Art History Challenge!
When you identify the "Schools of Art" for the images below, write the first letter down for each and unscramble the letters. When put in them in the right order it spells out the verb form of an art technique. Comment Below. 

Are You Art Smart?

(If it's a 2 word name, go with the "main" word, like instead of "Hyper-Realism" go with "Realism")

I'm offering a prize in my Facebook group, so join HERE to enter. Be sure to answer the questions to enter this private art teacher forum.

​Do you "reward" students for doing their art? If so, YOU NEED to listen to 1 minute, starting at the time marker of 58:12. What this neuroscientist and a Stanford study show is remarkable! 

Classroom management takes some time to learn, and some teachers use a reward system, be it stickers, treats, behavior charts, or other incentives. I'd encourage you to explore my classroom management tabs to the left, and the links in this post in RED. 

Nikki Sabiston, of the Teaching in Progress blog explains why she does not use behavior charts for 5 main reasons:

• They track behavior, but they do not change it.
• For kids who are not able to adhere to the cultural expectations of school, the chart can be absolutely demoralizing.  And this seems to be mostly boys
• The chart makes the assumption, before the kid ever crosses the threshold of the classroom door, that he is going to misbehave. 
• As much as we try to make that chart seem like a 'reminder' and not a negative thing, it is still embarrassing to many children.
• Even kids who always stay on 'green', often feel stress and worry as they watch some of their classmates repeatedly move on the chart.

Personally I find the idea of behavior charts a bit contradictory. I never call out grades because a student's grades are private. I share them one-on-one or written on a rubric they can read. Just as I don't want the cashier at the pharmacy to call out my medications before I pay for them, calling out grades can be traumatic for some kids. Behavior charts put the behavior of all out in the open.

How would I feel if the administration had behavior charts in the faculty rooms noting lateness, time I may have been on youtube instead of lesson planning, how many meetings I have attended or ditched, or the personal days I have taken versus medical. In this light you can see it's not a kind nor a fair thing to do.

The Authentic Parenting blog defines three potential problems with using bribes: 

No self- discipline: Children that receive bribes to brush teeth, hang up their towels, buckle their seat belts and so on, don’t create any sense of responsibility for self, they also don’t feel in charge of their own self.  It could so easily lead to an attitude of “why bother until the carrot is dangling?”

“What’s in it for me!”  Some children quickly realize that they can get a lot more for a little more drama.  Clench those teeth just a little longer, maybe I can get even more coins!  Refuse to buckle up, last time I got a bouncy ball, maybe this time I can get a Barbie!

Sweet Misery -Too often children are bribed when they are crying, upset or having a tantrum except that instead of having their needs met with empathy and having a chance to go through all the emotions  and feel better, children are hushed with a lolly or a cookie or the promise of a new toy.  Unfortunately for many children this means they learn to simply push their feelings away instead of processing and feeling which is so important to develop self-regulation.  The bit of candy here to drive away the tears unfortunately has the potential to lead to a whole slew of poor coping methods like comfort eating, smoking, drinking to name a few.

Edutopia agrees and offers 6 reasons why rewards don't work:

1) Satiation; That more of something is required to get the same effect.
 
2) Addiction; Satiation leads to addiction. Many children become addicted to rewards and will not work without them.  When children expect them, they become dependent on them.
 
3) Finishing; Bribes tend to produce "finishers" rather than "learners." Children are more interested in finishing their work and getting the reward than actually learning what the lesson is designed to teach.
 
4) Manipulation; We do not like it when children try to manipulate us. Yet when we manipulate them, we teach them how to be master manipulators.
 
5) Increased Pressure; The more we tell children how good they are, the greater the fall if they cannot live up to all that praise. Pressure leads to insecurity. It is far better to build confidence from the inside by designing activities that challenge children than it is to simply reward them.
 
6) Bribes; Reduce choices and the skill of making them. When we offer an incentive for a child to do something, then we are deciding for that child what we want him to do. Bribes are threats in disguise. Withholding rewards can be used as a threat hammer very easily. The truth is that threats and bribes are two sides of the same coin: control.

Smart Classroom Management points out the perils of rewarding students for good behavior, echoing some of the sentiments above:

​1. Rewards turn good behavior into work, effectively makes good behavior less desirable… and more like an effort your students deserve to be paid for.
 
2. Rewards lead to entitlement and if they’re getting a reward for it, there must not be anything in it for them.
 
3. Rewards cheapen the intrinsic motivation to behave. it puts a price tag on the priceless.
 
4. Rewards lead to more and more and more. What is exciting and fun at first, becomes boring and not a big deal after awhile. Therefore, you have to continue to increase the payment or the frequency of the reward.

What should be done instead?

Edutopia offers three suggestions:

1) Show Appreciation
I believe we have a responsibility and obligation as teachers to evaluate students' academic performance and behavior.  When we have positive things to say, there is a great difference between manipulating students to behave in a certain way by giving them things when they comply, and expressing true feelings of appreciation for something well done.

I will add that it is important that all praise be clear, direct, and helpful. Instead of saying "good job!" offer specific praise like, "I love the way you are blending your colors to create the illusion of shadow." Or "You did very well on your exam, I see that you really understand the art elements!" Or for behavior you want to encourage, "Jane, I wanted to say you have really stayed focused on your work today and didn't get out of your seat even once, I want you to know I noticed, and I appreciate the effort." I have more on focused praise on THIS POST. 
 
