Category Archives: Art 2: painting/drawing

Jun21

2 Philosophies, 1 Program

Posted on June 21, 2022 by missjaybar

I wanted to take a moment to talk about my program. As many of you know, I am a TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) teacher and have been for the majority of my 15-year career. What I am not sure people know is that my partner is not a TAB teacher. Yes, he sometimes gives choices to his students, our students, but for the most part, he is a traditional art teacher who assigns whole-class projects.

We have been working together for 15 years, and it has taken us 14 of those years to finally get our act together and create a program that not only allows cohesiveness for our students, but also allows for each us to teach to our own philosophy and to our strengths.

What does this look like? We were fortunate to have had a principal who trusted us as experts and allowed us to choose which class levels we wanted to teach. We both teach Art 1 classes due to the sheer number of class sections we have. (Texas requires one fine art credit for graduation, and the majority of students pick art as that FA credit.) We split the Art 1 sections as evenly as we can. The experiences for the students in our respective classes is different, but we are okay with that. The students get to know us as teachers and people, they get to learn about our program, they get to make some art, they have fun, and for about half, they get that credit they need so they can move to the pathway they are really interested in.

It’s when the students decide to continue in the art pathway that things really start to make sense for how we have structured the Duck Art Program. We have split the remaining sections of courses by levels between us. My partner teaches all sections of art 2, I teach all art 3, then the seniors return to him for art 4 and AP Studio. He teaches both AP 2D sections. I teach AP 3D, but I am also the ceramics teacher, so that is what makes sense for us.

Splitting the classes this way works to our strengths. He is really good at teaching techniques and materials, so the art 2 students benefit from all having this shared experience where they get to focus on skills and learning new materials. They come to back to me in art 3. We focus more on the ATP (Artistic Thinking Process), studio habits, and creating original art. My class helps them to really consider content and finding what media they like to work with, what types of subjects they like, and what they want to explore. AND they really start to find and develop their voice. So…..when they return to Art 4/AP, they have a well-rounded background and can create amazing art. It was hard in the past to have kids that were all over the map because we taught the same level in totally different styles. I understand that as a TAB teacher, I always meet students where they are, but this isn’t about meeting students at their artistic level, this is about the students have a common base knowledge that allows both teachers to better meet the students needs.

It took us forever to learn to play together, and play together well, but better late than never I say. I am excited for this coming year because we will be able to really see how well this will benefit our students and our program. It was time to stop being an island in a department of 2 and instead come together as 1. It is possible to work with those that don’t follow a TAB philosophy like you do. You just need to check your ego and remember what is really important and the focus of your art program–the students and helping them in their journeys to becoming artists.

Jan5

Classroom Protocols in the Time of Covid

Posted on January 5, 2021 by missjaybar

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I know it’s been a while since I last wrote. It’s been, well, it’s been a semester–interesting, frustrating, at times apathetic, and at other times guilt-ridden. I am sure most of you know what I’m talking about. I thought I would start off the new year with trying to look at the positives, with hopes that I can help some people. We spend 2/3 of the first semester doing both in-person and asynchronous. Like other in-person art teachers, I had to figure out material procedures that worked within restrictions handed down from on high–no group work, no sharing, single-use if possible.

I run my TAB studio in a very self-serve type of environment. Unfortunately this year, that wasn’t feasible and I didn’t set up the studio as normal. ::sad face:: Fitting the expectations set out for me to work into an open studio was frustrating, but over the 3+ months I’ve had students in my room, I’ve been able to come up with strategies to make it work. I do have less than half the students I would have normally in my room, and my largest class was 12 (half my normal cap BUT it was a ceramics class, so that made things interesting.) Fewer students does make some things easier, I will admit, however, I did need to order a bunch of supplies that I wouldn’t normally order–more new brushes, lots of extra tools, extra sets of some media, single-use condiment containers, mesh bags. But in the grand scheme of things, it will help out in the future as there are some things I think I will continue using and doing after we return to a more “normal” school life.

Let’s do this…

Time Out area:

I got this idea from another Texas TAB teacher, Lori Wallace. Not sure if it was her idea or not, but it’s a super awesome idea.
It’s an area on my counter that I marked out as the time out area with some tape. (A student thought we needed a fun zone too, so there is that section next to it labeled as such.)
Students put all used tools and materials there, so at the end of the day I can sanitize spray them.

