Keep reading to see what you will need to stay in art education for a long, fulfilling career!

Your time is valued.

One reason art teachers stay at their school long-term is because their time is respected. We don’t mind being asked to “do more,” especially when it’s a compliment to our skills and abilities. However, we do mind when it becomes an expectation and we are “voluntold.” It means so much when administrators put in the effort to understand the unique responsibilities art teachers have. Prepping a range of different materials, ordering supplies, maintaining equipment, and assembling displays throughout the year are just a few. A supportive environment recognizes these time-consuming tasks and ensures quality prep time is built into the daily schedule.

What can it look like?

• Dedicated and uninterrupted time to eat lunch.
• Allocation of quality prep time in the daily schedule.
• Respect for personal time after contract hours.
• Included in content area meetings.
• Encouraged to take sick days, personal days, or a leave of absence when needed.
• Requests and appreciation for additional tasks, such as covering for other teachers.
• Boundaries or a polite decline suffice.

The environment is collaborative.

Your work environment can significantly impact your long-term plans. A collaborative environment starts with colleagues who have positive, forward-thinking attitudes. Your team should want to exchange ideas, share resources, and work together to put students first. When peers celebrate each other, everyone thrives. If your colleagues are consistently unhappy, the negative energy can be draining.

What can it look like?

• Scheduled time for art department collaboration.
• Continued support from mentors and instructional coaches beyond the first year.
• Celebration over competition.
• A shared growth mindset that fosters creativity.
• Open to giving and receiving feedback.
• Team player mentality such as assisting when you’re out and troubleshooting issues.
• Focusing on current trends, student needs, and new ideas.

Your administration supports you.

Actions speak louder than words and there are nuanced ways to feel supported by your administrators. Supportive leaders will advocate for you when you are managing conflict in or out of your classroom. They take your requests seriously and seek out resources to meet your unique needs. This extends beyond the day-to-day and includes encouraging art-specific professional development to grow your teaching practice. The team that makes you want to stay long-term is genuine, fair, and committed to the well-being of their staff.

What can it look like?

• Follow-through on commitments.
• Listens to concerns and actively seeks solutions.
• Enforces consequences for inappropriate student behavior.
• Supports you during conflicts with students or families.
• Allocated funds and approved time off for art-specific professional development, such as conferences and workshops.
• Accepts art-specific graduate degrees or courses for growth and salary advancement.
• Respect for your knowledge, skillset, and expertise.
• Collaboration and support during the observation and evaluation processes.
• Participation and willingness to work on tasks alongside you.

Your administration is communicative and transparent.

Teachers who stay year after year are not only supported by their administrators but also benefit from timely and transparent communication. These leaders handle emergencies professionally and seek feedback to look for ways to improve. Your supervisor, principal, or department chair is clear and honest about funding and budget allocation.

What can it look like?

• Regular and balanced communication with the whole staff.
• Responses within 24 business hours.
• Specific details with measurable goals and clear expectations.
• Advance notice of upcoming events and requests.
• Willingness to acknowledge mistakes.
• Actively seeks solutions and is open to feedback.
• Explains decisions and ties to cast vision.
• Transparent budgeting practices.

You are trusted as the expert you are.

Are you considered “just the art teacher” by your school community? This perspective can speak to the level of respect your colleagues have for you and the visual arts. As we all know, art teachers have a lot to offer to both students and staff. Not only do you have art-specific knowledge, but you also have relationships with the entire student body. When you are valued for your input at important meetings, asked to participate in feedback sessions, and share best practices to educate your peers, you feel a sense of belonging in your school community.

What can it look like?

• Autonomy in designing your curriculum.
• Invites to lead professional development and share your expertise.
• Administrative support when parents or students question your teaching practices.
• Assistance getting what you need for your art room.
• Public acknowledgment of your accomplishments.

The arts are a priority.

Nothing makes an art teacher feel more valued than being part of a community that appreciates the arts. When your school actively removes barriers and celebrates your students’ hard work, you’re more likely to stay for the long term. A community that attends your art shows and shares in your delight over student achievement provides a sense of purpose. This supportive environment not only fosters your professional growth but also strengthens your commitment to the school’s mission.

What can it look like?

• Dedicated spaces to display artwork.
• Administration asks you to exhibit more artwork.
• Classroom materials and supplies are fully funded per student.
• Allocated funds for the maintenance of tools, supplies, and equipment.
• Stipends for art-related clubs.
• Celebration of art students’ achievements both in and out of school.
• School and community presence and engagement at art shows.
• Stakeholders are eager to understand and learn from your classroom activities.

Year after year, the State of Art Education Survey shows that one of the greatest joys art teachers have is building relationships and connecting with students. While our students are what makes us love our jobs, feeling valued in our school is what makes art teachers stay for longevity in art education. This climate of respect, support, and appreciation hinges on a positive environment with open communication, two-way feedback, assistance, and collaboration.

Aside from the many suggestions and examples of what this can look like above, talk to other teachers in your district and building. Find out what they enjoy about working there and any obstacles or challenges they face. Remember, a supportive school environment that fuels your unique art teacher energy will not only encourage you but also attract other teachers long-term as well.

If you’re a new art teacher, what are your priorities when looking for a supportive school?

If you’re a veteran teacher, share what makes you stay in the art room!

The post Why Art Teachers Stay: A Guide for Longevity in Art Education appeared first on The Art of Education University.

If you’re not sure where to start, head over to our First-Year Art Teacher’s Guide which is packed with resources to directly support you in your new career. Then, keep reading to find the help you’re looking for no matter your situation.

Whether you’re new, “new-to-art,” or know someone who is new, gain specific support for your unique situation below.

You are a veteran teacher supporting a new but seasoned art teacher.

You may be a veteran teacher about to welcome a new addition to your team who is also just as experienced as you. Supporting these teachers is a bit nuanced. That new team member is coming with a wealth of knowledge and experience to this new placement. You want to help them settle in without being too overbearing. However, they don’t know the ins and outs of their new school. These teachers need time to learn how the school works, get to know their students, and navigate community relationships. Finding the right people to connect with is important for this art teacher.

Review these tips as you support your “new to you” veteran teacher:

• 3 Things to Appreciate in Each Phase of an Art Teacher’s Career
• The Case for More Collaboration (Ep. 168)

PRO Learning is an on-demand professional development for art teachers, by art teachers. It’s full of hands-on tutorials, teacher-facing resources, and strategies to support your growth as an art teacher at any stage of your career. There are over 200 Packs on a wide variety of art education topics from art mediums to curricular approaches to instructional methodologies. If you’re not a PRO member, learn how to get PRO for your district.

Check out the two PRO Learning Packs below:

1. Building Leadership Skills as an Art Educator
2. Making the Most of Your PLC

You are coming right out of an undergraduate art education program.

As a brand new art teacher, you bring so much energy and excitement to the role! You’ve got the theory and knowledge behind you, but really need classroom experience to apply your art teacher training. You probably carry some nerves with you as you step foot into a new environment of unknowns. Remember, there’s no handbook. You are going to need a lot of support these first few years of teaching as you gain confidence. Make sure to find your people who will help support you in different areas.

In the meantime, get started with these three resources:

1. First-Year Art Teacher’s Guide
2. 16 Things I Wish I Knew About Teaching as a New Art Teacher
3. Dear First-Year Art Teacher… Advice and Resources From Veteran Art Teachers

Access the De-escalation Strategies for Challenging Behaviors Pack in PRO Learning to help you manage your classroom like a pro.

You are moving from the general classroom to the art room.

With the passing of Proposition 28 in California, more schools are bringing general education classroom teachers into the art room, and many other states are investing in the arts as well. Teaching art is an exciting path as students explore their creativity and visualize ideas. No matter what level you move into, making art with your students is a lot of fun! However, some challenges and demands are unique to teaching art. From managing supplies and designing scaffolded art curriculum to learning how to assess art and connect the visual arts standards, there’s still so much to learn about the art room.

Check out these resources to get you ready for the art room:

• 6 Helpful Tips for General Ed Teachers Transitioning to the Art Room
• Moving From the Classroom to the Art Room (Ep. 392)

Take a look at the Designing Effective Assessment Practices and Routines for Managing Supplies Packs in PRO Learning to help you dig into the nuances of teaching art. If you’re looking for support in techniques and media, you can filter PRO Learning Packs by media! There are Packs on a wide range of mediums including tempera paint, crochet, printmaking, photography, and so much more.

You are moving from an art career to teaching art.

Artists moving into the teaching career path already bring a love and deep knowledge of the visual arts. Thanks to Prop 28, we are seeing more funding for these career artists to join the classroom. However, making art and teaching art are very different. Learning how to break down processes so that others can follow takes time. Managing a classroom of thirty or more is an additional learning curve that never gets dull. Plus, differentiation, inclusion, supporting students with IEPs or 504 Plans, and assisting ELL students may all be new considerations.

Take a look at the articles below to support you in your new role:

• Do You Really Have to Choose Between Being an Artist or Art Teacher?
• Advice for a Strong Start in Art Education as a Second Career

Check out the Packs, The Building Blocks of Effective Curriculum and Understanding and Implementing IEPs in PRO Learning to start the year off strong.

You are an art teacher moving into a mentor or support role.

You’ve been teaching for a while now and you’re gaining a new teammate! While some schools have a stipend for a formal mentor position, you will, at the minimum, need to support your new colleague informally. Even if you’re not paid to mentor a new teacher, this kind of support will come back to you tenfold as you build your team and collaborate. Being a team player and supporting a new addition will help grow your school’s art program and align your department.

These three resources will help you mentor a new art teacher without overburdening your schedule:

1. 7 Important Considerations When Mentoring New Teachers
2. Become the Best Mentor Ever With These 3 Tips
3. The Importance of Mentoring (Ep. 211)

Check out Packs, Surviving your First Year of Elementary/Middle/High School Art in PRO Learning for essential first-year tips.

You are an administrator supporting a new art teacher.

Your new teachers, regardless of which path they come from, are going to look to you, their administration, for support. How can you help these new art teachers if you aren’t an art expert yourself? Plus, you may have so many content areas to focus on that it can be hard to know where to start.

First, provide art-specific professional development like PRO Learning and the NOW Conference. PRO Learning Packs such as Managing the Classroom and Preparing for Evaluations and Observations will get you and your new art teachers feeling confident their first year. The NOW Conference is the world’s largest online conference for art teachers. The presentations cover emerging trends and topics in art education and the entire event fosters an energetic community of networking and artmaking. Both of these invaluable resources will keep your team of art teachers’ skills sharp and their enthusiasm high!

Then, take a look at these articles to get your teachers started on the right foot:

• What Does Unpacking the National Core Arts Standards Look Like?
• How to Be Successful in a New Position

Another easy way to support your art teachers is to provide them with FLEX Curriculum. FLEX is a standards-aligned curriculum packed with lessons and student-facing resources like assessments, videos, and more. All of these resources at their fingertips will give your art teachers space and time to prioritize their classroom, students, and other essential day-to-day needs. Reach out today to learn more!

No matter how you became an art teacher, being a new hire has unique challenges. Teaching art will fill you with joy when you’re supported in the right ways. The goal is not only to find the right fit but also to make sure art teachers everywhere stay in the field for many years to come. It really does “take a village” when it comes to creating a supportive teaching community. Asking for and providing the right resources, like the ones above, are essential to creating a positive long-term experience. Here’s to many more years of building a strong team of art teachers and making an impact on your future artists!