2) Introduce Appropriate Challenge
Providing appropriate challenge to students beats any form of reward in motivating students. The trick is to find the most appropriate level of challenge. Too easy builds little pride, and too hard leads to frustration. The best way to do this is to offer various levels of challenge and let the student choose, like a video game with various difficulty levels.

This challenge in the art room can take the form of making sure EVERY project has some personal connection. If students can have input then they will care and focus more. I have more on that in THIS POST. 
 
3) Get to Know Your Students and Show Genuine Care
Think of the best teachers you ever had from kindergarten through graduate school. They all had one thing in common; they genuinely cared about your welfare. They talked with you about your feelings around school issues, your successes, failures and needs. They laughed with you, encouraged you and, most importantly, touched your heart. How many teachers' names can you still remember, visualizing their faces in your mind? No doubt it's those who made you feel part of something bigger than yourself, like a family does. Can any reward or bribe come close to these feelings as motivators?

I began to do this myself by making a concerted effort to sit with my students while we were focused on our work-time. This gave me a chance to learn about their interests, goals, issues, and thought. It has even spurred on some new lessons because of what I learned from listening to their desires. More on that HERE. 

Whole books have been written on the topic but I have more on these two links, HERE and HERE. This poster below that I made can be a nice start to a conversation about participation in art class and what your student motivations are. If you click it, you will be taken to a page with more posters like this one.
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The assignment was simple, the materials few, and the results diverse. 

I gave each student a simple dowel and the assignment was to create a sculpture that moves in the wind and used 50% or more recycled materials. Anyone that also incorporated sound and/or light would get bonus points!

We explored the many ways that wind is already used for movement. Propellers, flags, windsocks, streamers, turbines, kites, mobiles, and more. We saw many examples on YouTube but the work of Anthony Howe impressed students the most. He deftly combines art and engineering to create his kinetic sculptures. 

We began with sketches and brainstormed ideas. They listed materials that they might have at home for recycling; bottles, cans, shopping bags, plastic food containers, wire hangers, and more. We shared ideas with our peers for feedback and decided that because the work would be outdoors, plastics were desirable because paper might degrade quickly. Those who did use paper sprayed it with clear acrylic to waterproof it. 

I supplied dowels, nails, basic construction tools, wire, nylon string, hot glue, thumbtacks, sharpie markers, and some craft materials for students to use. Students who had woodshop, graphic design, and metals were given buckets to raid recycling and trash bins. Many students raided bottle recycling bins in the cafeteria and cleaned them up in my sink. 

I save this project for the end of the year because by now students are very familiar with my classroom procedures, expectations, and are pretty good at handing most media options. Still there was a lot of experimentation. One student dropped one her embellishments into the can and while shaking it out decided that they made a cool sound and she knew there were bonus points for that. Soon after many others added light but resonate items to their bottles and cans. 

Final projects were put on display around the school with small signs next to them. QR codes were added so that additional information could be accessed about the project by those who stumbled across our works.

It was an awesome way to end the year, and many people stopped by to express their delight in finding the sculptures around campus. Though this was done for a high school group of students, I have done this same project with my summer camp students ranging in age from 7 up to 16 years old. 

More art based resources can be found HERE. 30% off most resources when you buy direct. Schools can order directly through eNASCO. 

In the "real" world deadlines are real, and if missed can get you fired. School is a training ground for the "real world" so we too have deadlines, and some teachers handle them differently. Whatever you do it is important to be consistent.

For me, homework (rare), and written assignments have strict due dates. I don't generally accept them late unless a student is absent on their due date, but they also have a low impact on grades, about 10% for me. Tests and quizzes are a non-issue because they are generally due at the end of the period. They make up a larger portion of the grade. I don't often allow for extra credit on these, but maybe an extra credit question at the end. 

Projects however are a different matter. Projects make up a large portion of the grade; it's what we spend the most time doing. I have deadlines for projects, and I grade all projects on the day of the deadline. I make sure that my deadline is reasonable. If a large portion of the  class is not yet done, then the deadline was unrealistic, and I'll adjust it a bit. If there are just a few stragglers, it may be that they were too chatty and unfocused, and the deadline was reasonable. From time to time I'll have a student behind because of a few days of illness or vacation, and I'll handle those a bit differently or alter their assignment so they can meet the deadline.

When a project is done and the deadline is reasonable, I grade all projects on that due date. I grade in class and usually assign written work on that day to keep students occupied, or maybe sketching for the next project so I can grade. Students complete a rubric, I review it, and make adjustments if necessary, and record the grade. 

If a student has 50% of their work complete, I grade it as a 50 out of 100. They know they can work on it more, but on their own time. I will even allow them to sign out supplies. I do not hound them for their project, I let them know it is their responsibility to get it in. When it's done, or has been improved, I change the grade without penalty. However, when the marking period ends, all grades are permanent. I'll warn students about that date, and remind them that any make-up work must be done by then.

This is beneficial in a few ways. I do not have to hound students. Their parents can see the 50% and the comment I left, and they hound their child. It instills a bit of personal responsibility on the student. 

I also send emails home when work is late or missing because that kind of issue should be documented so no one is surprised if a grade is low or a student fails.