My one trip to the beach during the AENJ conference. (photo by Eric Gibbons)
When I first wrote this, I was on a train headed home from the New Jersey Art Educators Conference, where
I gave three presentations. This was part of a journey that involved planes,
trains, and automobiles. (It was quite a novelty to be on the beach in the
fall.) As always, when I participate in different state conferences, I am
reminded of the professionalism, drive, and commitment of art teachers to do
their very best, despite the varied challenges they may have. Much of what
successful art teachers do is invisible because so much of it takes place when
they are alone, at home, or out in the world.
Art teachers tend
to be quite modest, as well, but it is to their benefit and the benefit of
their students to share fully what happens in the art room, both the visible
and the invisible planning and effort.
Typically invisible is the time, research, thought, and practice on the
part of the teacher in developing meaningful lessons and projects. Often
invisible in students’ work is the process of solving complex art problems and
the practice required to develop skills to express a desired solution.
So what is an art teacher to do to make the
invisible visible? One approach is to post explanations of the objectives and
processes involved in a project with the exhibition of student artwork. The
typical viewer will have no idea of the complexity of the lesson without that account. Through this approach you can educate
administrators, family members, other teachers, and other students about what
happens in your art class.
If you have a
school web page or blog, share what your students are doing and post
objectives, preliminary work such as sketches, models, or maquettes, or
practice along with the finished artwork.
Constantly take photographs in your classes of the steps involved in a
process and add these to your postings or exhibitions. Keep a visual record of
everything your students are doing; you’ll get multiple uses out of your photographs
and writing.
Don’t be shy about
sharing all that you and your students are doing to achieve their resulting
artworks. Every article in SchoolArts is
intended to help you with that process. Making the invisible visible will
benefit you all.
Great article Nancy! So important to talk about process and problem solving in creating art- and having students write about their process is even better! Kudos!
ReplyDeleteI'm not an art teacher, but I've been trying to make art an option for students in social science classes. Takes some flexibility
ReplyDelete