My niece is a Daisy and she sold Girl Scout cookies for the first time this year. Needless to say, hubby and I were ecstatic. No more hunting for someone to buy the cookies from. So my sister ended up having an issue come up. There is a classmate/fellow Daisy that my niece is friends with. My sister is also friendly with the mother. The mother saw a Daisy from another troop and the girl had a lot of badges. The mother was talking about that, wondering how the heck that girl got all those badges. Basically, the mother was hung up on how her girl can work it to get tons of badges. She was seeing this as a competition because her daughter's troop members don't have many yet. My sister was bugged by this for a few reasons. First, the mother was only concerned with accumulating awards, not the learning activities involved. Second, there was no admiration for the girl's accomplishments. Third, it was clear that there was a competitiveness at the root of the mother's attitude. To my sister this was strange. To me, it was not.
Here is why: the mother graduated from where I work. My sister and I did not. My sister and I grew up in a place and schools that valued hard work, grades that were earned, and community over competition. Sure, there were problems. It wasn't all roses and sunshine. However, we were not and are not competitive people and my sister is having a hard time with being confronted with this. My sister has also not taught in any district near here, so the climate here is very different from her experiences. She walked her neighbourhood with my niece, meeting people, and tying to sell her cookies. This mother bragged about having her husband bring the order form to work and just having people fill it out if they saw the form there. Minimal effort, maximum result. And what does her daughter learn? She had to do no work and will probably earn a badge. And the mother is OK with that.
I had to tell my sister that this is my daily struggle at work. I want my students to put in the effort for the grades they earn. The push back I get when I refuse to award a decent grade for minimal effort is profound. They learned this from their parents. I have cousins who went here and we are the age of my students' parents. They want to have the nice house and the Mercedes in the driveway without knowing how to work hard and save their money. And at the same time, they denigrate anyone who is not as fortunate as them and in need of public assistance. The irony is amazing.
And yet, I have colleagues who have framed me as competitive. Here is why: if you do not work hard, when you are confronted with someone who does work hard, you have to frame that person's intentions as something negative. My sister and I are not and never have been competitive people. Yet status conscious colleagues (the right car, the right town of residence, the right brands) are competitive, without the work ethic. They pretend they have the work ethic, but scratch the surface and it isn't there.
And I really don't care about them. But I care about my students, the work ethic they learn from us, and the satisfaction that comes from doing a job well with maximum effort. And trying to get them to understand that is such a struggle. They will grow up thinking they deserve all these rewards and benefits without putting in the effort and work. And then they will believe those that have been dealt a raw deal in life and get some sort of help as takers. They will not realize that they are takers.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Friday, March 11, 2016
Disappearing
Yet again I have been told that film is dead and the darkroom will be going away soon. I wonder how many of my colleagues get this cheery message several times a year.
When photography came about in the 1800s, artists in other 2D media immediately thought it was going to replace them. It did not. Photography has merely been an additional creative medium. Mechanical (the scary camera) 2D creation did not replace painting, drawing, or printmaking. And why should it? They are all media in which the hand and mind work to create something unique and expressive.
And as I watched my students print images on the 3D printer I thought "Why don't we talk about these machines replacing sculptors?" Sculpture departments in some colleges are obtaining machines that can create a large 3D piece of art that a student creates in a CAD program. While we are at it, why aren't we talking about cutting drawing classes and replacing them with CAD classes using the computer and the drawing tablet? And since printing methods have gotten so sophisticated, why are we not having the discussion about the end of painting and using Illustrator and other programs and creating the paintings on the computer, simulating the brushstrokes, and printing on canvas?
Because all of that can indeed be done. We can create our own paintbrushes in photoshop. We can print on canvas, primed or raw. We can use a stylus on a tablet just as a pen or pencil on paper or board. We can start with a block of some substance and program the robotic machine to carve and sculpt that block in far less time and with far less mess.
But we are not having these conversations because they are ridiculous. All those media are treasured and kept because of the presence of the artist's hand in the creation of the work. And that is what defines the difference between digital and analogue photography. I am tired of smiling nicely when someone tells me in their serious voice that someone they know who knows said darkrooms are going away. That is news to me. Because while some liberal arts schools have gotten rid of the darkroom (and put the money towards non-art areas, do you get the point here?), fine arts schools are rehabbing their darkrooms and strengthening their traditional process offerings. And the fact is that those who have a foundation in film are better prepared to work in digital. As an artist who is always looking for calls for art, the calls for traditional and alternative processes have not died down in the least.
