For 28 years I taught the typical 45-50 minute art class. It was a comfortable routine, 5 minutes to set up, 30 minutes to work, and 10 to clean up. Closure and check-ins were quick if present at all, but I made it work. The public school lessons on this blog from 2014 through 2018 are all from this time format. However, I also taught a summer camp, for ages 7 though 16, a program with 3 hour classes, divided into 90-minute sessions with a break in-between.  

When I "retired" early from New Jersey to move to North Carolina, my new school was already on block scheduling on 90-minute classes. Instead of teaching 6 classes a day, I would teach 3 daily. Instead of a year long, they were now high school semester courses. Having experienced both, I like the longer classes, but sometimes students can distract themselves and actually get less done over similar spans of time.

This post was inspired by the following question posed on Facebook. I have removed the person's name.

90 minutes can be a bit overwhelming but when it is broken into beginning, middle, and end practices, it becomes more manageable. 

Beginning: Every day I reiterate my expectations for our current exploration. This will usually include my learning target, "essential question," and the day's expectations. This will often include a "tip of the day" which can be a technique, samples of similar work by famous artists, a short youtube video, but the first 5 to 10 minutes of every class set the tone for the class. It is only then that students begin their work.

Worktime Part 1: I generally try to circulate at least 1 or 2x during the 1st work period, pausing to give specific feedback to every student. This can be to offer advice on a technique, answer a question, state what they are doing particularly well so they can feel encouraged, etc. I am also taking notes on my laminated seating chart with a dry-erase marker, noting anyone who is off task, chatting instead of working or secretly using their phone. These are added to my STUDIO HABITS grade in my gradebook.

Middle: About 1/2 way through the period I will pause students to share my observations. What is going well, what I have observed might need additional reinforcement, perhaps a moment to peer share and reflect. I may also have a student share something I think the rest of the class can learn from. This helps break up the long period.

Worktime Part 2: I circulate one more time about 20 minutes before I know they will need to clean up. This time I am initially on my project progress sheet what % complete I feel they are for the day. If they are doing their initial sketch it might be at 10-20%. When they are on their final project it will progress from 30-60%. As they near completion, it will surpass 70% but they all know this is a % complete and not a grade. I know students work at different paces. This helps me track individual's day to day progress. So if a student sits at 20% for 3 days, I know they are either lost, or distracted and I can address it.

It also emphasizes to students that I am paying close attention to their daily progress and am holding them accountable. They know that as long as they make progress, (stay on task) they will not fail my assignments no matter their artistic abilities or lack thereof. My grading process can be seen HERE. 

End of period: Depending on the media we use I will give them a 5-minute warning that clean-up will begin soon. I will let them know what I am seeing overall with their progress and what I am expecting next time. This might also include a written post-it note size reflection, or sharing our successes and struggles so I can address them during the next class. I can easily be distracted by the art making that happens in class so I have a schedule posted in the front of my room, and my phone has class timers set to ring 15 minutes before the end of every class.

Setting up a consistent routine is important. If students rush, scaffolding projects into smaller bites can be helpful as I stated in my reply on Facebook. For more advice on the pedagogy of how I teach art, you can read my ebook for free if you have an Amazon account, or purchase a physical copy here: https://amzn.to/3PDQelk 

Opinions are like farts... everyone has them from time to time. Opinions can be a hot topic, especially when they are unpopular opinions about things we love! This can be a fun "hook" to grab student attention.

​We have all started a year based on a project tied to the prompt, “What did you do this summer?” I had my students reflect on their favorite 4 venues, including something they visited this past summer, and search through unreasonable 1-star reviews. I told them if it sounded like it was written by a spoiled child, it was probably a good one to collect. My worksheet can be downloaded here.
 
I then introduced them to the work of Amber Share, www.ambersharedesign.com . 

​They laughed and chuckled at the juxtaposition of such positive images paired with unreasonable reviews. We analyzed her work and came up with 3 hallmarks of her style.
 
1. The text is a dynamic art element in the illustration & has shadows.
2. She incorporates a strong use of analogous colors.
3. The artist creates space with foreground, middle-ground, background, and overlap.
 
We agreed that these were three things that we too could do. We shared our reviews with our peers and discussed which of our 4 venues and reviews would make for the best illustration. We also edited the text to be short and snappy. This might mean clipping the text to one particular line, or using an ellipsis to join two good parts. We also discussed the importance of avoiding bullying like if a review called out someone by name or disparaged their physical appearance.  We also set aside anything that might not be school appropriate. For some teachers this might mean certain language, but I allowed my high school students to substitute cartoon lettering like #@&% for a single curse word they might encounter.
 