Clean Cups and Dirty Cups:

In a few different places, I have 2 sets of plastic cups–some labeled clean, and some labeled dirty.
Cleaned tools (pencils, sharpies, skinny paint brushes, etc) are in “clean” cups.
After student use, they put the tool in a dirty cup (this includes hand sharpener and erasers).
I wipe down the hand tools with the provided sanitizing wipes at the end of the day, and then put them back into the clean cup.

Mesh Bags:

I bought these mesh bags with a local grant, about 80 or so of them. I use them for many things: sets of acrylic brushes, sets of watercolor brushes, ceramic students individual tools, sets of brush markers.
What makes them nice is that after the students use whatever is in them, they can put the bag in the time out area, and I can just spray the bag, turn it over, and spray the other side. The bag is mesh and plastic, so it gets the inside contents and allows for drying.
This will be something that continues next year…using the bags for sets of things.

Materials List/Paint Color List:

I made a list of all the different media I had to offer and a swatch of all the acrylic paint colors I have. I then laminated them and taped them down–one on each desk
Students can tell me what medium they would like and I can get it for them.
Students can tell me what paint colors they need, and I get those too.
This lessens the amount of hands touching things–I wear gloves to get the different media.
I don’t have to worry about sanitizing the paint bottles after each use because I am the only one touching the bottles.
I put a piece of copy paper on each paint tray (cafeteria type trays), squirt on the selected colors, and give the students their paint. They throw out the paper and put the tray in the time out area.

Individual Student Tool Sets:

This is mostly for my ceramic classes. This was costly, but there wasn’t really any other way. Tool kits were made; some sent home (and they come back when kids come back), and some stayed for in-person.
Each student has their own cubby where they keep their tool bag. I repurposed my cubby since I didn’t set up the studio as normal.
Each kit has a needle tool, a serrated metal scraper, a wide paint brush, a home-made sgrafitto tool (that each student made themselves), and a piece of canvas. I also bought a ton of wooden dowels (which I cut down to size to save money) and those longer, thicker paint stirrers. This allows for all to be able to use at the same time or for some to sit for a few days without being touched. These purchases will help out in the future with full classes.

Damp Boxes:

I have enough shoe box size to give each of my upper students their own box–both for in person and remote.
I walk around with large, under the bed size or sweater size ones, for my beginning students. I just go down the line, with gloves on, and give out each project. I do the reverse for clean-up.

Single Use Condiment Containers with Lids:

I originally bought these to send home underglaze to my ceramic students.
They come in handy for passing out regular ceramic glazes.
I took all my glaze tiles and put them on a tray. Kids can point to the color, and I then mark the cup with the glaze number in a sharpie, and then return the lidded glaze-filled cup to them. They also know what number glaze they had so they can ask for more.

A Zillion Washcloths:

Washcloths really are the best way to clean-up clay tables and paint spills. Those school paper towels suck.
I bought over 100 of them from Walmart.
Each one is “single” use. Student take one from the clean pile and go clean-up their table.
They then put the used washcloth in the bucket by the sink after they are done with it.
At the end of each week I was the washcloths for next week. I am lucky that I don’t have to take them home–I was given a key to the washers/dryer in the girls athletic area.
It’s a little more work, but it is actually cleaner than when we would share the rags–so many less cloudy tables because kids don’t understand to rinse and ring the towels first before wiping the table–because more than likely, the person before didn’t rinse it.

Gloves:

The district does supplies me with gloves and I go through 10 pairs a day maybe.
Gloves do help to pass out supplies and whatnot to the students…and you will need to pass out a lot. You’ll feel like a waiter, but it is what it is. Lol

I think that is all. I know this is long, but I hope it is helpful to those of you that struggled first semester with having an open studio or those going back to in-person for the first time. Like I mentioned, I sometimes feel like a waiter, and it is tiring many days. My kids like to remind me when I don’t hand out table wipes at the end of the day, and they laugh when I yell that I’m about to take my gloves off so it’s last call for supplies for a while. Undoubtedly, I get someone that needs something like a minute later. ::shrug::

Apr10

Corona and Remote Teaching

Posted on April 10, 2020 by missjaybar

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I see it has been over 2 months since my last post. And, quite frankly, I’m not surprised. I had some ideas in the works for new posts on the exciting stuff and things happening in the Duck Art Room since January, but then Corona hit, and my spirits plummeted.