What are your best tips to support a new art teacher? 

Share a support you wish you had as a first-year art teacher.

The post 6 Ways to Support New and “New-to-You” Art Teachers appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Follow this timetable so you will feel refreshed and prepared for your first day in the art room!

Early June: Fresh Start

It’s hard to think about August when you’re finishing a degree or closing out a classroom. But June is the perfect time to create a curriculum outline and get a head start on ordering supplies. See if you can pop into your classroom for a sneak peek and a glimpse of your inventory. Sometimes supply orders can take a few weeks to trickle in, so you’ll want to be all set before students walk through the door. Build confidence with new lessons and materials by scheduling professional development or allotting an hour or two in your schedule to play with new materials and techniques!

What do I think about?

• What basic supplies will you need to get started?
• Will your administrators be around to answer questions?
• Can you get a few hours in your classroom?
• What are the best ways and times to order supplies?
• What tools and materials need replacing or replenished?
• What professional development are you excited to fit into your schedule?
• Is there a mandatory curriculum or scope and sequence to follow?
• How much flexibility do you have to plan your curriculum?

How do I break it down?

• Create a general outline for the year.
• Contact administration and schedule a quick classroom visit.
• Connect with direct colleagues and request a mentor.
• Compile and order your essential supplies list.
• Register for a course or the Summer NOW Conference.

June-July: Time to Celebrate!

By mid-June and into July, you’re getting into your summer groove. This is a great time to sprinkle in some planning and inspiration with your morning coffee. Start thinking about artists who inspire you and ways to bring them into your curriculum. Create a digital folder to save lessons from your favorite art teachers.

What do I think about?

• Which artists are you obsessed with right now?
• How can you connect those artists to your lessons?
• What media and techniques will you teach?
• How will you scaffold materials and processes?
• How will you keep your planning and ideas organized and accessible?

How do I break it down?

• Review your curriculum outline for key topics.
• Create digital folders to stay organized.
• Sift through FLEX Curriculum for lessons and resources.
• Scroll through social media and follow your favorite art teachers.
• Add artists that inspire.

Late July: Full Force Summer

Late July is the month to focus on you. It’s not easy to go back into school mode when you know you only have a few weeks left of summer break. Make sure to fill your bucket by spending time with your friends and family. Use these weeks to establish positive habits you want to carry through the school year.

What do I think about?

• What are your top three bucket fillers?
• How will you schedule time to make art?
• Where can you find inspiration?
• What good habits will you focus on building?

How do I break it down?

• Make art and play with new materials!
• Read a good book.
• Visit your favorite art museum.
• Attend the Summer NOW Conference.
• Try a simple recipe, go for a run, or enjoy some yoga.

Early August: Wind Down

Early August is the time to get your brain moving into the new school year. Plot out your first month of lessons and dig into your first week’s activities.  You may be able to sneak in a visit to your classroom but a lot of this planning can still happen poolside.

What do I think about?

• How will you get to know your students starting on day one?
• How will you introduce them to your classroom environment, materials, and tools?
• What kind of systems do you want to model through activities in the first month?
• How will you connect with your students’ families?

How do I break it down?

•  Brainstorm first-week activities.
•  Add in “Get to Know You” activities.
•  Plan the first month of lessons.
•  Set up your Learning Management System.
•  Create a template to connect with parents and guardians.

August: Inservice Days

These days overflow with introductions, meetings, and getting to know your school. Pick up your staff ID, learn how to navigate your gradebook, and start unpacking your classroom. It will be very tempting to get your room looking perfect, but don’t stress! Your environment will come alive when your students fill those seats. Give yourself the grace to work on your space as you go this year, keeping in mind that amazing art rooms take years to decorate! Instead, schedule time to meet with a mentor or support colleagues. If you work in a team or department, make sure to touch base with them too.

What do I think about?

• What are my must-dos in the classroom to have a successful first week?
• Who are the custodial staff?
• What materials will I need for the first week’s activities?
• How should I set up my gradebook to align with my colleagues/department and district grading policies?

How do I break it down?

•  Begin setting up your physical space.
•  Review your rosters for IEPs, 504 Plans, and behavior plans.
•  Prep all of your first-week materials.
•  Finalize your syllabus and set up your gradebook.
•  Meet with colleagues, mentor teacher, and other support staff.

August: First Week of School!

There is nothing more exciting than the first week of school! Those first-day jitters will melt away quickly as you settle into your art teacher energy. Now’s the time to dig into getting to know your students with fun and scaffolded activities. Consider how you will teach and model procedures and expectations. This is also the time to review your evaluation paperwork, set goals, and proactively prep your subfolder.

What do I think about?

• How will you learn and remember students’ names?
• How do you want your students to manage materials and expectations?
• What do you want your families to know about you?
• How are you evaluated?
• Who are your colleagues and where can you go for support?
• What sub plans can you prep for emergencies?

How do I break it down?

•   Send out your introduction letter to families.
•   Consider material management systems.
•   Start planning out the next month’s lessons.
•   Check your evaluation expectations.
•   Prepare a subfolder or sub tub of simple yet engaging one-day activities.

The to-do list in the art room is never-ending, so don’t feel pressured to have everything picture-perfect by day one. Give yourself a break! Intentionally tackle small things over the next few months so it’s not overwhelming when you walk through the doors. Once the school year begins, you will find your flow and support crew. In the meantime, rest and recharge this summer. You will be a phenomenal art teacher with the capacity to pour into your students when you live a healthy and balanced life. Use the guidelines above to take the guesswork out of where to start so you can begin the year refreshed and prepared!

What questions do you still have about starting your new role?

How do you balance rest with gearing up for a new school year?

The post How to Prepare this Summer to Teach Art with Confidence This Fall appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Before heading into the interview, make sure to research the district, school, and community for any red flags. Check out their social media and websites to see how they support the arts. Compile your notes and generate specific questions to ask. Then, take a look at our “green flags” below to help you make sure your next placement is perfect.

Discover the green flags to look for in a job interview so you will be able to accept a new art teacher position with confidence!

They are warm and inviting and also professional.

Consider initial vibes as you walk through the main entrance. Imagine how you want to feel in your new environment. How your potential new colleagues greet you can set the tone. Administrators should look and feel warm and inviting. Imagine smiles on their faces, walking towards you with an extended hand. During the interview, watch their body language for subtle but important cues that speak to their professionalism.

What do I look for?

• They appear genuinely excited to talk to you about art and art education.
• They want to see examples of your student and personal artwork.
• They want to learn about you as a whole person and not just as a teacher.
• They are honest and confident when answering your questions.

What questions do I ask them?

• How do you support new teachers?
• Is there a mentor program or new teacher training available?
• Is there dedicated collaboration time with my team and other colleagues during the school day?
• What are you looking for in your new hire?
• Why should I choose your school?

They ask the right questions.

It’s not only what they ask but how they ask and respond that can tell you a lot about the school environment. Although generic teacher questions may apply, a strong administration will ask specific questions about you and your art teaching. The team will demonstrate their understanding of an art room and its unique needs. At a minimum, this team will do some research, ask for advice, and be open to how they can best support your teaching needs.

What do I look for?

• They want to know how you’ll advocate and grow the program.
• They ask art-specific questions that demonstrate knowledge of the unique needs of an art teacher and art classroom.
• They use art vocabulary and ask clarifying questions when they don’t understand.
• They want to know your long-term goals as an educator and person.

What questions do I ask them?

• What is the retention rate of teachers at this school?
• What are the trends for visual art positions?
• Why are you hiring an art teacher right now?
• What role do you see the art teacher having at this school now and in the future?
• How does your administration support students with behavioral or chronic absenteeism issues and what are the procedures for handling these situations?

They advocate for the arts.

Plain and simple—you want to work at a school that values the arts. Sometimes budgets prohibit high-end technology and the best classroom furniture. The administration should still highlight the hardworking, talented artists in your classroom. Look for visual cues around the school and ask targeted questions to gauge community support.

What do I look for?

• They have dedicated budgets and ways to financially support your classroom and curricular needs.
• They support you as a thought leader through grant proposals and conference presentation opportunities.
• They attend art shows and arts-related events.
• They established community involvement and interest such as parent committees and classroom volunteers.

What questions do I ask them?

• Is there a dedicated art room and can I see the room?
• What are your long-term goals for the visual art program?
• What types of engagement can I expect from the community?
• What kind of arts integration or cross-curricular development do you have?
• If I were to ask students how they felt about art, what would they say?
• Who typically attends art events?

They show support for you as the expert.

It’s important to feel respected for the unique expertise you bring to your potential new school. As art teachers, we do far more than “just teach art.” The team interviewing you should affirm that you are an essential piece of the community. They should show genuine interest in your skills and how you can contribute beyond hallway beautification.

What do I look for?

• They provide time off or financial assistance to attend conferences, workshops, or other professional development opportunities.
• They provide funding for curriculum development and enrichment.
• They support advanced degrees and additional graduate courses.
• There is attention to classroom maintenance and tool repairs.
• They ask you specifically about the visual art standards.
• They provide stipends for extracurricular or additional responsibilities.

What questions do I ask them?

• How do you allocate budgets and how much funding is there per student?
• Is there additional funding for the maintenance of the art room and equipment?
• Do you provide subject-specific PD? If not, how do you or will you support PD for my unique needs?
• How much autonomy do I have over my curriculum?
• What does the schedule look like for this position?
• How many students per class/teacher?
• How often will I see my students and for how long?
• How much prep time is allocated within my daily schedule?
• Will I have a duty or other responsibility during my prep time?

They visually highlight the arts.

Your interviewers can talk a good talk, but do they walk the walk? Make sure you see evidence that celebrates the visual arts. Not every school has amazing display options, but showcasing student work in the hallways or on the school website is an easy win. If this hasn’t been the standard, ask about any limitations the school has around physical and digital displays. Their answer to this will give you big insight.

What do I look for?

• They display student artwork in hallways and offices.
• They feature a dedicated arts section on their website.
• They celebrate student exhibition award winners and art scholarship winners.
• They share the arts on social media.
• They established arts-related clubs.

What questions do I ask them?

• Is there a dedicated space to display artwork throughout the school?
• What do the art shows at the school or in the community look like?
• Do you have an art department social media presence or website? If not, is this something the district will allow me to create?
• Is there an art club or National Art Honor Society?
• Do you provide a stipend for being a club sponsor?

No matter where you are in your teaching career, finding the right fit is crucial. Often, frustration with teaching is more about the environment than the job itself. With funds like California Prop 28, many general education teachers are switching to arts education. Remember, while you are interviewing, you are also assessing the school to ensure it’s a good fit for your long-term success. Be prepared to interview them back and take notes. Although it may require a little more effort upfront to research and generate good questions, it will be well worth it when you find your perfect placement!

What questions would you add to this list?

Share your top piece of advice for a new art teacher going through the interview process.

The post Interview Look For’s: How to Find the Perfect Fit for your Art Teacher Career appeared first on The Art of Education University.

But what if it didn’t have to be? Taking away the focus on letter grades sounds unimaginable, but it can be done! If you are looking for ways to shift the focus in your classroom, keep reading. Helping students understand the importance of product and process through feedback and assessment can greatly impact their learning. If you haven’t read The Inequities of Grading: How to Assess Your Own Grading Practices or How to Motivate Your Students Beyond Grades, you may want to take a peek before diving deeper into this topic.

