I have a student who has been "haunting" me all summer. John will be an eighth grader. He is extremely creative and highly skilled in art, especially in the area of cartooning. He is better than I am by far in his area and is extremnely critical and cocky toward both adults and other students. When confronted with frustration in an area where he does not excel (e.g., ceramic sculpture and representational drawing) he usually fails to finish his work or even destroys it.
To make matters even more difficult, John is a diabetic and has had a great deal of problems with his insulin regulation--and, of course, he is also a fourteen year old! Most teachers dislike him, because he is so cocky and difficult. I love him dearly (which he knows--he spends every noon hour in my room). But, I also become extremely frustrated with him.
This summer, he went to camp for more cartooning instruction. In the fall, I will have him for both a required art class (7 weeks) and for an elective art class--daily, all year. The required class is no problem -- it is pretty much cut and dried. But in the elective, how can I challenge him and also respect his abilities? How can I help him get past his fear of failure? He would love to do cartooning for the entire year. How can I allow him some choice, and yet get him to develop confidence in some other areas? Or, is that so important at this age?
This student has dominated my thinking for the summer--and I'm an 18 yr. veteran.
If you were this art teacher, how would your deal with John? What are your options?