I tried with all I had in me to look the “new normal” in the eye and take it on. And by new normal, I mean remote teaching or distance learning or “homeschooling” 🙄🙄🙄. (Don’t get me started on how none of this is homeschooling. I know people that homeschool for a living, and this is not it folks. But I digress.) It was hard. I wanted to be the best teacher I could be, but in truth, I wanted to just paint and drink coffee and play with clay. And I’ve done all that. In fact, by the end of this, I will have a full kiln load of just stuff I made.

One week away from school turned to two weeks; then to three weeks. And now, I’m pretty sure we won’t be back this school year. And at this point, while I want to see all my kids more than anything, I don’t know how we could make the switch one more time with 7 weeks (in my district anyway) of school left — 3 of which we are definitely out for Shelter-In-Place orders.

My district has been remote teaching/distance learning for 3 weeks now. I feel it has all been one big trial and error session. My district finally came to a decision about grading and GPA and class rank–which for those of you who teach high school know that these things are currently important in the world of education and higher education. I won’t go into everything, but we are going to a pass/fail system for the second marking period of the 2019-20 school year. Grades will be assigned with “prominent emphasis on completion and effort”. So, that sounds good right. It sounds as about as equitable as they can get. We are trying very hard to make sure we can meet accommodations and reach students without internet and give grace to those struggling with home issues (siblings, work, etc.) that affect them being able to do school work. Could more be done? Probably. But I know we are trying.

What does this all have to do with Art and Teaching for Artistic Behavior and Duck Art? A lot actually. I said that my spirits had plummeted, and that included my spirit for facilitating meaningful art making situations for my students. Instead, I assigned what I felt was going to be the easiest thing for me to do. Currently, I have about 50-65% participation from my students–some do all of it, most pick and choose and turn in a thing here or a thing there. It made me sad to say the least. I was missing seeing my kids make and create and all those other things that go with being artists.

Earlier this week, I was looking at Facebook, like all who are at home do, and I finally clicked on my friend Melissa Purtee’s post about what she was doing remotely with her kids, and it sparked something in me. I was then reminded of a post another friend had put in the main TAB Facebook group about not forgetting our purpose as TAB teachers–those 3 main tenets of the philosophy. I knew I had to change what I was doing. I couldn’t sustain it anyway. So, I borrowed from Melissa, as she so graciously lets us do, and made a new website for my students–all of my students, no matter the level or the class type. It gives them choice. It lets them decided how to spend their time during the week–instead of a daily assignment, they know what they need to do for the week on Monday and can plan their schedule to meet their needs. It makes them think and decide and research and plan and all those behaviors we have been talking and learning about for months or years. I have full belief in my students and I am hoping that it is what is right for them, and for their situations. I hope they can see art making not as a thing they have to do, but they want to do–because the freedom is in their hands now.

I’ll leave you with this. I’m not sure how I feel about our “New Normal”. I just hope I am bringing a sense of comfort to my students thru art and choice as we navigate this together.

Click image for website

Jun18

The Re-Do: A Final Exam

Posted on June 18, 2019 by missjaybar

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It appears as if I am not the only one to have students revisit an artwork made earlier in the year to re-work as a final exam for high school art. (Melissa Purtee wrote about it here, and I did take the idea from Ian Sands. Janine Campbell did it years ago.)

Anyway, for my art 1 and my art 2: p/d classes, the exam was to take a piece of artwork they had made sometime in their class that they created or started to create and re-do it in one of 3 ways–make it better, make it different, or rearrange it. We looked at a slide show, I answered questions, and then kids had at it. When they were finished, I had the students fill out a written reflection about the new artwork, why they chose that piece to redo, how they re-did it, and which was stronger/why. There were a couple of other questions about the work they did this year as well. The students had to turn in the original (or a photo of the original) with the new work so I could compare.

I thought it was a great way to finish the year. Students were able to go back over everything they had created. Some pieces they hadn’t seen since I put them back in their portfolios earlier in the year, some forgetting even having made the piece. The reasons students gave for choosing specific pieces varied–from it was my favorite piece to I wanted to take it out of my sketchbook to I knew I could do better. I am so proud of the work they put into the new pieces. It really was a good way to show what they had learned over the year–art making skills, decision making skills, and reflection skills. It’s a final exam I will continue to use in my classes.

I wish I had taken more photos, but I was so caught up in what they were doing and the end of the year, that I forgot.

