A room without a view, my last day as a San Francisco substitute teacher
Mike in Summer School | Art by Todd Berman
I’m writing these words in pencil, old-skool style, sitting in a windowless room in a fog-shrouded building perched near the top of Twin Peaks. Throughout the next five hours I get to deal with 37 teenagers, forcing them to stay put even though their absent summer school teacher left no lesson plan.
For the past eight years, I’ve been a “substitute teacher artist” at various San Francisco high schools. Today’s my last day.
The artist part of my job title comes into play when I take out my sketchbook to draw my students, which has surprisingly become a valuable tool for teaching. The longer I have taught, the more I’ve integrated art into my teaching…oh, excuse me for a minute–
“Put the lighter away, please!”
…sorry, where was I?
Norman in Summer School | Art by Todd Berman
Sometimes, a kid who has spent the last half-hour throwing paper, starting fights, shouting across the room – generally just bringing chaos into the classroom – will become engrossed in flipping through my sketchbook. The most troublesome (or troubled) students are usually the most curious about what I’m doing.
Even as I write these words, Mike and Norman, two teens bored out of their gourds, have approached me to ask if I’m an artist. As proof I quickly sketch their portraits.
As they watch me draw there’s a change in their facial expressions and body language. I’ve earned their respect, perhaps inspired them to be creative, and definitely delayed their next escape attempt – if only for a few minutes.
That’s awesome, genuinely awesome Todd. Art is awesome and can grip many people in many ways, you rarely see many people do it in public too (around NY anyway). But also I guess that’s something that a teacher/sub can get from students. All that would happen to me would be my sketch book getting tossed across the room by some punk haha!
Thanks for sharing!