 Students working with pointillism techniques in painting.
INFUSE TECHNIQUES IN THE TAB CLASSROOM “So, you don’t teach techniques or skills?” “There is no demonstration in your lesson plans.” I have heard this quiet a bit from other art educators. It’s not that I abandon skills and technique, but rather that I have a different perspective about them. I feel that techniques are infused throughout the room and process, but do not sit at the why or purpose of art making. "Techniques are infused throughout the room and process, but do not sit at the why or purpose of art making."  5th Grade student refining drawing skills by learning about value and shading.
“Develop Craft Days”: I teach techniques of “Develop Craft Days”. I pick a few techniques at a center and demonstrate those at the beginning of class. I try to pick something that my students need extra help on or maybe it’s a new material in the center. I don’t like the boot camp idea for elementary students because it can be lengthy. I don’t get to see my students that often. (Do what works best for your students!) Artists teaching and observing other artists: The art studio is a place to learn from each other. I have learned some amazing techniques and skills through my students. For example, I have had students show up with new origami folding techniques they discovered. This student gave a demonstration to a small group of students. I believe that we tend to forget that art is universal. I shouldn’t be the only person in the class giving all the demonstrates.  5th Grade student working on creating different forms with coils and coil types.
Techniques can be personalized: I believe that students should refine techniques with mediums they are interested in. I know what materials I love as an artist, so I continue to develop with those. I should let my students do the same. I am there to guide and facilitate for them. This will allow my students to find their style and interest. Techniques are meant to be discovered: There are plenty of artist that use materials unconventionally. I feel like I see new techniques all the time on social media. A recent example was, Amy Shackleton, that uses gravity to paint. This is one of the reasons I let my students experiment. I had a student create a clay pot by using different extruder shapes this year. I didn’t teach him this technique. He discovered it! Allowing students to discover techniques is part of the creative process. What is your perspective on techniques?
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How do I introduce new materials and/or centers in the classroom?
Good things to remember:
I usually start with my objective looking something like this:
I even created a simple worksheet for older students to complete when learning new materials in the art room. I put these into their sketchbooks, so they have a reference to go back too. |
Jessica Rubyk-5 Creative Design Teacher 
Quotes from students about TAB Archives
April 2018
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