Jun10

Year 12: A Review

Posted on June 10, 2019 by missjaybar

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I have completed my 12th year in eduction, and coincidentally, my 12th year as a

HS Art Teacher at the same school. It’s been an interesting year, to say the least. Many changes began and will continue in our district over the foreseeable future. Some good, some meh, and some make me say blerg.

Anyway, for the most part, things went really well in my TAB studio this year. This was my 6th year as a TAB teacher–I think. Maybe 5th. Who knows, and it isn’t really important how long I’ve taught under the philosophy…just that I believe whole-heartedly in it.

So, without further ado, here is my countdown (as usual) of my favorite moments of the 2018-19 school year.
7. CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ART: Not one, but two students (that I know of) changed their relationship with art. Both were freshmen this year and both took their required fine art credit this year to get it over with. About a month or so into the year, I over heard one girl telling her friends that she hated art, but because of they way I ran the classroom, she no longer felt that way. She liked the freedom and the faith I put in her. She liked making what she wanted to make. A while later, perhaps after the midterm ( the Tantamounter–old link, but you get the jist), another boy who was only there for the credit and I had over heard several times say he hated art, saw that he wasn’t limited to 2D work, and he came alive. Anytime he could figure out what to build to satisfy the packet umbrella, he would. He couldn’t wait to get started, and would go into the supply room and just dig and create. I am glad to say both signed up to stay with me in ceramics next year.

6. RAKU: Last year I was awarded a grant to purchase a raku kiln for my program. We finally were able to use it this year. It was so much fun. It was a great experience in building the community of my intermediate/advanced ceramics students, and it was such a learning experience for me…I learned a lot about propane. POST

5. ANOTHER GRANT AWARD: This year I applied for another grant, and after much delay, I was finally awarded at $5100 grant to purchase a pugmill for my ceramics program. We have so much dried up clay, and I just can’t wedge it fast enough. (And, due to our schedule and time limits and space, it is not that easy to have the students do it.) My order has been placed; now I am just waiting for it to arrive.

4. T.O.Y. NOMINATION: I was nominated for our Teacher of the Year award. While I didn’t win, I was happy that at least 2 people (you have to be nominated several times to make the final list) thought enough about my teaching and my presence at school to nominate me.
3. PACKETS: This year was the first year I based both my art 1 and beginning ceramics around “The 9“. The packets were developed by Ian Sands, and he let me use them in my classes. I used “The 9” in my art 1 classes and I developed “The 10” for my ceramic classes. I am really happy with how they worked in the classes.

With my art 1 students, we learned some basics about the topic, then the students went through the ATP (Artistic Thinking Process) when interpreting and creating their work. I found they gave the students a place to start with a broad overarching type of artwork, but helped to guide them in how and what they would make. I have some things to tweak for next year in the consideration questions and my input/talking with the students at that stage. But, overall, using them was a major success. I also thing that it will be a smooth transition to art 2 when we dive more into content of their art.

My beginning ceramic students have their own packets. We started with “The 10” before the end of the first semester, and got through 4 or 5. It was a good place to stop and a good place to pick up in intermediate next year. I think it has been helpful in developing style and interests in ceramic art. I think it is harder for many high school students to communicate in 3D than in 2D, so having the different genres of ceramic arts to guide them is important in the journey. I also think it helps to teach the ins and outs of working with clay. We shared and compiled information in different ways as I tried to figure it all out. But, I made lots of notes on how to proceed with The 10 next year in my large group of incoming beginner ceramicists. I am excited for the next group to come in to the studio.
2. SKETCHBOOKS: Every year I change how we are going to do sketchbooks. For the past two years I bought sketchbooks and then had the students buy them from me. This year, I wanted something more. I wanted their sketchbooks to mean something, since I was going to have the kids use them for everything (except drawing tests and artist Mondays). So, instead of purchasing books–either me or them–I decided to have them make coptic stitch sketchbooks. It was a great decision. We did them the first week of school–you know that time when schedules are finalized and kids are coming and going. It was a lot of prep work, but worth it in the end. Most kids took ownership of their books. It was a mostly relaxing way to start off the year, talk about what was needed to be talked about, and to chat with the kids. Most kids took their sketchbooks home at the end of the year.