In this article, we are going to address the following three questions:

1. What is the difference between grades and assessment?
2. How can you shift the focus from letter grades to assessments to benefit students?
3. What are some strategies to implement in your classroom to help your students focus on more than letter grades?

Note: Adhere to your district and school’s grading policies. It is imperative to get permission, support, and buy-in from your administration before implementing any changes. 

1. What is the difference between grades and assessment?

How many times have you heard the phrase, “Will this get me an A?” If you rolled your eyes just now, then you know the problem. Our students are trained at an early age that to achieve, they must check the boxes dictated by the teacher. Unfortunately, this has created disengaged learning for many. We have unintentionally supported habits that can make students focus more on the product than the process. Our students know exactly how to work the system because they are a long-standing product of it.

This isn’t your students’ fault. But we can change this in our classrooms despite it being a recurring hurdle. When students check their grades and toss their artwork in the trash, they are saying, “The purpose of this class is simply to get a grade.”

Like our students, we often equate grades with assessment and feedback. However, grading and assessment are not synonymous. Grades can be arbitrary, inaccurate, and assess the “wrong” thing. Because art teachers struggle to accurately and equitably assess student artwork, we often attach behaviors and reward compliance over learning. Grades rarely give effective feedback to help students develop further in their practice.

Shift the reward from grades to feedback. This doesn’t have to take hours to write or be as long as a novel. Authentic feedback is already happening. You help students with short bits of support, advice, and quick critiques through informal dialogue as well as more formal structures. This type of feedback is much more effective than a letter grade in helping a student develop and grow. After creating a culture of feedback, students yearn for what you have to share rather than who received the top percentage. Engage students in the feedback loop, assess with a growth mindset, and meet them where they are. Shifting this process shows how much you care about a student’s development through what and how they are learning.

2. How can you shift the focus from letter grades to assessment to benefit students?

The first step is to create an environment that values learning. Fostering such an environment takes time to establish but creates long-lasting buy-in. We know we don’t simply insert knowledge into young brains. Students must actively engage in the process of learning. Shift the focus from outcome-driven expectations to the journey it takes to get there.

Here are some ways you can shift the focus from product to process:

• Prioritize practice, experimentation, failure, and persistence as an important cycle in learning.
• Focus on reflection as a key ingredient to identifying how learning impacts future ideas, artworks, and artistic decisions.
• Prompt students to articulate how challenges, successes, and failures are a normal part of learning.
• Provide space for students to demonstrate learning by revising and resubmitting.

When students believe their teacher values the learning process, they will begin to shift how they approach their classwork.

3. What are some strategies to implement in your classroom to help your students focus on more than letter grades?

There are many approaches to “ungrading.” If you are skeptical or nervous, there are some easy steps to dip your toes in the water.

Here are four ways to get started:

1. Remove grades from any homework you assign.
   If you want to make homework a practice in your classroom, set it up as part of the class routine. Let’s say you want your students to do sketchbook drawings outside of class. Establish the expectations around this activity from the beginning and model what it will look like for them. Share the importance of the activity and the why behind it. Reinforce how that day’s sketchbook drawing will help their specific in-class artwork. Affirm those who did the assignment, and reference the drawings as a valuable resource during studio time.
2. Stop deducting points from late work.
   We want our students to turn work in on time. However, removing points from their grades is not as effective as we think it to be. It can be punitive and does not teach them how to manage their time. If you have a student who is habitually turning in late work, sit down and have a conversation with them to troubleshoot the root issue. Schedule check-ins leading up to deadlines to help students stay on top of their work.
3. Refrain from assigning points to behaviors. 
   Our job as art teachers is to teach and assess visual art. While behavior can impact artmaking, the standards that guide this process only assess student artwork. Of course, you can still manage behavior by affirming the behaviors you want to see and rerouting the ones you want to improve.
4. Allow students to resubmit summative work for a higher grade.
   Make your deadlines clear so you can give timely feedback. Students can take that feedback, revise their work, and resubmit, adhering to a new deadline to demonstrate further skill and concept development. Create the mindset that learning is an ongoing process, not a “one-and-done.”

Try these out first to see how they feel for you. Observe how your students respond and how outcomes are impacted. We can also use a sports analogy to illustrate this shift to our students. In order to win the championships, first, put in the time and effort each and every practice. Daily responsibilities such as completing homework, turning work in on time, following behavior expectations, and resubmitting work for a higher grade all contribute to stronger final artworks. Help students see the big picture so they care about the “smaller” steps and understand that learning is an ongoing process.

If you are prepared for a bigger action step to explore grades-free assessment, let’s look at one way you can approach this.

Pilot Program

Breaking free from the mold can be daunting when working within the traditional public education system. One way to approach this is to propose a pilot program. As a new teacher or a veteran teacher at a new school, you will probably want to wait on this until you are more established. Knowing the school culture and your administration is crucial to making any meaningful change.

A pilot starts with collaborative conversations around grading policies and researched best practices. In my district, I was an established teacher and a 504 Coordinator. This allowed me to work closely with families, instructional coaches, counselors, and administration. You don’t have to have all of those connections, but it helps. At the time of my pilot, our teachers had been having grading conversations across the district on a consistent basis. In my department, we were rethinking our grading policies and practices with our Professional Learning Community (PLC) weekly. The time was perfect for piloting something new and seeing what impact it could have in the larger context.

Piloting a program is an excellent option that promotes collaboration, accountability, and support without bucking the system head-on. The first step is to broach the subject with your administration. Your school most likely has very specific parameters and expectations for grading steeped in years of tradition and research. This is not something to go rogue on!

Proposal

If your administration is receptive, it’s time to create a thoughtful, well-researched plan. Consider this a working document that you will adjust and alter. You will want flexibility and grace from your community to pivot when things don’t feel quite right. Set up a time to meet with your administration to present your proposal.

The proposal should include the following three parts:

1. Rationale: Research, Observations, and Reflections
   Why am I interested in trialing this in my art room?
   What have I observed from my students in connection with grades?
   How will this benefit my students?
2. Logistics: Nuts and Bolts
   What will this look like?
   What is my expected outcome?
   What are possible challenges?
3. Accountability: Buy-In and Adjustments
   How will I prepare my students and parents for this program?
   How will I assess my progress in this program?
   What will I do if it isn’t working?
   How does having no grades result in a grade for the transcript?

Pitch

When preparing to meet with your administration, keep an open mind and provide options for slowly making this change. Their approval of your ideas is essential. Support for even the smallest shift in grading policy is a huge step toward making lasting change in your classroom and beyond. Start with one class, receive approval, and trial it. The pilot process is ongoing, with adjustments and constant feedback from students, families, colleagues, and administration. Collecting data and presenting your observations and findings is key to turning one piloted class into a wider change.

Home Communication

Once you have your administration’s approval, you will still need buy-in from students and their parents/guardians. Make sure they are aware of your pilot program and understand your policies from day one. Send home a letter explaining how this new system will benefit their student, what it will look like in your classroom, and how you will assess and provide feedback throughout the semester. Most likely, your students will still need an assigned grade at the end of the quarter, semester, and/or year. Demonstrate how you will align your pilot program to your district’s grading policies to provide an accurate grade.

Buy-in from students is an ongoing process. Students will continue to ask, “Is this for a grade?” Students will begin responding to each other with, “There are no grades in this class.” This doesn’t happen overnight but rather through constant reinforcement of the process. Some students will thrive in this new environment, while others will struggle “not knowing” how they are doing. Remind them that the feedback they receive daily, not a letter grade, informs them of how well they are doing. Integrate reflection consistently to support this process.

Gradebook

Most schools require a letter grade for calculating grade point averages and credit allocation. So how can you translate your no-grades classroom into an actual grade? This feels off-putting after all the work you just devoted, but sometimes we still have to work within the system.

You may be allowed to set up your grade book using comments, feedback, and drop-down options instead of letter grades. Students can see where they are in their formative work by receiving a proficiency mark. For example, if a student completed their value scales and did an amazing job, mark them as “Exemplary.” Maybe they struggled with their color mixing worksheet. Providing marks of “Developing” with a specific comment gives students much more information than a letter grade. This tells students exactly what they need to work on as they develop their larger artwork. Students have fewer questions about their grades because it is clear throughout the process.

Another way to do this is to use “on-track” or predictive grades. Each month, review the data you collected, including ongoing feedback and proficiency marks. Create a system that provides a letter grade in connection to this progress. Remind students that this is not a final indicator of their end grade but rather an opportunity for dialogue and further feedback.

The following is an example of what this can look like at the high school level with a year-long foundations course that normally uses traditional letter grades. Adapt the principles to your own course/class. 

1. End of First Quarter
   Students are getting warmed up for the school year and are learning the ropes in your class. They are practicing, exploring, and dabbling in trial and error. Students receive a pass/fail grade with written or verbal feedback.
   Example 1: An example of specific feedback for a student who is passing can be, “You are doing a great job with your artwork. You have designed strong compositions by emphasizing your focal points. Our work is going to get more complex next quarter. I look forward to seeing how you push through some of the upcoming challenges!”
   Example 2: An example of specific feedback for a student who is failing can be, “Unfortunately, you have not been to class and have not submitted enough work for me to see your progress. I am worried about you! Schedule a time to chat with me.” Note that this should not be the first time the student or their caregivers have received this message from you.
2. End of Second Quarter
   Students receive an on-track letter grade correlating to the standards. This is through the development of a growth portfolio comprised of individual units or artworks. Follow your district and school policies to determine your standards, and align your objectives and criteria accordingly. Assess students for each unit or artwork based on the aligned standards, objectives, and criteria. If a student disagrees with their on-track grade, meet to discuss it further.
   Example: Let’s say you have five standards for a particular unit. Here is what you can say to a student who has only reached four out of the five standards, “Your ‘on track’ grade is currently a B. You are consistently meeting four out of the five standards identified in our coursework. The fifth standard covers planning. To master this standard, take some time to research and plan out your artwork. It will pay off in the long run and give you a more meaningful and unified artwork! Based on our ‘no grades’ system, four out of five standards corresponds to the letter grade of a B for the purpose of report cards.”
3. End of Third Quarter
   The grade becomes a predictive grade closely aligned to an expected outcome. Follow your district and school policies to determine what the expected outcome of the course should be. This can be found in curriculum documents, scope and sequences, and standards. At this point in the course, you should see a pattern of strengths and weaknesses as well as areas of growth and improvement for each student. The specific feedback and predictive letter grade will look extremely similar to the previous example. However, you can make it more personalized by referring to specific artworks and evidence in their growth portfolios. If a student does not agree with their predictive grade, meet to discuss it further.
4. End of Fourth Quarter
   Students submit their finalized growth portfolio with reflection. This holistic grade takes into account their full journey of learning and development, and referencing their reflections will include areas of growth you may have missed. You and the students will be able to see their artistic growth as well as their ability to make big picture connections over the course. The specific feedback and predictive letter grade will look very similar to the previous examples. However, you can pull in elements from their reflections and capture their growth over the whole course versus individual quarters. If a student disagrees with their holistic grade, meet to discuss it further.

