibited outside of room 218!

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Last week Sara introduced color theory to an Interior Design class and discussed important terms and concepts and how they relate to design. Everyone created a color wheel and got to see how various colors relate to each other within various color schemes and harmonies.

AIR Happenings as of February 18th

February 18, 2015February 18, 2015Leave a comment

It has been a busy couple weeks working with various classes at North as well as in the studio!

This week I had the chance to work on a very colorful art project with Beth Cesario’s class during their art time. We made glue sun catchers by filling plastic and metal lids with a layer of glue, adding some acrylic paint, and swirling this mixture around with the ends of paintbrushes to create a swirled pattern. When these dry they will each have a hole punched out and string added so they can be hung up. All of these turned out great; we’re all looking forward to seeing them completed and hanging in the windows!

There are also many new collages and drawings in the studio. Below are some of those more recent works!

Artist in Residence Happenings as of November 21

November 23, 2014November 26, 2014Leave a comment

WOW! What a great couple of weeks in the AIR program! You may remember Mel Kolstad, resident artist, talking about visiting with Mr. Soik’s Honors Humanities class for their first unit – well, he asked her back to consult with the students about their second unit, which deals with ancient Sumerian and Egyptian culture, The Epic of Gilgamesh and the samples of Egyptian literature. What they created was incredible, as you can see!

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Mel also met with Mrs. Reinemann’s Chemistry Club, which was SO much fun! The club made Solarfast prints and tie-dyed t-shirts! The students had a great time making these, and the project will be implemented in a future chemistry class. What a fun way to learn about photoreactive dyes!

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“Rocking It” to a New School Year

August 28, 2014August 28, 2014Leave a comment

This summer’s artventures bring new ideas into the art room. These ideas are going to expose our students to a wide variety of contemporary art being produced locally, regionally, nationally and internationally by emerging, mid-career and established artists. Introduce our students to artists who embraced their art education in elementary, middle school, high school or college, which as a result have encouraged them to pursue their passion – to create art. Also, to educate our students about the importance of connecting art education to other content areas through new programs such as our Artist in Residence Program and our 2nd Floor Gallery. These ideas will provide an avenue to consistently engage our students in learning both inside and outside the classroom.

One project that we will be implementing is called the 365 Artists 365 Days Project. This project is an online blog in which artists from across the globe are interviewed and introduce to its growing readership on a daily basis. The other project is called the Midwest Artist Studios (MAS) Project. This project is designed to connect a contemporary art studio practice with art education. The MAS Team went on a week-long road trip interviewing artists from Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin. These visits were documented via photographs, audio and video. As a result from this trip, lesson plans will be created based on the artists’ work to be implemented into classroom instruction and educators having access to these artists via Skype or Google+.