In 2006, I was called in to the then principal's office. I was told - not asked - to be prepared to teach photography the following year. It was down to one period. I was under the impression the current teacher was retiring. He wasn't and I was used as a part of an attempt to force him into retirement. The people who played a part in that came out unscathed, reputations intact. Me? I gained a reputation as a teacher who steals programs. But, I take my job seriously and worked hard to make this a successful program. Three sections my first year, five sections and a second level my second year, and eight sections, three levels, and an additional person with a full time photo teaching job. I have more former students working in the field than anyone knows. Yet I come into this building each and every year knowing that someone is going to remind me and my program are obsolete, our days are numbered. The lessons I teach are much more than how to take a pretty picture. The film method involves patience, chemistry, careful thought, and a whole host of intangibles that benefit the whole student, not just the artist within, These are skills my former students have told me they take with them in their jobs or college.
I know someone wants my room. Is it for the new weight room? It might be. I saw someone scoping out the hall last week. But once you get rid of this, you cannot get it back. I hope to survive once they let me go. But I am of no concern. My question is what with the loss do to the students? I am not sure anyone cares to ask that question.
When photography came about in the 1800s, artists in other 2D media immediately thought it was going to replace them. It did not. Photography has merely been an additional creative medium. Mechanical (the scary camera) 2D creation did not replace painting, drawing, or printmaking. And why should it? They are all media in which the hand and mind work to create something unique and expressive.
And as I watched my students print images on the 3D printer I thought "Why don't we talk about these machines replacing sculptors?" Sculpture departments in some colleges are obtaining machines that can create a large 3D piece of art that a student creates in a CAD program. While we are at it, why aren't we talking about cutting drawing classes and replacing them with CAD classes using the computer and the drawing tablet? And since printing methods have gotten so sophisticated, why are we not having the discussion about the end of painting and using Illustrator and other programs and creating the paintings on the computer, simulating the brushstrokes, and printing on canvas?
Because all of that can indeed be done. We can create our own paintbrushes in photoshop. We can print on canvas, primed or raw. We can use a stylus on a tablet just as a pen or pencil on paper or board. We can start with a block of some substance and program the robotic machine to carve and sculpt that block in far less time and with far less mess.
But we are not having these conversations because they are ridiculous. All those media are treasured and kept because of the presence of the artist's hand in the creation of the work. And that is what defines the difference between digital and analogue photography. I am tired of smiling nicely when someone tells me in their serious voice that someone they know who knows said darkrooms are going away. That is news to me. Because while some liberal arts schools have gotten rid of the darkroom (and put the money towards non-art areas, do you get the point here?), fine arts schools are rehabbing their darkrooms and strengthening their traditional process offerings. And the fact is that those who have a foundation in film are better prepared to work in digital. As an artist who is always looking for calls for art, the calls for traditional and alternative processes have not died down in the least.
In 2006, I was called in to the then principal's office. I was told - not asked - to be prepared to teach photography the following year. It was down to one period. I was under the impression the current teacher was retiring. He wasn't and I was used as a part of an attempt to force him into retirement. The people who played a part in that came out unscathed, reputations intact. Me? I gained a reputation as a teacher who steals programs. But, I take my job seriously and worked hard to make this a successful program. Three sections my first year, five sections and a second level my second year, and eight sections, three levels, and an additional person with a full time photo teaching job. I have more former students working in the field than anyone knows. Yet I come into this building each and every year knowing that someone is going to remind me and my program are obsolete, our days are numbered. The lessons I teach are much more than how to take a pretty picture. The film method involves patience, chemistry, careful thought, and a whole host of intangibles that benefit the whole student, not just the artist within, These are skills my former students have told me they take with them in their jobs or college.
