Anna Esteban, Llicència d'estudis a St Helens, 2005-06

1. Introduction
2. Working in St Helens, England
      2.1 The Schools
      2.2 Art lessons observation
       2.3 Teaching Spanish
3. Lesson Plans
4. Conclusions
5. Bibliography
6. Resources

Art lesson observation


Year 3, St Teresa


Year 6, St Thomas

Year 6, St Thomas
Year 6, St Peter and St Paul

The National Curriculum divides this area in two: Art and Crafts and Design and Technology.
Most  observations done have been in year 6 in St Thomas of Canterbury. There are two year 6 groups and they had Art on Friday afternoons. The Teachers mix both groups of children and while one of the groups does Art, the other does Music. They are not Specialists in Art and Music but they are responsible for these subjects.

To do Art, they have one hour and sometimes one hour and a half hours a week. They are groups of 24 children and the teacher has an  assistant in her art lessons. Depending on the activity they adapt the classroom putting a kind of plastic or papers on the tables. They usually work in groups and share materials. The students are usually  asked to bring information or some resources to work with.

The teacher brings everything necessary for the task. She always starts writing the learning objective of the lesson on the board. First, there is a talking activity to introduce the activity. Students use their Sketchbook to record useful information, to question or answer about their work or just to practise. Then, they carry out the activity proposed. At the end, the children help to clear up the room and the teacher collects the artwork done and later displays them, always adding the objective, the process followed and sometimes pictures of the children working. They really take care with the children's displays and you can find them around the school.

Also, I have had some observations in St Teresa school in year 3 and 4 on Thursday afternoons. In St Peter and St Paul I was invited to assist  a very interesting activity about African Designs, which was carried out over two weeks by a Specialist in Art and Design.

I have used some observations for my project but I really have had plenty of ideas, resources, materials and information that have helped me a lot. I have really  improved the English language used in the lessons, the specific art-related vocabulary, how children question, answer  and develop the activity. The only thing I haven't had the opportunity to learn is about the new technologies in art.