1. AP STUDIO ART: This year, for whatever reason, my principal had me teach a section of AP Studio Art. We have only had 2D portfolios in the past, and my partner has taught the class(es) since I had started. I was both excited and scared. I found out before the 2017-18 year ended, so I convinced a ceramic student to do the 3D portfolio. She agreed and they created the class for her. My 2D students ended up not doing the portfolio. I knew they wouldn’t. AP was the only 2D class they could sign up for senior year. But, my ceramics girl…she kept going. She worked so hard, and created some of the most developed ceramic pieces that have gone through my program. She completed and submitted her portfolio with a week to spare. I don’t care what scores she gets because the process of doing the portfolio itself changed her and taught her so much. That’s what is really important. I couldn’t be more proud of her.

That about wraps it up. Not everything was good or easy, I did have a student pass away from congestive heart failure. That was hard. And, I had some rocky friendships with colleagues develop this year. But, I can’t dwell on that. I was lucky to have an amazing group of students this year–kids that made me want to be there for them and be a better teacher for them. Overall, it was a good year in the #DuckArt Studio. I wonder what lucky #13 will bring in August.

Jun5

The 2017-18 School Year in Review

Posted on June 5, 2018 by missjaybar

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Another school year has come to a close. That makes 11 for me. The 2017-18 school year was a good year for me. I had a couple of bumps in the road–that one student who felt she no longer needed to be here (luckily she is still here ♥) and the whole grading issue with me not being in compliance. Overall, it was a fun and happy year. So, without further ado, let’s take a look back and see what went down.

⇒ I entered 3 students this year into Scholastic Art and Writing. We didn’t get any awards or even mentions, but I am proud that I was able to enter the work of these 3 young women. I think we were robbed, but life goes on, right.

by Geniveve

by Roxana

by Shelbi

⇒ I was honored when Diane Jacquith and Kathy Douglas asked me to have a small part in the 2nd edition of their book, Engaging Learners Through Artmaking. I speak of how I include current artists in my curriculum through an activity called Artist Monday. Students watch a short video and then answer some questions about the artist and what they create. Artists are always current, and many create art in ways that go beyond the traditional ways my students know about art making.

⇒I took my upper ceramic students on a field trip…on a Saturday! It was so much fun. We went to the Texas Clay Festival in Gruene, TX. My students got to see a woman who was burnishing a pot and talking about terra sigillata. They saw a variety of artists and got to see what people would be willing to pay for ceramics. And, they got to watch a raku firing. I am so glad that we went. The fact that they were willing to give up a Saturday to go on a field trip was tremendous. I hope to make this a yearly activity.

⇒ Seattle 2018. This year’s NAEA conference was in Seattle. I was lucky to be able to present not once, but twice at this year’s conference. And bonus for me, both were with my very good friend and amazing TAB teacher, Elizabeth Honeysett. We presented on Single Media and the TAB Classroom. Liz talked about her jewelry classes and I talked about my ceramics classes. We also did a ticketed event–The Secondary Choice Demo Room. This was extra fun for me because I got to see adults make art. Seattle was a blast.

⇒ Restorative Discipline was brought into my school in the 2016-17 school year. Each year they train a small amount of teachers. I was lucky to be asked to be part of the 2017-18 cohort (cohort 2). I really like restorative discipline because it focuses on relationships and community building. It stresses being proactive instead of being reactive. It was a great fit for me because I am all about relationships and community in my classroom. We had many trainings throughout the year, which kept me always reflecting on my teaching. I reflect anyways, but the reflections from the RD perspective made me think about things I sometimes gloss over.

⇒ RD brought the academic circle into my teaching practice. In RD, there are many types of circle activities you can do with your students and the academic circle is one I really liked. I utilized it in my ceramics classes. There had been a disconnect between what my students researched on a artistic behavior and the art making that went along with it. The academic circle filled the gap. It allowed me to check what my students learned on their own. It allowed my students to share and connect with each other. It allowed for questions. It allowed for students to see ceramic art their peers were drawn to. And, it helped to clarify the big idea for the students before they moved to the creation of their work.

⇒ I applied for a grant and was award it! In our community, there is a Screen Shot 2018-05-27 at 11.42.27 AM foundation called the Taylor Educational Enrichment Foundation (TEE) that offers thousands of dollars in grants annually. I finally got the courage to write a grant proposal for a raku kiln kit. When the day finallyarrived when we would find out who would be awarded, I’ll admit, I was nervous. I heard the band and the cheerleaders coming down the hall. I kept hoping they were coming to me and not going to walk on by. My principal ducked his head into my office and told me to come out into the hallway. I was so excited. I was dancing around my classroom. I have since ordered and received the kit and I can’t wait to set it up and teach my students how to raku this fall.

