Changes in the art room!

    The art room is in a transition from a very teacher directed class to a student directed environment. Most “traditional” art rooms are teacher led. Every student is given the same project and expected to produce fairly cookie cutter projects. This style presents the students with a problem and requires the students to solve them in similar ways. While projects are created to grab the interest of as many students as possible it is impossible for every student to connect to the project on a deep level. After completion and grading of these types of projects students may immediately throw away their project.

     In a student directed classroom, called a TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) classroom, students are given the opportunity to find and create their own problems. Students are treated as young artists and are expected to create work that is interesting to them. This style of teaching allows students to find an area of interest and become a master in that area. A TAB classroom is broken down into several different studios. Some students in the room may be working with paint while others may be working in clay. This change transforms the art room into buzzing hive of artistic creativity where they can use art as for expression. Students have been given art survival guide to help them transition through teacher led to student led art making.

      Studios currently offered in the middle school art room:

• Drawing Painting 
• Clay Fiber 
• Arts 
• Computer Graphics 
•  Sculpture 

      As we grow through this process students will become more involved in their learning experience. Students will be able to clearly state their own learning objectives and connect their art and art making process to the Colorado art standards. I am excited to watch these young students grow as artists!