Category Archives: teaching for artistic behavior

Dec19

Skill vs Creativity

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As a teacher that has embraced the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) philosophy for almost a decade and a half, I still find myself struggling sometimes with with debate around skill and its importance. I know it’s important for artists to have technical skills and for them to continue building those skills. Buuuutttt…. should that be the most important thing in the high school art room (or any art room for that matter?)

I was doom scrolling the other day, and I came across this reel in my IG feed and I finally felt a little bit of validation. The artist talked about an art teacher he had that pretty much said what I had felt in my art heart all these years.

Gabriel talked about an art teacher he had who said that “technical skill is extremely overrated. And she had visited a school that prioritized the technical ability versus teaching the students creativity. And while their paintings were very technically well done, they were super dead, boring, not inspiring whatsoever.” He goes on to say that he thinks we put technical ability on a pedestal way too much, and that there isn’t enough credit to the creativity. Skill is still important, but it is a means to show that creativity.

I couldn’t agree more. There are times when I go to conferences and see “award winning” art, or I scroll through Facebook looking at other high school programs and I feel a sense of insecurity. I begin to question if I am doing a disservice to my students by focusing on the process, on creativity, and on what they have to say over spending day in and day out just learning and practicing technical skills and realism. But then I pause and picture in my mind’s eye the work my students are producing. Some of my students are very skilled. Others still have ways to go on their journey. But their work is so expressive. It has life. You can tell they explored new things. You can see the energy in their marks. I think of their faces and conversations when they are in our classroom studios creating, and it fills me with joy. I watch them push themselves to be better than the day before.

It’s not that I don’t teach skill. It’s not that I don’t encourage practice to make better. I do those things. I just don’t preach that it’s the pinnacle of art making. I teach new skills for my students to have in their tool boxes. We practice technical skills every time we make in the art room. It’s just that I put the onus on my students to choose which technical skills they want to practice to get better at. There are so many mediums and techniques that I can’t teach them all, and I am not going to choose which ones are more important than others to focus on. I will let my students decide what is important to them. I let them guide me when it’s time to explore new mediums and techniques.

In the end, I am not saying that those classes that focus on technical skill are wrong. If that is what you want your focus to be, then that’s your prerogative. What I am saying is that I am proud of my students and the work they create. I am proud of my program. They are proud of their work and their growth! Personally, I would rather have my students make work that carries their feelings and emotions out to the world, than a bunch of pretty pictures that are technically well done.

Jul23

Let’s Go? Advice from almost 2 decades of teachering.

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I’m about to start year 19, and man have I had an interesting career. I’ve taught high school for 18 years, AND I’ve done it all in the same place. I can retire in 11 years, but plan on doing at least 12 so I can retire on an even number. But, that’s just an arbitrary date. I’ll see the state of education when I get there. I may be done, I may not be. Who know’s. ::shrug:: But this post isn’t about when I’ll retire. This post is about a few things from my journey that helped to get here…to today…a week and a half before I walk into day one of in-service for year 19.

When I look back on everything, there are a few key things I’ve learned that keep me going, keep it relevant, and have made me into the force I am today. Yes–I said it, I am a force. I haven’t always been so confident in my abilities, but today I am. I am a good, nay, an amazing teacher. I am really good at what I do. Do I have some areas I can work on? Of course–who doesn’t? What makes me so different is that I know there are things I lack and I reflect on that and I learn and continue to grow in this ever changing, but not really changing, world of art education.

I want to share some of what has motivated me, and helped me to believe in my abilities over the years. It always hasn’t been sunshine and puppies (although I don’t really like puppies–come at me bro–so maybe that phrase for me should be sunshine and art supplies. Just sayin’.) I’ve had my fair share of crap days and considering moving districts and not wanting to go to work, but in the end, I show up because deep down, I love teaching and I looooove teaching art to teenagers.

So here we go!