Reality

Here’s the truth: most students end up receiving A’s and B’s but not for the reason you may think. Taking letter grades out of the equation doesn’t lower standards. In fact, because students take feedback to heart, they create at a higher level than if you cap their imagination and ingenuity at a percentage point. Students strive to create and develop what interests them as artists. Through their portfolios, they demonstrate how they work through their unique creative processes, fail, persist, and consistently reflect. They articulate where they were going and why. All of this is authentic evidence of their learning. When holding that evidence up against the standards, they almost always exceed expectations. This is what authentic learning looks like when unobstructed by a system of letter grades.

Taking the letter grades out of the classroom takes deep reflection and flexibility. As adults, grades are nothing new to us, both as previous (or current) students ourselves and as teachers trained to grade in return. It’s not easy for us to turn off our grading minds and reimagine how it could work for our students to receive no letter grades. As we grapple with grades and grading systems, perhaps it’s a good time to consider the “why.” If the goal of education is for students to learn and develop, then it’s our job to find ways for them to do so in the most authentic way possible.

How do you feel about grading in your art room? 

Have you ever tried to take letter grades out of your classroom? 

In what ways can you minimize grading to refocus on the learning process?

The post How to Take Letter Grades Out of Your Art Room to Refocus on Learning appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Here are sixteen key takeaways as you transition into your own classroom.

Before we get started, check out our page specially curated for first-year art teachers. Here, you will find a downloadable guide with free lesson plans and resources for art teachers by art teachers. Find the support you need to navigate your first year in the art room. Watch our YouTube mini-series, First-Year Art Teacher’s Guide, to get tips and tricks from a second-year art teacher, Brittney Witt.

1. Curriculum Curation and Creation

When you enter a school, you need to be ready for anything. Some schools may have a well-defined scope and sequence framework. You will need to assess your own lessons or ones you have borrowed to fit within those expectations. Other schools may have no roadmap for you to work from. In this case, you may be excited to build your entire curriculum from scratch. But remember, no matter what you teach, take time to observe the demographics and values of your students, school, and community. Lessons may be successful in theory, but you have to connect your lessons with those values in order to reach your students. Skills need to build over time and over units.

2. Lesson Plan Writing

In your college courses, you probably spent months perfecting lesson plans. This level of detail may or may not be expected throughout your teaching career. At some schools, you will have to provide full lesson plans before teaching your class. Some other schools may require weekly overviews with objectives or nothing at all.

Those in-depth lesson plans from college were not for nothing. In fact, they helped you think through the process of developing an aligned lesson with thoughtful processes from start to finish. If you hadn’t worked through that in college, you probably would not be ready for planning this fall. Even if you don’t write your lessons out fully, keep a template as a checklist to ensure you have all the components of a solid lesson. Remember, even the most well-written lessons fail from time to time. Be flexible in real-time to adjust to your students’ needs. And there will still be times you will need to write out a detailed plan, like for a formal observation or evaluation.

3. Student Engagement

Engaging students definitely starts with building relationships. However, that doesn’t mean you become their best friend to form those bonds. Building relationships happens through learning experiences, collaboration, and positive interactions with professional boundaries. Identify the staff in your building who can support you and your students when something feels too close to home.

Student engagement also comes throughout an entire lesson period. When lecturing, how are you engaging your students in your lesson through questioning? During long periods of creating, how are you drawing students back together to share and discuss? Pull students in with your passion for art and joy for teaching to forge lasting bonds. You will also see students more invested in their learning and less worried about if you like them or not.

4. Materials Management

As a student teacher, you are a guest in someone else’s classroom. You are working with their students, in their school, and in their classroom. This includes managing materials that were already purchased and organized for you. It was a great opportunity to learn what systems you like and don’t like before it falls on you to set up your own.

If you share a classroom, work with other teachers to keep materials accessible and consistent. Don’t assume all materials are at your disposal. Many teachers already have a set amount of supplies purchased for a lesson or unit. Taking from their stash can cause frustration and upset feelings.

5. Budget Considerations

Budgets drastically range from school to school and district to district. In a public school, you are given a dollar amount per student, and, sometimes, student fees are collected to help mitigate supply costs. Most of the time, however, an art teacher’s budget is minimal considering the rising cost of supplies.

When working with a budget for the first time, consider what materials branch across a semester. Think about what supplies are must-haves and what can be of a lower quality to save money or be cut out completely. Beware of very inexpensive materials. These are often poor quality and will cause more problems than cost benefits.

6. Peer Collaboration

Being a team player is essential to art education. No matter what the content area is, teachers work together to better their students, school, and programs. In art, we have to work with our colleagues to set up art shows, advocate for our program, and share materials and spaces, unlike other subjects. This kind of communication and collaboration takes practice. Ask your art colleagues for help when you need it. Keep a running list of questions, and find a time that is good for both of you to discuss. Enlist help when matting artwork or hanging a show. Offer help when they need to mat artwork or hang a show. Share your student artwork with your peers and listen to their feedback.

7. Finding Your People

Being the only art teacher in a school can be isolating. Even when working in a department of art teachers, finding your bearings as a new educator can be difficult. Finding your people in your school is important for personal growth and morale. This person or tribe of people can lift you up when you have a bad day or find yourself in a sticky situation. They will also tell it straight and help you navigate issues to make you a better teacher. They are your go-to to celebrate successes with as well as bounce ideas off of. Just keep in mind that they also have their own work and boundaries to attend to.

8. Advocacy Is Everywhere

When it comes to teaching art, we need to consistently advocate for enrollment and funding. When an opportunity arises to advocate for your program, your job depends on it. This can range from large-scale projects like community murals and art shows to sponsoring an art club and sending digital newsletters. Small gestures like art stickers and tees can make your presence known throughout the school.

9. Paperwork Is Critical

No one is ever prepared for the incredible amount of paperwork we need to complete as teachers. From 504s and IEPs to communication logs, from grading to evaluations, and even the forms we fill out to have a fundraiser, attend a field trip, or book the cafeteria for an art show—paperwork can pile up very quickly. Understanding all of this paperwork, sticking to important deadlines, and staying organized is a must.

10. Adopt a Mentor

Don’t be afraid to reach out to a veteran teacher, whether they teach art or not. Veteran teachers carry a wealth of knowledge! Being the least experienced can be overwhelming and vulnerable. These teachers know what that feels like. They want you to succeed. They are keenly aware of the ins and outs of your school and know what works with your demographic of students.

11. Time Management

As you are probably well aware by now, your day doesn’t end at 3 p.m. This also doesn’t mean you should be staying after school until 8 p.m. every day. Find a way that works for you to block off time during your day or after school. This time should be dedicated to a quiet, productive space physically in your classroom. You can grade artwork, load a kiln, prep materials for next week’s lessons, or fill out all that evaluation paperwork. The best way to feel prepared is to actually prepare.

12. Prep Time Boundaries

Speaking of time management, your prep time is gold. This time is often taken up with meetings, other teachers popping in, or students making up work. It’s hard to say “no” when you are trying to help others in a pinch. Set some boundaries to keep prep time what it needs to be: time to prepare. A polite sign on a closed door can go a long way.

13. Grading Grumbles

Grading artwork never gets any easier. This is something we consistently grapple with. Grades exist in our educational system and are hard to get around. It can take years to develop time-saving strategies as well as authentic and equitable grading practices. Try out different types of grading and assessment methods to see what works for you and your students.

14. Lifelong Learning

As with anything, art education continues to evolve, adding new materials, processes, techniques, and concepts daily. Always be willing to continue to learn and grow. Find a professional development path that will help you grow as an artist and educator. There are plenty of avenues to pursue interests and connect them with your teaching practice and classroom. Reflect as you go through your first year and consider what areas you need more support in. Take a class to refresh your skills and knowledge. All of this will help you be your most confident self in the classroom.

15. Sub Plan Prep

Unlike any other job, it actually takes work to be out sick as a teacher. For instance, say you wake up at 5 a.m. with the flu. You will have to call the “sub line” and contact staff with your sub plans (that you are probably writing right then while hanging on for dear life). But most importantly, don’t forget that your colleagues are often the ones covering your classes or jumping in to help when you are out sick. This should not deter you from taking your time as needed. Remember, you work with a team of people, and you will do the same for them when they are out sick too.

16. Curiosity, Reflection, and Response

For our final parting words, you will learn how to navigate it all, one day at a time. Of course, we want to feel as prepared as possible on the first day of class. But the truth is, teaching truly is a journey. We are all still learning, just like our students, adding new tools to our teaching toolbox. While there is no handbook for teaching, there are definitely aspects of the job I wish I had known as I began my first year. But if you remain curious about what you observe, reflect on ways to solve problems, and are responsive to your students’ needs, you will thrive as an art educator.

As a veteran teacher, what do you wish you knew before starting your teaching career?

As a first-year teacher, what is the most important thing you have learned so far?

As a new teacher starting out, what are you feeling least prepared for?

The post 16 Things I Wish I Knew About Teaching as a New Art Teacher appeared first on The Art of Education University.

How do we move forward?

The fall of 2020 was a hopeful, albeit overwhelming, time to rethink art education for the better. We had a momentary opportunity to shift and reimagine what our art classes and students needed. As schools pivoted in different directions, this opportunity quickly fizzled while teachers grasped for their oxygen masks. We have navigated an insurmountable mountain of change over a short amount of time.

We are now, however, moving into a new educational landscape. What shifts and changes can we anticipate? How can we prepare our classroom, curriculum, and mindset to best meet the needs of our learners?

Let’s take a look at seven things on the art education horizon to be cognizant of this fall.

1. Build stamina for engaged learning.

Attention span, resiliency, and perseverance are just a few pieces that have eroded. With collective trauma and lack of consistency came a disruption in how we think, learn, and retain information. Students need information, experiences, activities, and instruction broken down into bite-sized chunks. This doesn’t mean we have to hand-hold students through everything. What it does mean is that we have to rethink how we deliver our curriculum to build confidence and resiliency. Through practice and repetition, scaling down the size of a project, building in authentic learning breaks, and incorporating engaging media, students will feel less overwhelmed with the big picture expectations. We need to take time to build this muscle memory consistently over time.

What does this look like?

• Go back to the basics and review and practice foundation skills often.
• Scaffold technical and conceptual skills, including how to generate ideas.
• Provide small-scale practice to build confidence before leaping into the deep end.
• Break up longer studio time with critiques and collaborative brain breaks.
• Infuse creative and fun exercises to break up long stretches of learning.
• Integrate games in your lessons to keep students engaged and intrigued.

2. Nurture social skills and connections.

We are all still building back our social skills that were “lost” during the pandemic. While most students are back to school in person, they still missed out on formative social development opportunities. These skills include asking for help, navigating conflict, being a team player, or even understanding the part each person plays in the classroom or community. These social skills can be easily integrated into our routines and procedures. Modeling and practicing appropriate behaviors can help students get back on track.

What does this look like?

• Create opportunities for collaborative artmaking.
• Pair students up for a quick art challenge or game.
• Delegate roles and responsibilities to model working as a community.
• Provide problem-solving prompts.
• Engage opportunities for dialogue through critique and critical discussion.
• Ask students to consider and share different points of view in small group discussions.

3. Incorporate ways for students to be flexible.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, flexibility is “the ability to change or be changed easily according to the situation.” We know students thrive in environments with consistent routines and procedures. We have learned that we need to be responsive to each student’s needs at the moment and remember those needs vary. Offer flexible approaches where students can choose what they create, how they create, with whom, and when. It’s important to do this with clear expectations, scaffolded support, and a growth mindset in place. Teach students how to set goals and manage their time. Give them autonomy in how they demonstrate learning, and hold them accountable to high expectations.