I know someone wants my room. Is it for the new weight room? It might be. I saw someone scoping out the hall last week. But once you get rid of this, you cannot get it back. I hope to survive once they let me go. But I am of no concern. My question is what with the loss do to the students? I am not sure anyone cares to ask that question.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
I am prepping for my trip back to Amsterdam. I decided to look into the presence of 3D printing in the city. Last summer, I peered into the windows of a shop that printed and sold items that were nothing like what I had seen in the US - soft, functional, and complex in design. Then, I recently read about the 3D printed house in the city. So I started to search. And I have found a great deal tied to photography. Things I have not found discussed in the US. And I have been looking. Last April, the Rijkmuseum held a conference on 2D and 3D photography. I am looking up workshops and in just a minute found one that I could take the Saturday I am there - in laser printing, which is related to a printer I read about recently. On top of that, I found a place in our area that is sort of a maker space. And I wonder why I am the only one finding this out.
Why am I so gung ho on researching all of this? Because I know damn well that my program is in jeopardy. My classes are full eight periods of the day and I can fill ten periods if that was a possibility. I have three sections. I have kids who graduate and continue in the field - hobby or business. Yet, I know this is in jeopardy. Why? They think they need my room. I have two rooms - one for the digital lab, one for the darkroom. There are people who do not see the value or need for traditional processes. However, one brief survey of college photo programs and photo professionals will confirm that a foundation in film is necessary. The medium is still viable. It is like saying Sculpture is insignificant now the 3D printing has arrived or that Drawing and Painting are done because of computer based Graphic Design. Nonsense.
In addition to this, I was approached by the Robotics teacher a month ago about doing a colab lesson. I have been wracking my brains trying to figure out a way to do this. I might have found something. But along the way, I am finding so much more. It really is quite exciting.
So I brought the printer down to Cafe 026 to print with the AP kids. Last Spring, I printed the manual, since I did not have it. Thursday, I had two kids clean it - it was covered in dust and cobwebs. Friday morning, I prepped the printer. I removed the black filament, replacing it with the white. I leveled the printing platform. Looking at the menus, I see there is a way to turn the sound off. Great! I can run it without worrying about it disturbing my colleague's classes. I did all this. Myself. My first time running this thing on my own. Doing some things I was never shown how to do. I was damn proud of myself.
Then, period 5 comes in. And the majority of the class gathers around me and the printer. And the kids in Photo II are begging me to print something on it. Damn. Well, I guess I have to come up with something my Photo II kids can do with the 3D printer too.
So, hopefully, I will find a workshop in Amsterdam and come back with some fabulous ideas to use during the remainder of the school year.
Why am I so gung ho on researching all of this? Because I know damn well that my program is in jeopardy. My classes are full eight periods of the day and I can fill ten periods if that was a possibility. I have three sections. I have kids who graduate and continue in the field - hobby or business. Yet, I know this is in jeopardy. Why? They think they need my room. I have two rooms - one for the digital lab, one for the darkroom. There are people who do not see the value or need for traditional processes. However, one brief survey of college photo programs and photo professionals will confirm that a foundation in film is necessary. The medium is still viable. It is like saying Sculpture is insignificant now the 3D printing has arrived or that Drawing and Painting are done because of computer based Graphic Design. Nonsense.
In addition to this, I was approached by the Robotics teacher a month ago about doing a colab lesson. I have been wracking my brains trying to figure out a way to do this. I might have found something. But along the way, I am finding so much more. It really is quite exciting.
So I brought the printer down to Cafe 026 to print with the AP kids. Last Spring, I printed the manual, since I did not have it. Thursday, I had two kids clean it - it was covered in dust and cobwebs. Friday morning, I prepped the printer. I removed the black filament, replacing it with the white. I leveled the printing platform. Looking at the menus, I see there is a way to turn the sound off. Great! I can run it without worrying about it disturbing my colleague's classes. I did all this. Myself. My first time running this thing on my own. Doing some things I was never shown how to do. I was damn proud of myself.
Then, period 5 comes in. And the majority of the class gathers around me and the printer. And the kids in Photo II are begging me to print something on it. Damn. Well, I guess I have to come up with something my Photo II kids can do with the 3D printer too.
So, hopefully, I will find a workshop in Amsterdam and come back with some fabulous ideas to use during the remainder of the school year.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Blood & Vomit
The title sums up the past 24 hours. Period 3 nurse's duty was a steady stream of kids complaining of nausea - real or psychosomatic related to work not completed. Then, I go to the oral surgeon to get the news I expected. I need to have surgery. My gums are receding - genetic, not poor dental situation - and I need to have a gum graft. It has to be after my Spring vacation because I have to have the teeth bonded in the back to slow them from loosening anymore. That has to be done by my dentist. Then the gum graft.