It takes 3 years to build a program. I was told this by Ian Sands at the beginning of my TAB journey. And, he was right. I now say it to everyone who is new to a role or implementing TAB for the first time or even starting at a new school. You may think you have it in the bag and that it’s going to be easy peasy, and that attitude is great. But, as you go along the first year, you will hit bumps and things won’t work. You’ll be learning how your population reacts to you, your goals for both you and them, and your systems that you are trying to implement. You will fail, and THAT IS OKAY. Learn from those failures and revise the next year, or even as you go along that year. Teaching is like making an artwork–we have an idea, we research, we develop plans, we try to implement those plans, we revise, we fail, we reflect, we try again, then we start the whole cycle again. By that third year, you really do understand the relationship between you and your population, and you can see the growth that you’ve made and your program has made. It’s easier in year 4 and beyond. That’s not to say that you stop reflecting and revising, but at that point it’s different. So, don’t give up. Give yourself grace. I needed this “3 -year build” advice when I jumped into TAB. Then I needed to remind myself again when I switched up my sculpture program to a purely ceramics program. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Just sayin’.

Administrators come and go, but good teachers stay. One of my favorite co-workers, and a great friend of mine, said this to me about year 4 when I was struggling with my principal and the differences of opinions we had. And she was right. That principal left, finally, and left space for one of the best principals I have worked under. He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfect for me. He took time to understand me and my program. He knew what I needed both professionally and personally. He supported me. Unfortunately, he had to move onto another district, and my current admin isn’t him, but I know that some things are temporary. When you find your place and find what feels right, even when admin and you just don’t mesh, you stay. I love my program (which I helped to build from very little), and I love my population. I love that I’ve taught all the siblings in a family or am going to. I don’t always agree with my district or the town I teach in, but I know that being a constant in the district is important to what those families love about being ducks.

Remember your why. I know all you reading this just totally cringed at that phrase. I hate it too. I’m not talking about when admin asks you to try and placate you because they aren’t giving you a raise or there is some other stuff thing they are doing. This is super TAB specific. I said this to my secondary cohort this summer at the 2025 TAB Institute. I saw the eye rolls. But then I went on to explain. What are you trying to achieve by implementing a TAB philosophy? What do you want from your students? This isn’t about the methodology and how you will do this, but why you CHOOSE to believe the philosophy? This is my why: Yes I am hoping to make artists, that is my dream goal that everyone of my students will be an artist. And yes, that drives all the decisions about how I implement TAB–from the choice continuum, to themes, to the supply buffet. But let’s be realistic. That is not my population–they are not all going to go to art school and become artists. And while yes, I am trying to make artists, my why is really is about helping my students become creative and become independent thinkers. I am helping them to be able to make choices, informed choices. I am helping them to have an open mind and to see that things do not live in a vacuum and things are cross-curricular. That is my goal. Art making is my vehicle to get there. TAB allows me to do that more than any other art education philosophy I’ve explored. And it allows me to do it in my own way, using my strengths. So, when I am having those days full of doubt and questions, I think of my students and the ones that I have impacted well after they’ve graduated and the ones that are currently making a mess in my office, and it all makes sense again.

I’ll leave you with this. As you go into this new school year, whether it’s your first, your fifth, your nineteenth, or beyond, have confidence in yourself and your ability as a teacher. You’ve got this. I am already facing challenges this year, both personally and professionally. I can go in with an eff this attitude, or I can focus on what is important to me, inside my classroom with my students. I will take what they throw at me and try to see their point of view, but in the end, while I will be compliant with their requests (for the most part–iykyk), I will just do me. I know my program is strong. I know I am strong. I know my students will thrive because of what I am setting up for them. I know I’m not perfect and that I have things to work on, but I don’t have to be perfect, because clearly no one is and the conditions we teach in today clearly aren’t either. I just need to shut my classroom door, have fun, be present for my students, remember my why, and be imperfectly me. Everything else is just noise and in the end doesn’t matter. Have a wonderful year.

