As I prepare to begin my second year teaching TAB, I was prompted to look back at an article I wrote this past spring. Since I never shared this on my blog, I figured now was just as good a time as any. This spring marks the close of my first year teaching in a TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) classroom. Looking back at where I started, it is hard to believe how far I’ve come. If you had asked me three years ago, I would have told you there was no way I would teach in a choice-based classroom, yet, here I am doing just that. So how did I make this transition? Well, the answer to that is multifaceted and involves many “aha” moments.
Two summers ago, I went to the AP Summer Institute at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont. I was preparing to teach AP Studio Art for the first time and was excited for the prospect of offering this option to my students. I had been wanting to teach AP for a couple of years, so my teaching had already started to change course as I was thinking about how to best prepare students for the independent work they would need to accomplish for their portfolio. While at this conference, I met a teacher who was a choice-based teacher (TAB). I thought she was out of her mind! I remember thinking how it could be possible to let the kids do whatever they wanted. What about teaching technique? How can they make decisions for themselves if they don’t know how to draw, shade, and observe? I always said that students needed to “learn how to walk before they can learn to run.” How could I possibly turn over control to students who had no art experience? Over the next year or so, there were several moments that opened my eyes to the need for a change in my instruction. Last winter, I was taking a class at the Worcester Art Museum where I was able to use the studio and have a mentor on hand when I had questions. There were no assignments, just me and my art with the support of an instructor. At this time, I also had a student teacher in my classroom which allowed me the opportunity to work on my own art more in my classroom. This experience really solidified for me the jarring differences between my expectations for my students and the way that an artist actually works. When I was sick of my painting, I took a break from it and started another one. I worked on multiple pieces at a time and sought feedback from my peers and the instructor when I was stuck. In my classroom, I had conversations with my students about my work. I was struck by the depth of their queries. They were genuinely interested and capable of carrying on an “artist” conversation. I remember wondering about how I could provide my students with a more authentic artist experience in my classroom. Were there ways to allow them the freedom to abandon a piece for a while? How could I empower their voice within their work? How could I support independence and problem-solving? The final nail in the coffin of my old teacher-centered approach was when one of my graduated students (who had been accepted to MassArt, but didn’t attend) came to our Annual Night of the Arts. When I asked her about what she was working on, she said, “Nothing. I need you to give me a project.” Ouch. I had noticed a trend that many of my graduates didn’t continue making art afterwards, but this was such an eye-opener. I realized that I had not been training artists, but rather mini-apprentices who would try to replicate my ideas as best as possible. Those who were adept at rendering and observation tended to do pretty well. Those who didn’t like my projects, didn’t. I remember spending hours trying to come up with engaging projects to fit the needs of my students only to continue to have students (even those with a natural ability) disengaged in the process, only doing the bare minimum for a grade. I realized that there wasn’t a one-size-fits-ALL “project.” I needed to make a change. Enter TAB. Ironically, I don’t actually remember the moment when I discovered TAB or who directed me to the lively TAB Facebook groups. In these groups, I encountered a group of passionate educators who had struggled with the same questions I had been. They directed me to resources and shared their experience. This group of educators was open and willing to share their successes and their failures. I finally found some of the answers I had been looking for. How do I make sure students are not just sitting around wasting time? How do I grade if everyone is doing something different? How do I set up my room to help it become more student-centered? I had so many questions about how to implement this new philosophy and these TAB Facebook groups played an integral role in my decisions moving forward. After a few months learning online, I was fortunate to participate in the TAB Summer Institute at MassArt last year. This intensive week filled my head with so much to think about. I remember thinking that I would leave with all of my answers. I thought that at the end of the week I would have a firm grip on what Teaching for Artistic Behavior really looks like. Instead, I left with more questions and a mind full of ideas. I learned that there isn’t only one way to teach TAB, we can tailor it to fit our needs, just like we do for the kids. The main idea is that you are focusing on the student as the “product” of your classroom instead of the projects. The student is the artist and the classroom is their studio. I learned so much from Diane Jaquith, Kathy Douglas and Ian Sands (my middle/high school group mentor) as well as all of the other teachers in attendance. This week provided me with a strong understanding of TAB and many different tools to use in my planning moving forward. My first year implementing TAB has been one of the most gratifying ever. I have watched students experiment with new materials, learn from one another, engage in authentic “artist conversations,” and more. Students are inquisitive and motivated to work beyond the classroom. I have the highest number that I have ever had of students signed up to continue in art next year. There have been some false starts and I am still trying to find the best way to help students become their own independent artists. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing and I don’t have it all figured out, but I am confident that this new approach is the right direction for me. I will never go back to the old way. Never. If you’d like to learn more about Teaching for Artistic Behavior, here is the link to the TAB webpage. http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/
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AuthorMrs. Taborda is the studio art teacher at Oxford High School in Oxford, MA. This blog will document her journey as an educator and share the happenings of the OHS art room. Archives
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