What I’ve Learned in My Independent Study This Semester

A billboard on I-75 advertising the Appleton Art Museum in Ocala, Florida reads “Connecting Art with Life.” That is what I have always wanted to do for my students, but have often been frustrated because I did not know quite how to do it. However, I truly believe that the new way of thinking about curriculum which has been shown to me this semester will help me make them realize how art throughout history, and the making of new art, is relevant to their lives, whether or not they decide to become artists later on.

Many of the big ideas I have been introduced to as foundations for curriculum building are ideas I have been interested in, and think about as I go about my daily life as well as while making art. However, I had never really thought about making them a main part of my teaching. The concept of organizing lessons around a big idea is exciting, and developing an entire curriculum based on one big idea has been very satisfying. Doing so shows students that the ideas behind all great pieces of art unifies them, which is part of what makes the art itself timeless. It also shows them that the ideas are bigger than merely the art world, but extend to other fields, as well as issues that they individually deal with in their world today.

I have been impressed by how much more complex and interesting a lesson plan is when you base it on student problem solving and student choices rather than a step-by-step process that produces a predictable result. These emphases connect art with life in that they teach students about a part of life that is key: making choices and solving problems. This is something we do every day, no matter what our walk in life. It seems to me an art curriculum that recognizes this, and helps students to think more critically, would be much more effective and relevant in the life of a student than one focused merely on skill-building.

At first, this seemingly more open-ended approach looked as though it would leave little room for skill building. However, I have learned that I do not need to throw skill-building out of the window, but it is actually something I should incorporate while I am teaching the big idea. This also helps connect art with life, because it helps students see that skills they are learning connect directly to the big idea they are exploring as they do their problem solving, since the skills help the students to accomplish the task before them. It enables me to be somewhat rigorous about teaching the skills, too, as long as I give students clear expectations, showing them and teaching them how to do each skill, one at a time. Too often I have expected students to intuitively know how to handle different media, doing things such as blending and shading without including those skills in my lesson. This has caused a gap between my assessment and my instruction. That is one area in which I need to improve. I also need to make sure I slow down and show them what I expect. Just because I know what I’m looking for does not mean that they do.

The new ways of teaching art that I have learned about this semester have added a new dimension to the way I think about teaching art, and I know they will have a huge impact on my teaching. A good teacher is one who explores his field alongside his students. I feel that the mindset that has been presented to me as I have taken this course will move me toward becoming a better teacher in this way, and this excites me.