Sep18

Goal Setting

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School’s been in session for just a month now, so of course that means it’s time for me to decide on my yearly goal for my T-Tess. That’s the evaluation system my district in Texas uses. While I’m not sure that the system in general has helped me as a teacher, I did decide to actually take my goal seriously this year.

In the past, I wrote goals that seemed easy to achieve and collect data on so that I could easily check that box off and spend most of my time focusing on the fun part of my job. When we had to work on our goal during our PD earlier this month, I started off with the same attitude and just copied a goal from about 5-6 years ago. But as the month went on and I thought about it, something in my brain switched and I began to take the goal seriously and really figure out ways to help me learn from my goal.

This year’s goal falls under the professionalism domain, as I am going to work on reflecting on my practice. I normally reflect on my practice throughout the year. I make notes. I think about what worked, what didn’t work, and changes I can make. But after 17 years, I think that’s not enough.

I know they say if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Somehow, that doesn’t seem to apply this year. This year has come with some changes that I didn’t anticipate, and I am struggling with finding my place in our system this year. I know I have been a strong and effective teacher for years, but something feels different this year. I feel I’ve been focusing so much on being a great TAB teacher and being true to the philosophy that I believe in so much, that I’m missing something else. I am hoping to figure what that is.

I have been working on gathering some strategies to really help me reflect on the different facets of being a TAB teacher. I hope to write more reflective posts this year, not just ones that give advice on technique or incorporating TAB. I really want to look closely at how I deliver information, at how I am communicating to students and colleagues, at how I scaffolding the important concepts as I lead my students towards understanding the artistic thinking process and ultimately independent thinking. I plan on watching other teachers teach, from a variety of disciplines. I am essentially an island, in more ways than the obvious. I think seeing how others approach their classrooms can shine many lights on what I do and choose not to do. I have contacted several teachers that I respect and asked if I could come and observe them. I received much enthusiasm and am excited to start. I will go to my first observation next week. I am pretty excited about it.

How do you choose your yearly goals? Is it part of your evaluation process? Do you take it seriously or do you do it to check the boxes? I have just written goals in the past that easily allowed me to look good. But, the longer I teach, I don’t want to get stagnant or stale and just do what has always worked. I am looking forward to learning more about teaching and myself through this process.

Aug2

Typical Days in the HS TAB Studio

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As we get closer and closer to the start of the year, many people are asking what a typical day in the high school TAB studio/classroom is like. And well, it’s anything but typical. Just kidding. TAB classrooms are just like any other art classroom, just there is more independent thinking happening and less teacher-led projects. But, other than that, it’s pretty normal. We have routines just like any other classroom.

I thought I would create a small post outlining my day and my week as a high school TAB teacher. I see my students daily, all year long. This year we are back up to 50 minute classes. Woo hoo!! I teach Art 1, Art 3, and beginning through advanced Ceramics. Sometimes I teach AP or an Art 4, but those are on case by case bases. Unless it’s AP 3D, then that’s definitely me.

I like to have a routine that my students get used to, so they are comfortable and there’s not huge chaos every day. I have a white board, which when my room is not under construction, the students pass by as they come into class and they are encouraged to read the board so they know what they need to get out.

Mondays start off with either Artist Monday or Style/Movement Monday, for all my classes. We come in, watch a video and then the students answers questions, either in their sketchbooks (art 1) or on a slide deck (everyone else). That generally takes about 15 minutes of class total. After that, we go into one of 2 things, we get back to notes/practice of skills or studio time. Every other Wednesday, in art 1, we have a drawing test. Then, similarly to Mondays, the students pick up where they left off the day before. In my upper classes (art 3 and ceramics 2 & 3), I designate a day (usually every other Friday) for digital portfolio time.

