Teaching Art

Substitute teaching has been my life since last January when I received my teaching license. I have been all over four separate school districts. I usually end up in the art room, so I have a great opportunity to see what other teachers are doing in their art studios. There are certain rooms that are better, more conducive to teaching and learning art. Some of these places are poorly managed and completely unorganized, making substitute teaching more challenging then it should be. Other rooms are perfect with several sinks and natural lighting. I really hope I can find a job where the space is ideal for creating art.

I was offered the opportunity to work a long-term assignment and I was very excited to start. Not just because knowing where you are going everyday is a better way to work, but I'm substituting for a great art teacher, in an ideal space and provided the opportunity to teach my own lessons. She also embraces a teaching philosophy called Teaching for Artistic Behavior. I have read as much as I can about this method and find it completely refreshing and much more authentic then many of the methods currently embraced by art teachers.

For example, I walk into a school and the hallway is lined with nearly identical pieces of artwork. Sun in the corner, identical hills made of the same colored paper. Perhaps a student was ambitious at added something different, but the project was about following directions rather then exploring your own style and natural selection of materials. Directions are important as a guideline for success, but art should never be a task that is a result of force. Nothing is better than seeing a student excited about a project because they're intrinsically motivated. They ask you questions about mixing materials and how to create the work they are interested in making. It is student directed rather then a formulaic project chosen by the teacher.

“I want to paint today.” “Sorry, we are only using crayons for this project.” It feels wrong to tell a student they can’t use an art material to express their own ideas. I know how much art materials cost, so I understand the tendency to keep them put away, but I am also very curious about the potential project this student will create, given the opportunity to choose freely.

The art class just completed a landscape project. They demonstrated many of the ideas I stressed. Large objects are close, small objects are far away. The idea of creating foreground, middle ground and background was demonstrated by the majority of students. They were given the opportunity to use whatever art material they wanted to experiment with and whatever color and size of paper they wanted to use. 

We had a group critic where students chose a landscape they feel was successful and then asked to explain their choices. We had some great conversations about how the artist created their work. One student was amazed by the result of layering crayon and watercolor to create a reflection in water. The student asked the artist how it was created and the process was explained. The whole class was listening and engaged because they were impressed by the work. A student teaching other students is a great method of learning.