I decided to embroider patches consistently for my journal entries because it kept me in touch with fiber work and I could commit to the time needed to embroider one every week. When I began embroidering patches, the intention was always to applique them to something. I decided on an apron for a few reasons. 1) I have been really into making functional pieces since I took fibers last semester and 2) I really needed a painting/ teaching apron, I’m a mess while making art. I found my old apron when I worked at Joann. I never wore it outside of work because I hated that bright green color so I decided to indigo dye it before adding the patches. In a way, it feels like a connection between my past, current, and future art-making and teaching practices. I was working at Joann when I started in Art Education and part of the job there was being knowledgeable about the products and how to use them. It was the beginning of my love for fiber art and I learned as much, if not more, from the regulars I would ask questions to than the more inexperienced customers who learned from me. I took the chance offered by the art journals to slow down and make small representative and reflective pieces for a whole semester. Every piece discusses my experience as a pre-service teacher and I plan to slow down this coming year to reflect on my teaching growth as well. Now that the apron is complete, I intend to use it both for my last painting class I’m taking next semester and in my future classrooms as a teacher.

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As part of the art journals, we were expected to relate our experience to readings from the class or education in general. That, in combination with weekly experience reflection, created a unique space to make connections and new revelations even if the readings or theories themselves were repeated. For example, in journal 7 I had a revelation about the purpose of fun in the classroom and why students are so reluctant to participate in it despite wanting that happy stress release. I related it to student-centered practices and social-emotional learning. Things I had discussed in previous journals but never within the context of the Trans Day of Visibility at Wellington Middle-High.

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I grew exponentially this semester. As a student, a teacher, an artist, and a person. I am nearing the end of my journey as a student and I am grateful for my continued education and my professors and mentor teachers who support, lift me up, and humble me when I need it. As a teacher, I have been trying to soak everything in like a sponge. I am constantly observing and evaluating mentor teachers in the practicum classrooms and learning as much as I can about the students in the process. As an artist, I have been pushed much further out of my comfort zone this semester than I ever would have done myself. I know it has made me a better artist, I began to reap the benefits of a more flexible and creative mind almost immediately. In my personal life, there has been a lot of struggles. Struggles that have put me back in therapy. Returning to therapy and once again admitting I need help is not a failure or a weakness on my part, it is a step toward further healing and I’m glad I did.

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If you wish to know more about my journals I encourage you to read them.