Teaching+for+Artistic+Behavior

Teaching for Artistic Behavior
Four practices form the structure of teaching for artistic behavior: Students as Artists, Teaching, Classroom Context, and Assessment.

Students as Artists
The student is the artist and makes authentic choices concerning their work. Choice practice allows teachers and students to value authentic learning processes and intrinsic motivation. Students work from their strengths and at an individual pace. Art that is created from the meaningful context of young artists' lives enhances relevancy and authenticity. Students who maintain control over their work are invested and have incentives to take risks. Resulting artwork is often powerful and profound.

Teaching
Differentiation permeates the learning environment with multiple forms of instruction throughout the class period. Teacher roles include demonstrating, modeling, facilitating, coaching, providing curriculum content, and altering that content as a result of observations made during class.

Classroom Context
The ideal learning environment for student-driven artmaking requires the efficient use of time, careful arrangement of space, and thoughtful choice of materials. Predictability of studio centers is central to the effectiveness of choice-based learning and teaching, and enables students to plan ahead for their art class.

Whole-group demonstrations at the beginning of each class are carefully planned to be brief. The purpose of the demo is for students to receive exposure to varied art concepts over the course of the school year. Learners may choose to try something new every week or to continue working on one piece for an extended period of time. Studio work takes up the majority of the class time. Individual class dynamics determine how much time is required for cleanup and sharing at the end of class.

Assessment
Assessment is ongoing, with students showing evidence of learning in their everyday activities. Multiple assesments inform teaching, resulting in materials and instruction that are closely aligned with student needs. Teachers create manageable methods for collecting data on student progress utilizing checklists, photo documentation, dialogues and student writing. Teachers help students by introducing self-assessment tools such as journals, artist statements, sharing sessions, and portfolios. Students use information gained in self-assessment to build confidence and measure their progress. Teachers use this information to redirect individualized and group instruction and to develop new curricula.

Some Benefits of a Choice-Based Art Program in Elementary and Middle Schools
Assessment supports both student and teacher growth. Higher order thinking skills are the norm for independent work. >>> High engagement results in students on-task, fewer discipline issues and success for at-risk learners. >>> Integration and extension of classroom curricula is supported for interested students. >>> Time, space, and resources- often scarce- are utilized efficiently in the art studio learnign environment.
 * * Visual arts standards are covered in instruction.
 * Teaching and learning addresses studio practice, art history, concepts, and aesthetics.
 * Differentiation addresses diverse learners' needs.
 * Technology is embedded in artmaking, research and assessment practices.
 * A safe environment sustains deep learning for all.

From __Engaging Learners Through Artmaking: Choice-Based Art Education in the Classroom,__ Katherine M. Douglas and Diane B. Jaquith, 2009, Teacher's College Press.