⇒For a few years, I make and gift some special seniors a piece of “Duck Art” pottery. It started when some seniors bugged the crap out of me for cereal bowls. So, as an end of year gift, I made bowls and gave them each one. On the inside of the bowl, there was a duck. The next year the seniors weren’t into cereal so much as they were coffee. So, the image was transferred to a mug. Each year, the duck image changed, but the sentiment was the same. I made X# of mugs–all similar in shape, color, and image–and handed them out to the lucky ones I had forged relationships with. This year, I wanted something different. I really don’t like being a production potter. I don’t like making the same thing over and over. I decided to make each mug different and glaze each mug different. The only thing that was my thru-line was the Duck Art medallion I made. I made a sprig, which was a good lesson for the students, and went from there. At the end, the students got to pick which mug they wanted according to their tastes and what fit well in their hands. This has become the new and final senior Duck Art Mug.

The Duck Art Mug!!

The lefties

Those are really the bigs things that happened this year. Like I said, it was a good year. I made some stronger relationships with both students and colleagues. I am sad that my ceramics seniors are gone. They were a great group of kids. But, I am excited for those returning next year. I learned a lot about my teaching and how I want to move forward. I really understand the end goal I have for my students–both those that will be with me for a year and those that will continue on. I have worked hard (and continue to) on how to help my students meet those goals. I have much in store for next year…I hope to implement “the 9”, courtesy of Ian Sands, with my art 1 class. I have taken the 9 and created my own version–“the 10”–which is geared for my upper ceramics kiddos. And, our principal decided to split the AP Studio art program between my co-worker and myself…so that will be interesting. I am happy with my 11th year, and I look forward to another fun-filled TAB-tastic year in the Duck Art Studio. But, until then, I will relax and enjoy my summer.

May10

Artists Curate

Posted on May 10, 2018 by missjaybar

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This unit was something I have been wanting to have my art students do for some time, but it never seemed to be the right time. Well, in January of 2018, I looked at my art 2 students and decided this was the group that could pull it off. And, I was right. While not every student hit it out of the park, most did…in one way or another.

This was my final unit for my art 2 students. We spend over 6 weeks working. It will also double as their final exam. Here is the information students were given about the curation of a show. They were given a few days to figure out what they wanted to do, then they jumped into the work.

This unit was amazing. Most students decided to curate a show of their own new work. I’ve never seen so many of my students jump in and work constantly–walking in the room and getting right to work. They were passionate about what they were creating because it was all them…I had no say in what they could create. They came up with their own themes for their shows, and figured out what type of create to meet that theme. One group of 3 boys had originally decided to curate past work they had made, but out of no where began to collaborate on a large panel piece of a dragon in space. I was thrilled by how well they worked together.

About a week prior to the hang, they made flyers to advertise their shows. They hung copies in different areas of the school and we added information to the cafeteria announcement slides.

Finally the day came to hang their show. I gave them some pointers on how to hang their art on the walls of the student centers, and then let them go. In addition to hanging their pieces, they added labels and a show/artist statement. They all look so fabulous. I am so proud of my students. And, the comments from others around the school have all been so positive. I know my students are proud of their work. I can tell, even if they won’t admit it to me.

The show will be up for a week, and on it’s final day we will have a closing reception with some small snacks, drinks, and a “guest book” for each student that people can sign. Next week, I will meet with each student individually to talk about their curation experience and together we will decide on a grade for their exam.

I am really glad that I finally was able to do a unit like this. I really like to show off what my students create, but usually it just gets hung in the fine arts hallway. It really showcases the students and their talents.

May8

Exploring 21st century principles

Posted on May 8, 2018 by missjaybar

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This was a very challenging unit for my art 2 students. And, while it was a miss in some respects, there were others aspects that were major hits. Not only did my students learn a lot about Olivia Gude’s Post-Modern Principles, I did as well.

My first experience with Olivia Gude was in New York City when she was part of a panel for a Super Session at NAEA 17. There she spoke of what she had called the Post-Modern Principles. I was intrigued about what she was talking about, and I began to wonder how I could bring them into my classroom. Now, they aren’t the easiest concepts to grasp–especially for a bunch of 10th and 11th graders. I was hesitant, but man did I underestimate them.

