Engaging and Supporting Student Learning
I use a variety of activities and instructional strategies to engage my students by increasing their confidence in their artistic abilities, and making art accessible, relevant, and meaningful. When planning lessons, I consider how I can help students develop their technical skills in drawing and painting from observation, meet the California State Standards and, most importantly, cultivate a passion for studying and creating art.
By the time students reach a junior high or high school art classroom, many have already reached the conclusion that they do not have the inherent talent necessary to produce successful artwork. Low self-confidence and fear of failure can significantly hinder students’ motivation to put forth genuine effort in art class. In order to help students develop self-efficacy in art, I openly challenge the widely-accepted myth that skill in art is based in artistic talent. I explain to students why they may have developed the false belief that they have no potential in art, pointing to common past experiences in school as examples. I compare learning art to learning to play a musical instrument, pointing out how although we might not all have the inherent talent of Beethoven, most people would agree that, with adequate instruction and practice, anyone is capable of learning to play the piano. Likewise, while we may not all be Picassos, anyone is capable of learning to draw. I remind my students that, just like learning an instrument, learning art requires step-by-step instruction and, most importantly, lots and lots of practice.
By the time students reach a junior high or high school art classroom, many have already reached the conclusion that they do not have the inherent talent necessary to produce successful artwork. Low self-confidence and fear of failure can significantly hinder students’ motivation to put forth genuine effort in art class. In order to help students develop self-efficacy in art, I openly challenge the widely-accepted myth that skill in art is based in artistic talent. I explain to students why they may have developed the false belief that they have no potential in art, pointing to common past experiences in school as examples. I compare learning art to learning to play a musical instrument, pointing out how although we might not all have the inherent talent of Beethoven, most people would agree that, with adequate instruction and practice, anyone is capable of learning to play the piano. Likewise, while we may not all be Picassos, anyone is capable of learning to draw. I remind my students that, just like learning an instrument, learning art requires step-by-step instruction and, most importantly, lots and lots of practice.
In addition to challenging the myth of inherent artistic ability, I support student learning by scaffolding instruction and learning experiences to ensure student success. I do this by assigning early projects in which it is nearly impossible to fail, provided students follow the correct procedures. For example, I assign projects in which students practice drawing using their right brains (right brain sheet). These projects find ways to “trick” the brain out of trying to make realistic drawings, since most students will be tempted to use symbols and over-simplification rather than carefully observing how objects actually appear. These assignments include upside-down drawings, blind contour drawings and negative space drawings, all of which force the brain to observe line and shape removed from the context of identifiable objects. Once students complete these drawings and step back to look at their finished results (for example, by turning an upside-down drawing right-side-up) they are usually surprised with their ability to skillfully depict a now-identifiable, detailed image. These exercises teach students to successfully create realistic drawings, which significantly increases art self-efficacy.
I support English Learners in my classroom by incorporating various SDAIE strategies in my lessons and by assigning relevant, culture-oriented art projects. For example, in my student teaching class, students learned about artists like Frida Kahlo and Judy Chicago, who create self-portraits that deal with themes of race, gender, and culture, and create their own self portraits reflecting these themes. In this unit, students completed think-pair-shares and small group activities to practice making connections between themes addressed by the artists to relevant aspects of their own identities. I made various adaptations throughout the unit to make lesson content accessible for English Learners, such as providing students with sentence frames to help them complete written components of the group activity. These adaptations allowed students to develop their abilities in English while simultaneously improving their knowledge and appreciation of art and art history by helping them see the connections between art and their lives.
I support English Learners in my classroom by incorporating various SDAIE strategies in my lessons and by assigning relevant, culture-oriented art projects. For example, in my student teaching class, students learned about artists like Frida Kahlo and Judy Chicago, who create self-portraits that deal with themes of race, gender, and culture, and create their own self portraits reflecting these themes. In this unit, students completed think-pair-shares and small group activities to practice making connections between themes addressed by the artists to relevant aspects of their own identities. I made various adaptations throughout the unit to make lesson content accessible for English Learners, such as providing students with sentence frames to help them complete written components of the group activity. These adaptations allowed students to develop their abilities in English while simultaneously improving their knowledge and appreciation of art and art history by helping them see the connections between art and their lives.
Pop Art Diptych, Pearl Shen, 10th grade
Students who are gifted and talented in art also require special consideration in the art classroom. These students require freedom to make choices and develop a sense of autonomy and personal direction in the art-making process. I meet the needs of these talented students by designing a curriculum in which students demonstrate mastery of a basic skill, and then go on to complete an in-depth project utilizing this skill. Gifted and talented students will generally complete the initial assignment quickly, giving them time to complete challenging in-depth projects. These assignments always include an element of choice, which increases student motivation by allowing students to make art projects that express their personal vision and voice. For example, in beginning painting, student complete a project in which they create a two-panel “diptych,” working with acrylic paints, and using collage and layering techniques. While all students must complete certain components of the assignment (starting with a monochromatic background, incorporating realistic imagery from pop culture, etc.) students have complete choice in deciding what images to include in their pieces, what colors to use, how to organize the composition, so that each student’s piece ends up looking wonderfully unique. This project motivates students by allowing them creative freedom while ensuring that they master various skills such as working with acrylic paints, completing a monochromatic painting, and incorporating elements of art and principles of design to create a formally successful piece.
By planning relevant, challenging lessons that increasing student self-efficacy, and differentiating my instructional strategies, I am able to engage a wide variety of students in the process of studying and creating art. I look forward to developing my skills in lesson planning and instruction in order to make my classes even more inspiring for the students I teach.
By planning relevant, challenging lessons that increasing student self-efficacy, and differentiating my instructional strategies, I am able to engage a wide variety of students in the process of studying and creating art. I look forward to developing my skills in lesson planning and instruction in order to make my classes even more inspiring for the students I teach.