What does this look like?

• Provide opportunities for students to create artwork independently, in partnerships, or in small groups.
• Give different materials for students to demonstrate a specific skill or concept.
• Allow flexible deadlines with the support of time management and communication.
• Outline an if-then situation for creating, such as, “If you choose a larger project now, then you may have to create something smaller to fit in the time frame remaining.”
• Let a student demonstrate two skills in one project instead of creating two separate projects.
• Brainstorm seating options such as using the floor, working at a quiet table, or standing at a countertop.

4. Ensure learning has purpose and meaning.

No one wants to do busy work. Worksheets that help students practice and build skills sometimes feel disconnected or excessive in our students’ eyes. Students struggle to stay engaged in learning when they don’t understand or see the connections between what we are doing, where we are going, and why. Help students define their own “why” and give meaning to those value scales and test strips. First, identify the purpose of practice and artistic thinking. Then, demonstrate how the practice supports the product and outcome. Lastly, connect all of those skills to their lives.

Be cognizant of prompts or themes that may be sensitive for some students. Making learning meaningful does not mean every lesson must be linked to social justice reform. The key is to connect learning and the purpose of creating to everyday life. Make sure what you are having them do is essential to the next step in learning.

What can we do?

• Allow students to connect their interests and experiences to their artmaking to create investment.
• Integrate cross-curricular approaches such as writing, Design Thinking, or STEAM.
• Provide various entry points to support self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Engage students with real-world issues, concerns, problems, and global topics with thematic prompts.
• Connect artmaking to the world at large through activism and visual communication.
• Support student discussion, dialogue, and research of difficult and controversial topics by focusing on “listening for understanding.”
• Break your regular exercises into differentiated groups. If students demonstrate understanding and application, move them forward without extra practice.

5. Consider equity and fairness.

Just like the rest of the world, students are keenly aware of the turmoil around them. They are thinking, breathing human beings with a critical lens and opinions to voice. Students are looking for ways to make sense of the world, and artmaking can be an important part of navigating through this. However, it is good to remember we do this in a system that is not always equitable or fair. While “learning loss” is a hot topic, opportunity gaps are a long-standing equity issue. This shows up not only from town to town but also directly within the classroom. Students are more engaged with their learning when they know their teacher strives to be fair.

What can we do?

• Reflect on your grading practices to ensure equitable assessment.
• Focus on classwork and nix the homework.
• Showcase contemporary and historical artists with various life experiences, cultures, bodies, and skin tones.
• Engage and reinforce all aspects of the artmaking process, not just technical skills.
• Allow space for students to express concerns about inequities in both the classroom and global context as well as ways to problem-solve actionable solutions.

6. Put the well-being of students and staff first.

There must be a clearly voiced, authentic concern for students, teachers, and all staff. Adding in mood checks and “feel good” exercises can be an easy way to inject connection into the art room. But students and teachers alike deserve routine meaningful care. Students and staff want to know that others are actively considering ways to address their stress, anxiety, and burnout. When we create authentic social-emotional learning experiences, more students have the opportunity to thrive.

What can we do?

• Create authentic SEL experiences woven throughout the curriculum. These should not be “add-on” activities disconnected from your current lesson.
• Address concerns specific to your population and their needs. Learning and artmaking are not a one-size-fits-all approach.
• Remember your colleagues. The greatest form of care is fostered through community connection. Form bonds and caring experiences with your colleagues. Don’t expect this to come from the top-down. Even small connections such as saying “hello” in the hallway, checking in on a colleague, or dropping some chocolate and a thank-you note in a mailbox can go a long way in creating a community that feels valued.

7. Advocate for the arts consistently and on an ongoing basis.

Advocacy does not mean you have to go big or go home when it comes to this year’s art show (Unless, of course, you want to!). You do, however, need to be strategic and consistent in your message to your students, community, and stakeholders. Even small gestures remind everyone of the importance of the arts in all aspects of our lives. Although advocacy is ingrained in us, it’s important to reinforce what we all learned during the pandemic. Continue to reinforce the positive impact the arts have on mental health, developing creativity and problem-solving skills, and boosting student engagement in school. Keep these benefits at the forefront for your students and community without adding another task to your plate.

What does this look like?

• Foster a presence through social media, newsletters, and emails home.
• Develop a mission statement and align your teaching outcomes with your and your school or department’s values.
• Connect student learning and artmaking to global contexts and life skills.
• Promote the arts visibly through posters in your classroom and wearing arts-positive swag.
• Create a form letter and email your legislators, copying your administration.
• Check out 6 Powerful Ways to Advocate for Your Visual Arts Program Post Pandemic.

The pandemic and other major events in both the country and the world have left students and teachers alike on high alert. Remember, there is no need to reinvent the wheel or add more to your plate. Taking time to reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and why is an ongoing process. Adjusting how we approach teaching and learning is important to serving our students where they are. If what you have been doing is leaving you frustrated and burned out, it’s time to consider the lists above. Instead of relying on our status quo and years of experience in this new educational landscape, let’s prepare to respond to what students need now.

What changes in education as a whole have you observed this past year? 

What needs do you anticipate for this fall, and in what ways will you adjust your teaching to address those needs? 

The post 7 Things Art Education and Our Students Need From Us This Fall appeared first on The Art of Education University.

For a broader overview of Advanced Placement Art and Design Portfolios and the changes made to the structure and assessment of the course, check out this article first. It even includes a handy download that outlines all of the requirements in one place that you will want to bookmark or print now!

Here are nine tips to guide your planning and the support of your AP students:

1. Get to know your students through their artwork.

Sometimes students come to us without having taken an art class prior. Or maybe they came from another art teacher, and you have no idea what skills they have. A great way to start this process is to ask students to create a mini portfolio of five artworks. This curated group of “historical bests” not only gives students a chance to show off their favorite artworks but also to provide explanations. You will get a quick sense of what skills need further development and support. You will also be able to see the media, techniques, and personal aesthetic students are bringing to their portfolios.

2. Start off with intentional warmups.

While the “breadth” section of the portfolio no longer exists, these types of artworks make great assignments in AP prep classes. Even if you don’t have any prep courses, these warmup artworks are a great way to start the year and get back into the rigor and pace expected for AP.

So, what do these look like? Consider art prompts that are open for interpretation but allow students to explore conceptual thinking while pursuing the media and techniques of their choice within their designated portfolio rubric requirements. Prompts such as “inside out” or “move it” push students to interpret, research, and respond with their own voice while addressing foundational visual art concerns.

3. Practice creating around the rubric.

Understanding the AP rubrics is a challenge in itself. Help students connect with the language through their artmaking. For example, students might not understand what “synthesis of media, ideas, and processes” means just by reading the rubric. Provide practice prompts such as “create a self-portrait using nontraditional materials and techniques.” These artworks often work well for selected works or to propel student interest into their Sustained Investigations.

Continue to introduce and discuss artists who demonstrate these large ideas. Take a look at artists such as Merritt Johnson, Julie Mehretu, and Mark Bradford. Analyzing language with concrete examples will help students connect with the rubric expectations.

4. Transition into the Sustained Investigation.

As you prepare for the Sustained Investigation, know that students will need help developing inquiry questions that are both broad and specific. It’s a strange concept! When students start out, they should have a question that isn’t too generic that provides too many paths to pursue with little focus. Practice developing inquiry questions and honing in on what interests students before they jump into their work.

Remind students that this can be a rabbit hole as they wind deeper and deeper into their portfolio journey. Don’t be afraid to introduce new media and techniques, even when students are deep into their portfolios. Break up the intense continued work with some image transfers or papermaking. You never know if or how students will integrate these fresh ideas into their current artwork.

5. Support writing with routine practice.

Writing can be tricky for many students. After students have started their first few pieces of the Sustained Investigation, have them draft an artist statement. I often do the first one without any support so I can see how a student writes and thinks about their work. Then, analyze real-life artist statements. Take a look at how contemporary artists ask questions and how their work responds visually. Identify how their artist statement pulls out evidence from their work to support their investigation and body of work. Students can rewrite their statements to reflect what they have learned, engage in critiques, and make several drafts before their final submission.

Beyond the statement, students need to practice writing about each artwork. The portfolio has a stringent character count to express the ideas, processes, and media for each artwork. Creating a portfolio template in a slides program provides a framework for students to organize their work and consistently practice writing and fitting ideas into 100 characters.

6. Look ahead at schedules and pacing.

This is probably the trickiest piece to get students ready for submission. You might have one semester to prepare students, or you might have two years with a prep program. Some teachers start school in late July, while others start in September. The deadline for submission, however, is the same for all students. You will have to look at the different ideas presented and consider what will work for your students in the time you have with them.

Because students don’t have to submit a required number of artworks for the Sustained Investigation (which is up to 15 images), it can be especially hard for teachers to set deadline expectations. A great way to combat this is to expect progress images and pieces of writing biweekly. As students document and share their process and finished work, you get the unique opportunity to give them consistent feedback. Then, students can go back and revise their work. A bonus of the biweekly check-in is that students end up with documentation of multiple versions, which is another big piece of the AP portfolio expectations.

Because students generally struggle with time management, try using a weekly goals sheet. Students can identify their large goals and break them down over time (a week, a day, that hour) to decrease the likelihood of procrastination. Making this a routine practice in your classroom supports studio habits and will integrate seamlessly into your teaching.

7. Assess student work with consistent feedback.

Teachers all have different philosophies when it comes to grading. Focusing on the assessment of each student’s portfolio through consistent feedback is where students will thrive. Remember, the portfolio is about building works over time, including revision. While the overall idea of each of the AP Art and Design Portfolios is the same, each of the three portfolios is assessed differently through the lens of specific art and design challenges. Make sure to always refer back to the AP rubrics as you assess and provide feedback.

8. Prepare for submission.

This is truly the most stressful time. The final two weeks is usually a major push, leaving teachers wondering how students will ever pull it off. In the weeks before submission, students should make sure they have good quality photos of their artwork, images are resized per the requirements, and artwork is prepared to be shipped by matting, backing, or protection in the provided portfolios.

While some teachers start their students uploading artwork along the way, others prefer to wait. Curating work and uploading in the last week can help streamline the final submission process. Remember those slide presentations you have been working on all year? Now you can reorganize the artwork organization, tweak the language, then simply copy and paste directly from the slides to the submission portal.

One option may be to request an in-school field trip. Students are pulled from class to take AP exams in other content areas, yet art has an 8 p.m. EST deadline. While this won’t stop you from nagging students and pushing the “forward to AP Coordinator” button at 7:59 p.m., it can definitely keep it to a minimum. By assigning half-day field trips for groups of students, you can help them submit their work at that moment. Any number of issues pop up at the last minute. Being together to troubleshoot significantly decreases everyone’s stress.

9. Celebrate!

Creating an AP portfolio is quite the journey! Don’t forget to celebrate this huge feat. First, make sure to download a PDF version of the portfolio after submitting it. This serves as a record of what was submitted for the student, and it also serves as an example for future classes.

Create a tradition to signify each student’s submission. It was an exciting honor to ring a bell when a student completed their submission in my AP class. It might sound a bit cheesy, but those students couldn’t wait to ring the bell and share their success with everyone.