I set up the unit in a the different way than normal. I didn’t want to lecture to the students. I knew if I did, the information would go in one ear and out the other. Also, I didn’t want to do all the work. I checked with our instructional coach and together we decided that I wasn’t asking too much of the kids. (What?! Sometimes I wonder, but then I shake me head and say that maybe I am asking not enough.)

I briefly showed my students a slide show with Olivia’s definitions for each principle. I didn’t go into detail. At the end of slideshow was their assignment (to research each principle, understand what they means, be able to share out their findings, and find images that exhibit each principle.) I wanted to show an example of what I was looking for, so I picked the easiest of the bunch. I explained everything I did to research–the sites I went to, the articles I read, the videos I watched, things from previous knowledge I had. Then I set them free.

After the research part, we came back together as a group and went over what they had learned. We went through each principle, with each student sharing what they had learned. Many things were repeated, but I think that helped validate each student’s research.

The final part of the research was the image find. Students didn’t share these out to the class, which in hindsight I wish I had them do. They did share with me though, through google classroom. This was the amazing part to me. This solidified to me that they understood the concepts and could find artwork that appropriately showed the principle. And, they knew some images utilized more than one principle, so the students chose to highlight the one that was most prominent.

After the research, students did create artwork. I think this was the hardest part of the unit for them. Great artworks, that were full of creativity and thought, with powerful messages, were made. But the implementation of the newly discovered principles into their work was weak. But I was, and still am, okay with that. Not every unit we do in class has to be about artwork. There is more to art. Being able to know how to research art concepts is important. Being able to read artwork is also an important skill. I like to think that these students will look at contemporary art in a completely different way, not just walk by without a second glance, and really see what the artist is trying to convey.

Apr10

Exploring a Medium and Multiple Pieces

Posted on April 10, 2018 by missjaybar

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One aspect of a TAB classroom that gets criticized is when we allow our students to explore the same medium over and over and over. Critics often think this is wrong that we TAB teachers don’t expose our students to a variety of media by making them do different projects based on different materials. Unfortunately, this is not how artists work. Yes, some artists work in several mediums…Picasso and Degas come to mind. Both painted and sculpted. But, they came to other mediums because they wanted to explore, not because someone else told them to. I am sure they were aware of other mediums, but they preferred what they preferred. We do the same for our students. They are aware of other mediums, but ultimately, they should work in the medium they prefer or what they feel is best to convey their idea.

On Mondays, I introduce my students to contemporary artists. I want them to know what is being made in today’s art world. While deciding on artists to have them meet, I found 2 artists that reinforce this idea exploring the same medium over and over. First is El Anatsui. Second is Elisabeth Higgins O’Connor. I have included clips from both these artists. If you click on their names, you can find the entire video. Neither of these clips are about the art they make, but rather the message they are sending.

When we let our students continue to explore the same medium, they will begin to understand what it can offer. They can push the boundaries of the medium. They will understand what it means to research in an artistic sense. They will behave like artists.

Dec12

Artists Tackle Social Issues

Posted on December 12, 2017 by missjaybar

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I have been wanting to have my art 2 students take their work to a deeper level–to really bring in their voices. Don’t get me wrong, I have a couple of students that already do, but most still create artworks that haven’t quite broken the surface. I’ve tried doing a unit on stereotypes before, but it seems that I get the usual suspects. So, this year, I decided it was the year to “bring it on”, so to speak. I decided to challenge my students with the tackling of social issues.

They first started by defining some “common” words… opinion, social issue, society, commentary, and parody. I also asked them to consider why an artist would want to us social issues in their work. That question seemed to be a hard one for them. I asked them to watch either a video on Maxwell Rushton and his “Left Out” project or on Favianna Rodriguez, a Latina printmaker, and make connections between the what they watched and our unit idea of using social issues in art. The final part of their research was to find artworks that used social issues. And, they couldn’t show any that I showed them for our intro to the unit.

To help my students get warmed up for creating their own artwork, I gave them a challenge. They had 2 choices. Choice one: talk to 5 different people about some “hot topic issues” of today, and create a sketch of a possible artwork based on their “favorite” opinion. Choice two: Pick a social issue that is hot today, create a slideshow of at least 5 different artworks around that issue (on either side), and present to the class.

These girls gave me permission to share the links to their slideshows. I think they did some great work.

Gender Inequality

Islamophobia

The best part for me about this unit was how invested in their artwork the kids became. I didn’t have to prod the kids to get going. They quickly had a social issue they wanted to talk about and set off creating. I am so impressed with their work, and their voices.