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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This year, the OHS Visual Arts department had our biggest Night of the Arts yet! With the expansion of the show to include the elementary and middle schools, this event was packed! It was so exciting to see work from students of all ages and across disciplines. It was a tireless process to pull it all together, but it was so worth it.
As an artist today, there are many skills I need to have beyond making art! I need to be able to take strong photos of my artwork, write artist statements, have a website and online presence, as well as be able to talk about my work and process. These are some of the skills I hope to nurture through the implemention of blogging for my students (and myself). I believe it is particularly important for the students in a TAB classroom to take the time to document their process and growth. Since each student is setting a unique goal for themselves and students are not graded with project-specific rubrics, blogging has become an important assessment tool. A valuable tool for learning 21st century skills, I believe the blog is indispensible. Unfortunately, the students do not all have the same opinion. Many students are having a hard time maintaining their blogs and are resistant to working on them. How can I engage students in this activity in a way that is meaningful and moves beyond a task to complete because the teacher said so? I have tried explaining the benefits of the blog and why we are taking time to do it, yet some still resist. I have been considering what other options I may be able to give students who are struggling with this tool for documentation. Today, I have been investigating options for students to do audio recordings of their voice for their blog posts and artist statements. I have told students that they could do this, but did not provide any information on how to do it. I tried a few different apps, but decided that Vocaroo will be the one I introduce to students. I chose this one because there is an option to automatically generate a QR code that can be put on display next to the student work. You can also download an MP3 file that can be uploaded to the student blogs as a file. As an alternative to the weebly blogs, I began researching padlet. I have been wondering if some students may prefer this application over the weebly blogs, but haven't had the opporunity to really investigate it until now. For the students who struggle with technology and writing, I think that I will create a padlet template that students can copy then personalize. If this will benefit any of my students, then it is time well spent. In this world where technology is ever-changing, it can be a challenge to find the write options for students. Making decisions about what is best for them can be overwhelming. I keep trying to remind myself that my teaching is a work in progress and that I don't have to have it all figured out yet... in fact, I don't think it is even possible to ever have it ALL figured out. I think the trick is being willing to reflect on what is and is not working while remembering my goals for my students and then working to develop the resources they need to be successful. Here's hoping that adding some of these options will engage more students in the authentic process of reflection and documentation as artists. Over the course of this semester, I have made a lot of mistakes as I have experimented with a new choice-based teaching approach, TAB. For my beginning artists, my style changed from being very much teacher-directed to almost full choice. The pendulum has swung from one side to the other as I endeavor to discover how to help Art I students find their path and learn how to think and behave like an artist. One major change to my practice came as I wondered what would happen in my classes if I didn't assign deadlines. In the past, I had always been very precise about due dates, but worried this approach may not work in a choice based classroom. I questioned how I could have set deadlines if all of my students are working at their own pace? After an experiment with no deadlines in Art I, I can tell you that the trial was an EPIC FAIL! The students took an eternity to complete their first piece and valuable time was lost that could have been used to teach more skills and provide more opportunity for practice. It is now evident that my Art I students (and maybe some of my advanced kids, too) need clear deadlines in order to provide them a multitude of opportunities to grow.
In the midst of my failures, today I had a moment of pure delight as a group of young men and women in my largest (and oftentimes most boisterous) Art I class were truly engaged in their artmaking. Students worked with materials varying from charcoal and chalk pastels to acrylic and watercolor paint to celluclay (which required the students to read the directions on how to use it because I didn't know how!). Students were creating landscapes, still-lifes, portraiture, cityscapes (with linear perspective), car drawings, and even more. The room was abuzz with busy hands learning as they worked. As I stood for a moment observing the controlled chaos, I marvelled at how we had finally arrived. This, This is why I changed to TAB. There are many things that I will do differently in my next Art I class and I most regret how long it took for this group of students to get to this place, but I keep reminding myself that without risk, I will not become the best teacher I can be. Last week, my Art III/IV/AP class experimented with the postmodern art principle layering. I demonstrated different photo transfer techniques and asked all students to try at least one. I encouraged students to throw caution to the wind and practice the studio habit, stretch and explore. For our two day lab, students experimented with collage, photo transfer, and stenciling techniques. Some students were able to dive right in and were loving the freedom to make without the stress of making something great, while others struggled to loosen the reins and risk failing. Embracing the process of making without worry, to take a leap of faith and enjoy the journey of discovery, can be difficult for students after being told for years to follow the rules, be compliant, and to complete 'x' to get an 'A'. My hope is that my students will become more comfortable with taking these risks as often times we learn more from our failures than our successes. Two weeks from tomorrow, I will greet my students for the first day of school. I am working furiously to prepare for the students' arrival as I transition to a TAB classroom. I have rearranged the art studio, supply hubs, and storage closets in an effort to make materials easily accessible to students. I have spent countless hours reading, posting, revising, and questioning. How can I best introduce this new teaching philosophy to students and parents? How do I best assess what the students are creating while allowing students ownership in their process? What are the MOST important skills for students to practice at each level? How do I prepare them to gain mastery in these skills while giving them the freedom to choose how? So many questions and so little time! Every year before school starts again, I have nightmares of my preparations falling flat with unexpected issues like 60 kids in a class or being unable to access my classroom. As I prepare to take this turn into the unknown, I feel anxious about starting the year with something so far out of my comfort zone, but I know it is the right thing to do for my students. I need to remind myself that the goal of this new way of teaching art is to help the students become their own artists and this will come with some ups and downs. We will walk together on this journey to authentic art experience and I know the students will be ready for the challenge. Together we SO can do it! Over the past couple of years, my educational philosophy has evolved to a point I never would have anticipated. Having a firm foundation in a traditional art background, I have always believed that a student artist must "learn to walk before they can run." For my beginner art students, this has meant a heavy focus on the basics, especially drawing and shading, through a series of teacher-directed lessons and projects. The problem with this approach is that it can turn students off to art if they aren't interested in the assignments I am providing. I would spend a lot of time crafting my lessons and projects, but still some students were not interested. This past spring, I had the pleasure of welcoming a student-teacher into my classroom for the first time. This experience allowed me the opportunity to tackle a series of paintings I had been thinking about for years. I set myself up in a corner of the classroom and worked alongside the students. As I reflected on my own artistic process, I realized that I was not providing my Art I students in particular with an authentic art-making experience. I was doing the creative heavy-lifting instead of allowing them to make decisions about what type of art they want to make. Now don't get me wrong, there are still a set of skills that students need to learn, but I have come to believe that this can happen in a more student-led way. If a student is interested in making art related to one of their passions, won't they be more receptive to lessons on perspective or facial proportions? As I prepare for the upcoming school year, I plan to use a choice-based approach called TAB which stands for Teaching for Artistic Behavior. My ultimate goal for students, whether they plan to study art in college or not, is that they will grow to appreciate and understand art. I want students to be able to solve problems and create work with meaning. I want them to find their place in the art world, even if eventually that place is as a consumer of art and not a maker. I do hope that students will be able to find their niche, which could be sculpting or knitting or advertising. I want to help students broaden their definition of art and embrace their own talents while still stretching and exploring new possibilities. One of the participants at MassArt's TAB Institute this summer was tasked with "Designing a bumper sticker promoting TAB" during our Task Party.
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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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