If you still have time left in your calendar after portfolios have been submitted, let your students bask in each others’ amazing accomplishments. As deadlines loom near, students often don’t have the opportunity to view others’ work. Share final portfolios through a presentation party and celebrate with the “oooh’s” and “ahhh’s” from their peers.

As a teacher, you also deserve huge kudos! You have just finished a year of guiding your students through the AP process. This included worry, anxiety, stress, and excitement. Enjoy a nice dinner, get a manicure for those poor nails you chewed up, sleep all weekend in your pajamas, and vow to never teach AP again… Just kidding.

As students progress into advanced levels with less teacher instruction and more studio time, it can be difficult to know how to create a successful pacing schedule. Take a look at your practice and consider what supports need to be put into place through each stage of portfolio development. In the beginning, students need more time to learn, practice, and experiment. In the end, the schedule needs to be more about the logistics driven by checklists and deadlines. All along the way, students still need instruction and support where they are at in their journey. Teaching AP is both exhausting and incredibly rewarding. Make sure to celebrate the journey with your students, who are both unique individuals and a cohort of amazing artists.

For more conversations around AP Art and Design, check out these two podcast episodes:

1. Breaking Down AP Portfolios, Part 1 (Ep. 289)
2. Breaking Down AP Portfolios, Part 2 (Ep. 290)

How do you set your AP students up for success?

What are your favorite strategies to support students through portfolio development? 

In what ways do you and your students celebrate after submission and throughout the year?

The post 9 Ways to Plan for and Support Students Through the AP Art and Design Portfolio appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Let’s break down what this portfolio is all about so we can prepare students for submission.

The AP portfolio is a collection of process images, finished artworks, and writing that emphasizes critical thinking and intentional decision-making. Artworks must show an understanding of design and art concepts. They must also show a synthesis of materials and ideas through practice, experimentation, and revision. In the two portions of the exam, students will create anywhere from six to twenty developed artworks.

Students can develop artwork for either 2D Design, 3D Design, or the 2D Drawing portfolio. They can submit to more than one portfolio in a given year (or over two years), but there must be completely separate and unique artworks per portfolio. While all three portfolios are structured the same, each is assessed based on different visual concerns. Therefore, each portfolio has a specific rubric with different criteria.

Portfolios are submitted both digitally and physically (see below) for scoring. The deadline for submission is typically within the first two weeks of May.

To help make the requirements easier to understand, we created an at-a-glance guide just for you! This will be a handy download to keep bookmarked on your computer or posted on your bulletin board.

The Breakdown

In order to make the shift into the portfolio requirements, there are a few big changes from the previous portfolio to keep in mind.

Structure: The portfolio is divided into two sections instead of three.

Previously, the AP portfolio consisted of three sections:

1. Breadth: 12 artworks that demonstrate a range of methods and approaches.
2. Concentration: 12 artworks that respond to a chosen theme or topic.
3. Quality: 5 artworks that show the best quality, pulled from the Breadth or Concentration sections or completely separate artwork.

The new portfolio consists of the following two sections:

1. Sustained Investigation: 15 images relating to a student-developed inquiry question.
2. Selected Works: 5 high-quality artworks.

Artwork Requirements: There are fewer artworks required and the expectations have changed.

In the previous portfolio, students created around 24 resolved artworks. Now, AP asks students to submit 15 images for the Sustained Investigation and 5 artworks for the Selected Works portion.

Students do not have to submit 15 finished artworks for the new Sustained Investigation but rather 15 “images.” This is a bit challenging to wrap your head around. With this new Sustained Investigation, the emphasis is on demonstrating practice, experimentation, and revision through a variety of images. Of course, students can submit 15 finished artworks in which those processes are visually evident. Students could also, for example, submit 8-10 finished artworks along with some revision and process images. Or a student could even submit one complex artwork, such as a mural, with 14 process and revision images.

The Selected Works can come from the Sustained Investigation but they don’t have to. Therefore, students do not need to develop more than 15 artworks. This feels more manageable than the previous requirements, especially with limited class time.

Assessment: The portfolio focuses on the development of ideas, processes, and synthesis of media over time.

Both Sustained Investigation and Selected Works are steeped in connecting visual artistic decisions evident in the artwork with critical thinking and intentional decision making.

The Sustained Investigation is inquiry-based. Starting with an inquiry question, students then develop artworks that answer the inquiry. This often results in the creation of a new set of questions that leads students down a rabbit hole of conceptual thinking. According to AP, the artworks must “demonstrate your inquiry-based sustained investigation of materials, processes, and ideas done over time through practice, experimentation, and revision.”

Similar to the previous portfolio, the Selected Works includes the students’ best works. However, these works also should “demonstrate skillful synthesis of materials, processes, and ideas.”

For example, a student may create a self-portrait painted with acrylic paint. In this portfolio, the student would need to explain the why, the how, and the connection between decisions made and the completed artwork.

When it comes to assessment, AP provides a rubric with established criteria for each section. Make sure to reference these rubrics as you assess student work. While all three portfolios address the same overarching concepts of the Sustained Investigation and the Selected Works, each portfolio (2D Design, 2D Drawing, or 3D Design) has different criteria for their visual concerns and artistic methods.

The Sustained Investigation has weighted categories within the rubric and is scored on a 3 point scale. It is weighted heavily at 60% of the total portfolio score. The Selected Works portion is scored holistically on a 5 point scale and is worth 40% of the overall score.

Writing: The portfolio includes writing which is weighted more heavily than in the past.

Similar to the previous portfolio, students still write an artist statement that is 1200 characters, split into two sections that are 600 characters each. This statement examines their Sustained Investigation from inquiry question to supporting evidence. Students use this space to communicate ideas. The first section identifies the inquiry question. The second section describes how processes and ideas used in their artworks relate to their inquiry. Both sections are assessed using different parts of the Sustained Investigation rubric.

In addition, each image has space to include a short amount of text. For each image, students have 100 characters to explain processes explored and 100 characters for materials used. This is the case for both the Sustained Investigation and Selected Works. According to the rubric, much greater consideration is given to student writing than in the previous portfolio.

Submission and Scoring: The portfolio submission process is similar to previous years.

The Sustained Investigation is a digital submission process for all three portfolios through the AP College Board site. The Selected Works are a digital submission for the 3D Design portfolio and the 2D Design and 2D Drawing portfolios. In previous years when work was sent physically, your school’s AP coordinator would receive portfolios and labels for students to pack their works, as well as large boxes to ship the work to AP. Artworks must be flat (no stretcher bars), no larger than 18×24” (though high-quality printed reproductions are acceptable), and could be matted and/or mounted for rigid support. Artwork would be returned back to students’ homes after scoring, sometime in late summer.

Both digital and physical works will be scored by teams of art educators who apply for the opportunity to be an AP Reader. These readers attend training with practice portfolios. Artwork and computers line tables in a large hangar. Because of the large amount of work to score, readers spend mere minutes of time reviewing each portfolio. Therefore, their scoring practices must be well-aligned with the rubrics. Portfolios are scored by more than one reader to check for reliability and each section is scored by a different group of readers.

The portfolios are then scored out of a total of 6. You will notice, however, that the final score is out of a possible 5 points. When scoring out of 6 possible points, a bell curve is created to develop a mean, and scores are aligned to a 5-point scale.

Navigating the Portfolio

To learn more about this process and about the AP exam, you can attend a workshop offered by College Board. The in-person, week-long sessions are often hosted by local universities around the US. I recommend attending a session to further understand the portfolio and scoring processes. AP Classroom is another great resource for you and your students. Teachers can register for AP Webinars and subscribe to the AP YouTube Channel for videos that explain these concepts further. You can even take a look at previous sample portfolios and scoring rationale (this one is for 2D Design) through the College Board site.

As you learn to navigate the ins and outs of the Advanced Placement Art and Design portfolios, you will find yourself pushing students’ thinking. While the new portfolio is challenging, it’s exciting to watch students make deeper connections with their artmaking practices. Completing a portfolio and submitting it to AP is a huge accomplishment. Regardless of the score, celebrate your students (and yourself!) for this tremendous feat.

For more conversations around AP Art and Design, check out these two podcast episodes:

1. Breaking Down AP Portfolios, Part 1 (Ep. 289)
2. Breaking Down AP Portfolios, Part 2 (Ep. 290)

What is still puzzling to you about the updated AP requirements?

What other AP resources have been helpful to you?

The post How to Easily Break Down AP Art and Design Portfolios appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Go ahead and try to argue. Believe me when I say that I have spent years working on my assessment strategies, which are still far from perfect. Every piece of this article is written from grading practices I also have once used, done, and perpetuated in my very own teaching. If you are familiar with my other AOEU content, you will know that I geek out over authentic art assessments. But when it comes to aligning your rubrics with points and letters, now we are now talking about a different beast.

Don’t get me wrong. We know you have spent hours and hours conjuring mathematical magic into the perfect point system and weighted categories. Of course, you strive to be accurate and fair. We grade because it’s the system we grew up with, and it’s the system that exists. However, that does not mean we should continue down that path.

Read on as we answer four questions that address how grades are inequitable and then explore what you can do moving forward.

1. Why are grades arbitrary?

There is a reason why grading artwork can feel so icky. How do you quantify a visual art masterpiece in the first place? Let’s take a look at a common scenario.

You create a rubric with descriptive criteria, assess artwork based on the rubric, and then assign a letter grade. Two students receive an A. Most grade books, however, are set up with a 100 point system. What percentage or how many points does each A-student earn? Based on the criteria, both students should earn the same, but Student 1’s use of line isn’t quite as strong as Student 2’s.

What would you do?

• Give a 94% and 96%, respectively.
• Assign a 95% to both because the rubric says each equally earned an A.
• Student 1 gets 90% and student 2 gets 100%.
• I would do something else entirely.

What did you decide? Tricky, right? The scenarios and quizzes throughout this article should give you food for thought. Consider how you came up with those percentages. Either way, you slice it, you just placed an arbitrary number value to each artwork. Maybe it doesn’t matter since both kids will earn an A on their transcript. However, as they move through the class, those two percentage points could end up making or breaking a final letter grade.

What are some next steps to move forward?

• Make the grade a dialogue between you and the student. Students can self-assess and share their reasoning. They often grade themselves harsher than you would.
  Bonus: You teach them to assess their work critically as they search for specific criteria.
• Change to standards-based grading. Focus on developing as an artist as opposed to letters and percentages.
• Balance summative grades with formative points. Adding in five to ten points here and there to support formative learning will give a better picture of the whole instead of risking it all on larger assignments.

2. What makes grades inaccurate?

Let’s look at our next grading conundrum. In this example, a student creates an amazing artwork. Truly, it is spectacular! This work is imaginative, detailed, and it is obvious the student took a lot of time. Of course, they have just earned an A! Then, you look at the rubric you created. According to your rubric, the student has earned a C. How can this be?

What would you do?

• Give the student the grade you think they deserve regardless of what the rubric says.
• Stick to your rubric no matter what the value ends up being.
• Rewrite the rubric to more accurately reflect what grades you think the students should be receiving.
• I would do something else entirely.

I know we have all had this happen at one time or another. How did you answer the quiz? In this scenario, the heart of the issue is an inaccurate assessment. Your rubric didn’t assess what you had expected.