Beyond those few fixed things, I typically don’t like to take much of the time away from arting. Kids will ask me what are we doing, and I say to look at the board. At some point, whether they need their sketchbooks or not, art 1 students will come in and grab it before sitting down. It has become a habit. Sometimes I address the class right at the beginning to do some house keeping, like reminding students of who I still need to go over ideas and development or when the last studio day for a unit is. Other times, I just let them get to work and don’t address the whole class until about 7 minutes left when it’s time to come to a convenient stopping point to begin clean-up.

When we do need to learn new skills (composition, perspective, facial features, etc.), we sit and take notes in our sketchbooks. After there is usually a small assignment in their sketchbooks to practice the new skills. New media explorations take about a week, while other smaller skills assignments take between 2-3 days (notes and practice time together.) When I do demos, where we (students and I) aren’t doing them simultaneously, I try to keep them under 10 minutes. That way, they still have at least a half hour of arting time.

There you have it. The biggest difference in my experience between when I was a more “traditional” teacher and a TAB teacher is that there is much more independent art making and exploring time. I circle the room more and talk to students more. There is not magic secret or formula. This is what feels right for my students and for me. It’s relaxed and safe and successful.

Jul2

PoTAYto, PoTato, Semantics Sometimes Matter

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I will admit, I am a TAB purest and sometimes I get fired up when it comes to spreading the love for TAB and helping teachers understand the philosophy and ways to implement the intricacies of the philosophy into the classroom. Now, I am a high school teacher, so the way I TAB is not going to be the same as the way an elementary teacher TABs. Heck, it won’t be the same as another high school TAB teacher. But, at the heart of the matter, we all believe the core tenets, the guiding principles if you will, of the philosophy, and we build our programs around them.

One thing that I try to combat when I talk about TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior) is the misconceptions about what the pedagogy is and isn’t. About 5 years ago, I wrote this post about TAB vs. Modified TAB. I wanted to revisit the meat of that post–TAB, Modified TAB and some of the in between. Again, TAB is a philosophy, meaning it’s an art eduction belief system and is at the heart of the decisions we make when figuring out how to run our curriculum and classes. The TAB philosophy is guided by 3 sentences:

  • What do Artists Do?
  • The Child is the Artist
  • The Classroom is their Studio

How a teacher runs their classroom and sets up their curriculum to help their students become artists (who think of their own ideas and can do all the things artists do) is called the Methodology. This typically comes in the form of choice. There are many levels to choice and why you would vary them. You can read here about the choice continuum. TAB teachers vary how much, when, and what types of choice dependent upon a variety of things. But, they don’t vary how much or how little they believe in the philosophy.

This is where semantics comes in. When someone says they are doing a “Modified TAB” classroom, I believe what they are really talking about is the level of choice they are offering–maybe opening centers slowly, or limiting materials. They are not talking about the philosophy and their only believing in 1 or 2 of the 3 core tenets. But, this becomes confusing to those just starting out as a TAB teacher or someone trying to learn a new way to continue to teach art so that they love their career again. Wording it this way also makes it seem like a Choice-Based classroom and a TAB classroom are one and the same. I like to tell my students that all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs. I think this 100% applies here. All TAB classrooms are Choice-Based, but not all Choice-Based classrooms are TAB. Sometimes choice-based teachers are still doing a lot of the important decisions of art making, thus not really helping their students to become independent artists. So, the semantics do become important here.

I know that some people may think this is “gate keepery” or elitist, and it probably feeds into the stereotype of TAB teachers thinking they are “better” (which is not something we actually think.) I believe that one thing that makes TAB so wonderful is that the philosophy allows for many implementations. It is differentiation at its best. The goal remains the same for all TAB teachers–creating independent thinking artists. But we realize that every student is different, so how we get them to that point will look different for everybody. Therefore, as we spread the TAB love, let’s be sure to help people new to the philosophy understand the difference between being TAB and running a TAB classroom, and our choice of words does matter when it comes to understanding. In the end, it’s okay to have varying levels of choice, but the belief in all the guiding principles of TAB doesn’t vary.