I get home late, Millie eats super fast, and then, while doing paperwork upstairs.... I hear it. The hurl. The poor baby still doesn't know how to eat slowly. Then everything calmed down. All was running smoothly until after dinner. I notice hubby is awfully quiet. The downstairs bathroom door is closed slowly as I come into the kitchen. Yup. A nosebleed. And this one is a gusher. It's a good thing he just bought more tissues over the weekend. Millie is concerned and trying to get in the bathroom. I know to just offer help and be near enough in case he needs it, but be far enough to be out of his hair. I can hear him gagging on the blood as it slides down his throat. He hates the taste of blood. I leave him be.
The flow slows and he goes up to the computer room to lay down. Millie mills about, concerned. I check on him. He insists he will clean up the downstairs bathroom. He already cleaned the blood off the walls and the floor. Of course, I refuse to let him worry about the rest. I learned from Sue and Mrs. Mariella that after a nosebleed, you can't make any sudden up and down movements. So I go clean up. Well, I never knew that blood had such a strong smell. The bathroom is real tiny. And he left the door shut. Wow, it smells just like it tastes. Another interesting thing. The moment bleach makes contact with blood, the blood goes from red to brown. Interesting. And so I scrubbed. Blood all over the sink and splashes on the toilet. I was remembering cleaning my grandmother's blood off her walker and cane when we donated them after she passed away after a fall.
It all sounds so horrible, but these are the things you just have to do.
Then as I am reading after the bleeding has stopped, I start to feel warm, then cold, and kind of weak. I have been fighting a sore throat for days. I thought it was just all the talking in Photo I, but then I wonder if it is more. And I start to worry because I cannot afford to take a day this week.
Fast forward to this morning. Hubby must have had a nosebleed in the middle of the night. There are bloody tissues in the garbage in the upstairs bathroom and some bloody remnants in the sink. I scrub it as best as I can. Hopefully he will take the day off. He got embarrassed when he had a nosebleed at work... And during breakfast Millie vomits again. I might have to go back to massaging her back and soothing her as she eats to not have her wolf it down and then chuck it back up in minutes.
Blood & vomit.
I get home late, Millie eats super fast, and then, while doing paperwork upstairs.... I hear it. The hurl. The poor baby still doesn't know how to eat slowly. Then everything calmed down. All was running smoothly until after dinner. I notice hubby is awfully quiet. The downstairs bathroom door is closed slowly as I come into the kitchen. Yup. A nosebleed. And this one is a gusher. It's a good thing he just bought more tissues over the weekend. Millie is concerned and trying to get in the bathroom. I know to just offer help and be near enough in case he needs it, but be far enough to be out of his hair. I can hear him gagging on the blood as it slides down his throat. He hates the taste of blood. I leave him be.
The flow slows and he goes up to the computer room to lay down. Millie mills about, concerned. I check on him. He insists he will clean up the downstairs bathroom. He already cleaned the blood off the walls and the floor. Of course, I refuse to let him worry about the rest. I learned from Sue and Mrs. Mariella that after a nosebleed, you can't make any sudden up and down movements. So I go clean up. Well, I never knew that blood had such a strong smell. The bathroom is real tiny. And he left the door shut. Wow, it smells just like it tastes. Another interesting thing. The moment bleach makes contact with blood, the blood goes from red to brown. Interesting. And so I scrubbed. Blood all over the sink and splashes on the toilet. I was remembering cleaning my grandmother's blood off her walker and cane when we donated them after she passed away after a fall.
It all sounds so horrible, but these are the things you just have to do.
Then as I am reading after the bleeding has stopped, I start to feel warm, then cold, and kind of weak. I have been fighting a sore throat for days. I thought it was just all the talking in Photo I, but then I wonder if it is more. And I start to worry because I cannot afford to take a day this week.
Fast forward to this morning. Hubby must have had a nosebleed in the middle of the night. There are bloody tissues in the garbage in the upstairs bathroom and some bloody remnants in the sink. I scrub it as best as I can. Hopefully he will take the day off. He got embarrassed when he had a nosebleed at work... And during breakfast Millie vomits again. I might have to go back to massaging her back and soothing her as she eats to not have her wolf it down and then chuck it back up in minutes.
Blood & vomit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)