For example, maybe your rubric is assessing line, movement, and compositional techniques. Reflecting back, you didn’t focus much or enough on composition. You did, however, spend a lot of time focusing on visual storytelling and choosing an interesting subject matter. If your rubric isn’t accounting for this shift in what YOU did as the teacher, you will end up assessing the wrong criteria.

What are some next steps to move forward?

• Look for evidence of thinking. Since we aren’t inside our students’ minds, we need insight into what was missed. Through reflections and artist statements, you better understand what your students were trying to do.
• Reevaluate what it is you are assessing. Did you teach the skill properly? Did your lesson change course? If so, it is time to fix your assessment and try again.
• Rewrite your rubric with the class. When the majority of students are on the same page, they will be able to identify criteria based on goals. This is a great way to engage them in the assessment process, and it also serves as a formative check for understanding.

3. How are grades biased?

You start grading artwork, referencing your well-thought-out rubric. As you analyze each piece, you start to compare. According to the rubric, two students have earned the same grade of a B. But Kevin has worked really hard on this piece. He came into class, sat down, and used every moment of class to create. Kim, on the other hand, spent a lot of time just chit-chatting with her peers. She even distracted her peers from getting their own work done, and she never put her supplies away at the end of class.

What would you do?

• Kevin definitely earned a B+ and Kim deserves a B-.
• Both students earn the same grade for the assignment, but Kim will get an overall lower semester grade because of her negative behaviors.
• Both students earn the same grade for the assignment, but Kevin’s semester grade will get a boost due to his positive behaviors.
• I would do something else entirely.

How did you answer the quiz? Grading behavior is quite a controversial topic. (Watch the Pack, Standards-Based Grading in PRO Learning.) However, items like effort, time-on-task, and participation should not be incorporated into the assignment percentage. The artwork should be assessed based solely on what the student demonstrates. Even if your state standards address behavior, you don’t need to grade them in order to give feedback. Teaching students how to advocate and communicate their needs in a healthy and productive way will go much farther than taking points away.

Remember, students want to behave and succeed. When they can do well, they will do well! Focus on artistic behaviors such as the Studio Habits of Mind. These behaviors support the artwork and artmaking process. We don’t need to grade this in order to see them evident in the artwork and process images.

What are some next steps to move forward?

• Give students the benefit of the doubt. The goal of grading shouldn’t be a “gotcha’” moment. Maybe you caught the student in a bad moment of their day. Address it immediately and let it go.
• Reflect on what might be falling short in your own classroom management. Use your findings to determine what interventions to implement to support struggling students.
• Seek support from a colleague, instructional coach, or student services team. Discuss concerns with parents and caregivers and look for ways to solve the issues collaboratively.
• Reevaluate what you grade. Consider how your grading practices reflect what students can do rather than your own values.

4. When are grades punitive?

Another controversial topic is the great “late work” debate. Let’s see what this looks like when a student turns in an assignment late. Perhaps your school has a policy that states, “Late work cannot receive anything higher than a C, and if the work is later than one week, it may not receive higher than a 50%.”

Brian has been really busy with soccer this semester. He forgot to work on his artwork outside of class. He whips something up and turns in an artwork on time. If he had a few more days, he would have been able to dedicate more time, and he knows his work would have improved. He isn’t thrilled with what he submitted, but it is “on time.” According to the rubric, his artwork earns a C.

Sara has been diligently working on her artwork each night up to the deadline. The day the work is due, she forgets it at home. She has now missed the deadline. She submits the work the next day. According to the rubric, she has earned an A. According to the late work policy, she can receive no higher than a C.

Caleb has been working a job each night and focuses first on his core subjects when he gets home. He completely forgot about his artwork. He turns in his artwork a week late, and it is barely finished. According to the rubric, he has received a D. Because the work was so late, points will be deducted.

What would you do?

• Brian receives a C, Sara receives a C, and Caleb receives a 50%.
• Brian receives a C, and Sara’s late work has been excused and receives an A. You feel bad for Caleb’s work situation and know he will probably fail the class anyway, so you give him a D per the rubric.
• Brian receives a C, Sara receives a C, and Caleb receives a 40% based on the rubric and the late work policy.
• I would do something else entirely.

When considering what to do when a student turns in late work, we often deduct points. Teachers argue that students need accountability to prepare them for the “real world.” According to Reeves in The Case Against the Zero, “The most common answer is to punish these students. Evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, there is an almost fanatical belief that punishment through grades will motivate students.”

Motivation by punishment does not support best learning practices. A student who is consistently late may have bigger issues on their shoulders. Perfectionism and poor self-esteem can be significant stressors for your art students, causing fear of submission. Poor executive functioning could also lead to procrastination and the inability to manage time, especially on larger assignments such as a long-term artwork. External factors, such as home life, also play a large role in late submissions. The question is not, “How do we penalize those who are not submitting work on time?” but rather, “In what ways can we support our students to submit in a timely manner?”

Another common issue with penalizing students for late work by deducting points is “the hole.” Students who dig this grading “hole” struggle to find their way out without significant external support. Consider that a student is failing your course because they have not turned in work on time or at all. At this point, your student knows that even if they can turn in the mountain of work that has piled up in your class (and probably in other classes as well), that work will only result in a 50% at best. They often think, “What’s the point of turning it in at all?”

What are some next steps to move forward?

• Explicitly and routinely teach time management skills, such as weekly goal sheets and how to break down large assignments into manageable pieces.
• Approach students with empathy and curiosity. Instead of making assumptions, it is best to think, “I wonder why.”
• Ensure the deadlines set by you are achievable by all. Often, we set deadlines based on our larger scope and sequence expectations. However, if this lesson is essential for students to learn, then you need to make sure you are allotting the appropriate amount of time for that to happen.
• Be flexible, and engage in student-to-teacher communication strategies. Some students need more time to complete work than others. Encourage students to reflect on and communicate their time needs.

Unfortunately, grading is part of your job. Since you can’t change that, what are you going to do about it? First, it is important to take time to reflect on your own teaching practices and align them to your values. If the grades you assign don’t feel right, they probably aren’t. Second, take a deep look at your grading practices from a critical lens. Look for biases, inaccuracies, and ways you unintentionally punish students through grades. Look for alternative ways to grade that reflect a more holistic approach. And lastly, remember, not everything needs to be graded in order to be assessed. Solid assessment focuses on feedback to create a culture of learning. Little by little, you can help your students embrace their own continuous learning journey instead of grabbing for the grade.

Reflect on your own grading practices. What biases can you identify?  

In what ways can you combat inaccurate and inequitable grading in your classroom? 

What assessment tools do you have in place that support learning instead of grades?

The post The Inequities of Grading: How to Assess Your Own Grading Practices appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Working with a learning support coach or instructional coach can provide all of these boosts and more! Get out of your bubble, connect with someone outside your hallway, and get the support and care you deserve. I recently spoke with two learning support coaches at a high school in Illinois about why all art teachers should work with an instructional coach.

What is a learning support coach or instructional coach?

Learning support coaches (also called instructional coaches) are certified teachers who are experts in pedagogy and can support teachers from all content areas. They typically take on this different role because they are passionate about how instructional support and methods impact student achievement on a larger scale. Some coaches continue to teach part-time in the classroom, while others dedicate their full day to the coaching role.

The specific job duties of a learning support coach vary between schools. Responsibilities typically include supporting teachers in the classroom with co-planning, co-teaching, and modeling instructional strategies. Coaches are also often tasked with facilitating professional development for all faculty.

Just like being a teacher, being a coach is multi-faceted. Emily Valaitis, an English teacher and learning support coach at a high school in Illinois, describes herself as “a therapist, friend, advocate, and cheerleader to teachers.” She explains how her role can apply to many different tasks from one classroom to another. Valaitis observes, “For many teachers, they just need a sounding board, someone who will listen to and help them make sense of whatever it is they are dealing with, such as curriculum, lesson planning, classroom management, personal issues, etc.”

Next, let’s answer some common questions about how art teachers would benefit from the support of an instructional coach.

“I’m a great teacher. Why would I need to work with a coach?”

Often, teachers feel they don’t need to work with an instructional coach unless their performance or evaluation score is suffering. This misconception simply isn’t true! All teachers, regardless of experience or evaluation rating, need the opportunity to talk and vent. Valaitis shares how all teachers can use an outside perspective for suggested edits to their curriculum or tips for revamping their classroom management techniques.

Anna Kraftson, a science teacher and learning support coach at a high school in Illinois, equates some of her experiences to the popular television show, The Voice, where “there are four celebrity coaches, and they are all competing to work with this phenomenal singer.” She goes on to share, “I work with teachers who are phenomenal teachers, and I get to help them achieve their goals.” Such personalized feedback is particularly constructive for art teachers. Kraftson explains, “When you’re in the arts, it’s challenging to find relevant professional learning. When these teachers come to me, we work on their targeted goals that are deeply relevant and meaningful to them.”

“What should I work on with my coach?”

Approach your learning support coach with your personal goals in mind. You might be new to your school and looking for ways to further connect with colleagues outside your classroom. Maybe you are non-tenured and need an extra nudge as you prepare for your evaluation. You may even be a highly experienced veteran looking to spice up your lessons.

The reasons for seeking time with an instructional coach will change over time. Valaitis says, “I work with a wide variety of experiences and disciplines. Typically, I meet with tenured teachers who are on (an evaluation) cycle or are looking to brainstorm ideas for lesson plans or units.” For a newer teacher, however, Valaitis offers a wide array of advice. “My meetings with non-tenured teachers tend to be more diverse,” she says. “We will meet about evaluation procedures, but a lot of time is also spent talking through acclimating to our school and culture.”

Before you walk into your first meeting, take some time to reflect on your teaching and the support you need. Once you have determined your goals and shared them with your coach, the next step is to meet regularly. While another meeting in your day can feel like a drag, Kraftson explains, “Weekly meetings can anchor the teacher to make choices efficiently.”

Consulting with an instructional coach can help you: 

• Prepare for an upcoming evaluation
• Learn about or try a new instructional strategy
• Add depth to your strategies
• Promote stronger learning connections
• Develop differentiated instruction
• Integrate cross-curricular instruction
• Diversify content
• Find support in areas outside your expertise (such as literacy goals)
• Engage students with more collaborative strategies
• Appropriately scaffold to support student development and deeper thinking
• Analyze data and create responsive lessons
• Design more authentic assessments
• Infuse the latest technology to increase access

Outside of direct instruction, a coach can help you:

• Navigate peer-to-peer conflict
• Engage reluctant students
• Communicate personal boundaries
• Hone your teaching philosophy
• Write a grant and use other advocacy tools
• Translate the latest PD or school-wide initiative into your art world
• Connect with your school community

“Will my coach tell my supervisor or administrator about my challenges?”

If you are struggling to hit those proficiency marks or are working with a challenging student, rest assured, your coach will not judge you or share sensitive conversations. Not only are they not your supervisor, but their goal is to support and guide. Connecting with a coach about your school’s evaluation process can be an enlightening experience. As you work through the year, your coach can also provide documentation of your growth and how it aligns with your school’s goals and initiatives.

Valaitis views her role as a guide rather than an all-knowing expert. “I tend to approach all coaching appointments with the same philosophy: the answer is in the room,” she says. She facilitates conversations by encouraging teachers to develop their own ideas instead of giving them the “answers.” Like with our students, this method produces more “authentic coaching and develops teachers more meaningfully,” she says.

“My coach isn’t an art teacher! How can they actually help me?”

It’s true: most instructional coaches are not coming from the art room. Don’t let a little difference scare you off! Teachers from every department have unique perspectives and experiences to share. Your coach will look at your teaching through a wider instructional lens, and your ideas will feed into their work with other teachers as well. Ultimately, instructional coaches want what’s best for student learning. Quality teaching is quality teaching, regardless of the content.

When you plan your next upcoming unit, consider running it by your coach to get their objective feedback. “Art teachers are typically experts in their content and just need help with the instructional piece,” Valaitis confirms. “Because of this, they don’t really need a coach who has a background in art. They just need a coach who can help them think through their ideas.” We are great at coming up with creative and innovative solutions; however, we may sometimes find it hard to reign our energy in and plan. A coach can help art teachers connect the dots and ensure we aren’t missing vital parts of the lesson planning process.

“How does working with a coach impact others and my school?”

Teaching doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The work you examine and the ideas you explore impact others. Working with a learning support coach gives others insight which then spills into other content areas. Kraftson and Valaitis love working with art teachers because of the out-of-the-box ways we think.

Art teachers are so creative! We can have ingenious solutions to school-wide problems, and an instructional coach can be a bridge between the art department and administration. Valaitis explains, “Tapping into art teachers for advice and their perspectives for school issues is imperative.” Working with an instructional coach can help give art teachers a “push to be involved in the school improvement plan or committees that influence professional development. Their fresh perspective and innovative thinking can help influence the direction a school can go,” she says.

Kraftson goes on to share how working with art teachers has influenced her as an instructional coach. “Thinking flexibly is one of the Habits of Mind we teach at our school,” she says. “When I think of the attributes of this habit, the creative process comes to mind. Understanding this process would be beneficial for both staff and students.”

Valaitis has observed how the creative process in the studio parallels the creative process in lesson planning. Teachers ideate their lessons and projects, then go back and forth between reflection and revision. Neither artmaking nor designing lessons are static processes.

“Why should I become a learning support coach?”

Art teachers are creative problem solvers and thinkers. Reflect on the impact you can make working alongside your colleagues, helping them work through their challenges. Kraftson loves being a learning support coach. “I am passionate about adult learning and view it as a vehicle for change because each teacher impacts roughly 125 students per year,” she says.

In Valaitis’s perspective, art teachers make great instructional coaches. “Art teachers are naturally empathetic, which I believe is essential to being a good instructional coach,” she says. “Coaches need to have compassion and be open-minded, two things art teachers excel at.”

Many of us became art teachers because we love learning and discovering new things. Valaitis shares how a renewed focus on our own learning process can make the coach role so rewarding. “While I loved my students and teaching,” she says, “I realized so much of my joy came from the front-end and researching topics. This job allowed me to explore my favorite parts of teaching.” By changing roles, you might be able to utilize your greatest strengths to have a greater impact. “I always liked lesson planning for my own classes and saw this as an opportunity to help others and learn more about the process,” she says.

Remember, you are the expert in your content area classroom. Working with a coach doesn’t mean you are a lousy teacher or have failed your students. As lifelong learners, we are continually modifying and adapting our lessons, strategies, and goals. Working with a coach who is there to focus solely on you and your goals gives you much-needed space and time. So what are you waiting for? Schedule your meeting today!

What are your professional goals as you move into the new year or semester?

In what ways can you envision working with an instructional coach?

The post Why Every Art Teacher Should Work With a Learning Support Coach appeared first on The Art of Education University.

Never fear! When the art room air feels a little stale, pull out these 13 magical media to bring the awe and wonder back to those glimmering faces.

Cool Tools

1. The thrill of the potter’s wheel.

It doesn’t matter how many lumps of clay go flying off the wheel across the room. This tool will never, ever get boring. Most schools only have the budget for a few wheels. Even if you have to do the legwork to get one wheel in your room, it will give back tenfold.

Teaching students to center, pull up walls, or make any form captures their attention for hours. While this is a difficult skill, students view their time on the wheel as precious. They will build perseverance by trying and trying again despite the outcome.

2. Torches, hammers, and saws—oh, my!

Something dangerous in class? Yes, please! Students might be less than thrilled to sign up for a jewelry class until they find out they will be making lots of noise and using fire. Now we’re talking! Metalsmithing is a lot of fun, and even an introduction will get students out of their funk.

Safety is a must in the art room. Students are often extra nervous, hyper-cautious, and highly aware of what their peers are working on and with when danger is involved. Students grow confident as they build their skills using these specialized tools. They are aware of how few classrooms offer these experiences.

However, with these tools, students can start working with their hands on day one. Bang on some metal wire with a hammer, load a tiny saw blade into a frame, and practice lighting the torch. Even the most apprehensive of artists will line up to give it a try!

3. Introduce fusing and glassworks.

Did I mention danger? Glass is another medium often omitted due to safety concerns or budget. But, you don’t need to have a forge and blow glass to introduce this beautiful medium.

Students can safely score and break glass sheets with a few extra tools to create a simple, geometric stained glass piece to hang in their room. Mosaics are a great way to use up glass scraps and combine them with other found objects. If you have a kiln (or even a mini microwave fusing kiln), fusing is a great way to introduce glass in the art room. Watching separate glass pieces become one is a captivating experience. Take a look at our PRO Pack, Getting Started With Warm Glass and Lampwork.

Magical Moments

4. Explore ceramic glazing.

Speaking of pottery, what is even weirder is the chemical reaction of glazes! Students dip or brush on layers of brown, red, and gray. Out of the kiln, the colors are transformed into varying hues of celadon, fuschia, and confetti-ed pearl.

A great way to explore glazing is to create a series of textured test tiles. Students explore different texture tools and plates on 1.5″ x 1.5″ clay squares or circles. Make this activity even more meaningful by creating ornaments or pendants. Students roll out a slab, choose a cookie cutter shape, and add a hole for a string. After bisque firing, students can select glazes to test. Share the results with the class post-firing. Make a test tile board by taking photos of the pieces and arranging them on a chart.

5. Enter the darkroom.

Every year, students crowd into the darkroom as you demonstrate the magical appearance of an image on light-sensitive paper. You expose white paper, and it stays white. But wait! You gently agitate it in “magical” chemicals and voilá! The image slowly appears. The gasps, ohs, and giggles immediately ignite excitement.

If you don’t have a darkroom, cyanotypes work just as well for sparking the same thrill. Plus, spending time outside is always a bonus. Stretch those legs and get some vitamin D while making art.

6. Introduce image transfer techniques.

Transferring a printed image onto an artwork or journal page opens the world for our students. Packing tape transfers are a low-budget and non-chemical-based option. Print an image using a laserjet printer and “laminate” the image side with a layer of packing tape. Then soak in water for a minute and rub the paper off the tape. Ta-da! The ink will be left behind.

There are other ways to transfer images, such as using gel medium, acetone, or blending markers. However, what really blows their minds is the simplest transfer of them all—the graphite transfer! Students no longer have a clue as to what “carbon copy” was all about. Take their sketch, flip it over, and shade graphite on the back. Then flip back over, so the sketch is right side up, and place it on top of the final surface. Trace the image with a good amount of pressure and remove the paper. The result is an image transferred with just a pencil!

Hypnotic Hands-On

7. Try making homemade paper or marbling.

What’s more fun than using a blender in your classroom? How about dumping a bunch of recycled paper materials into it to make your very own homemade paper?

Marbling is another magical experience for students. Swirl some paint onto a bed of shaving cream or a tub of water. Place the paper face down on the swirled paint. Gently lift the paper and watch students gasp in awe as they pull those gorgeous decorative surfaces onto the page. Turn your homemade or marbled papers into collage papers or use them as book pages to create a mini-journal.

8. Introduce sewing, stitching, and stuffing.

Talk about hearing a pin drop—and when you are sewing, you might hear a few! Students will spend hours in hushed concentration working on their sewing projects, whether sewing by hand or machine.

Simple sewing projects include sewing a small pillow or a soft sculpture. Students can design an interactive piece with pockets or add furry textures based on a kindergartener’s sketch. Once students have a needle and thread in their hands, you will find them unstoppable.

9. Try a little tie-dye.

Is this quite possibly the messiest of options? Probably, yes. But, everyone loves tie-dye, and the experience is always fun and memorable. Students can explore color theory and then wear it around the school to promote your art program. Try a “no wash” technique of using UV paint or explore stencils and spray paint. Or, try out some batik techniques using smaller pieces of fabric.

Transformational Techniques

10. Introduce stippling.

Ok, it’s not a magical medium. But it is still a mesmerizing technique! While your room will be filled with the sounds of pens or pencils repeatedly hitting the paper, you won’t find a single student disinterested. Students are always amazed at how a series of dots (or other small marks) can create a full-scale value drawing.

Even better is when you add stippling to the darkroom experience. Students can learn about a film’s negative by creating their own using acetate. Overlay a clear sheet protector on top of a student’s image. Then stipple values with a permanent marker, lay it on top of the photo paper like a photogram, expose, and develop! This is another great connection to printmaking and mass production.

11. Experience pure contour.

Once again, this one is not a medium, but this technique always blows students’ minds. Demonstrate a large-scale, pure contour drawing of a student in class without looking at the paper. As they all closely watch, the silence waiting for you to make silly proportion mistakes is palpable. It’s even more strange when they applaud you when you’re finished. (Crazy but true!)

While this is an age-old skill, it never gets old with your new and repeat students—practice observation skills with everyday objects, hands, or partner portraits. Explore different overlapping media or develop into a more substantial artwork.

12. Try doodling designs.

Anything that uses patterns with line and shape to create doodled masterpieces will have students hyper-focused for days! If you need some quiet time after a chaotic, messy unit, this is the way to go. Give your students a day or two of practice and then collage with portraiture, nature, or develop further with color theory. You are guaranteed to enthrall them with this mindful activity.

Wearable Wonders

13. Accessorize with polymer.

Students LOVE art they can use or wear around school. They get to show off to their peers and other teachers what they made in your class. Making functional art is also a great advocacy tool. There is nothing like receiving a compliment on your latest earrings just to say, “Thank you! I made them in art class!”

Bring out polymer clay for a day or two to change up the pace. Roll, texture, punch, and bake a jewelry set while teaching design and functionality. Students love playing with cardboard, metal can scraps, or anything found to create a one-of-a-kind zipper pull, broach, or belt buckle. Engage in connections with sustainability, business, and marketing. Showcase the pieces in a mini-runway event or display to sell in a school marketplace. Who doesn’t want to wear their art and sell it, too?

If you are new to jewelry making, check out the FLEX Collection, Innovating with Jewelry and Metal, for different ways to incorporate jewelry into your teaching practices.

No matter what media you are teaching, balancing your curriculum with various lessons is a great idea. Digital apps can provide a quick fix but don’t forget how magical and memorable traditional art experiences are. After years of teaching, many of these mediums and tools listed may not feel fresh and exciting to you. But, the wonder and awe from your students who are experiencing these for the first time will invigorate the room, leaving you feeling refreshed, too!

What media or techniques have you taught that leave your students wanting more?

What lessons or media do you like to introduce when the energy falls flat?

The post The Magic of the Art Room: 13 Mystical Media That Continue to Mystify appeared first on The Art of Education University.