Students started with small sketches in their workbooks. If they needed a second, they used copy paper I had available. They were to create a layered image that showed depth, and incorporate block lettering as if it was another visual element. I have THIS short video to help them do that.  I worked at the same time on a sample based on a restaurant I visit called Bojangles, famous for their fried chicken and biscuits. The review I found said “Too greasy… very limited grilled chicken options.”

​As students worked I passed out this scaffold worksheet to help document their progress and feedback. They filled out the top portion, and our grading rubric was on the back. The instructor section is where I would initial where I felt their progress was from day to day. The lower left was an area for a mid-project peer review to check that our requirements were being met. Though this could be done in any media you have available, I chose for my student to work in watercolor pencil which could be blended with water if they finished early to keep them on-task. I had a few advanced students try this lesson as well and they were allowed to use any media they would like.

​When sketches were complete, we paused and reflected in groups on digital citizenship asking ourselves, what is fair? What is reasonable? Do we reflect on our own experiences in thoughtful ways? How can we as digital citizens use critique to help and uplift each other? Students wrote their responses to the final question on a large post-it note which became part of our display. We began each class with a short 3-minute reflection on digital citizenship or speaking about how we speak to each other face to face versus how we might communicate online. We had some really valuable daily discussions. 

​As students worked on their final paper, I noted for them some things they could do in their artwork to exceed expectations if they had time. Though not required, they know that to earn 100% on a project they need to go a bit beyond just meeting our three requirements.
 

• Use of a ruler or compass
• Use of perspective in their image
• Detailed textures or patterns
• Richly layered colors
• Inclusion of fairly detailed hands or faces

 
For more about my grading method, visit THIS blog post.
 
I contacted Amber Share through her website and let her know what we were up to and she was excited to know her work was inspiring my students. We were excited to learn she is about to launch her new book, Subpar Planet!
 
I always include literacy connections in my lessons, so every student displayed some written reflections next to their work answering these two questions:
1. What was unreasonable about the review?
2. What kind advice could you leave the writer of the review?
 
I’ll leave you with these images of student work and our resources.

​If you need a resource to develop your lessons, THIS BOOK is one I wrote with 50 lessons that can be personalized and use nearly any media you have available for grades k-12. It's a starting point as you develop your own lessons. If you need more help with pedagogy, (how to teach art) Then THIS BOOK is one I wrote to explain my process developed over 30+ years. It's free on Kindle if you have an Amazon account. More of my resources can be found HERE. If you click on any image, you'll be linked to the book on Amazon.

​I DO NOT plan my lessons around curriculum, media, standards, elements, principles, or historical movements but I hit them all by the end of my course… I had an administrator who doubted me, and I documented, in detail, that I hit every element with more depth than the state or national standards, AND secretly I asked our guidance department to track my student’s performance on their SAT exams discovering that MY STUDENTS were scoring, on average, 155 points higher on their SATs than their non-art involved peers.  The administrator left me alone after that.
 
So how do I plan my year? I create lessons based on what I think my students will be excited to do! They are my audience. Not administrators, not the Board of Education, not the writers of State or National Standards. Every lesson starts with the question, “what would be cool, fun, and engaging to make or do?” Not what I want to do… not what is easy to do… not what I am supposed to do…. But what would my students WANT to do. Then I weave my lesson. I pull in the elements, and principles, historical connections, literacy connections, holes in the lesson that they must fill with their personal point of view or experiences.
 
If you teach an art class with depth, and a variety of media, you will inevitably hit every art element, principle, state, national, and curricular standard written. When I was a newbie with that “fresh teacher smell” of hope and excitement, I printed out my curriculum and as I designed my student-centered lessons I crossed off items I covered to be sure I did, in fact, hit them all. I found that within 3 or 4 lessons, I hit most. THEN and only when I might find an item I did not cover, I might design an exercise, worksheet, quiz, or lessons to cover that item.
 
Here is a simple illustration to prove my point. Take van Gogh’s Starry Night. I would argue you could teach every element and principle through this one work of art.

Here is a simple illustration to prove my point. Take van Gogh’s Starry Night. I would argue you could teach every element and principle through this one work of art.
​
Line – Yup, I see lines, outlines, hatch lines, lines that make form...
Shape – Circles, squares, waves, swirls, and more
Color – Warm and cool, contrasting and analogous…
Texture – OMG are you blind? It’s all texture!
Space – Foreground, middle ground, background, overlap…
Unity – Through analogous colors and unified texture
Contrast – warm and cool, orange and blue, organic vs man-made
Balance – asymmetrical
Emphasis – on the moon as big and bright or the central swirl
Variety – of colors, directions of stroke, scale
Movement – I mean-just look at it!
Pattern – organic patterns that emulate wind
 
Every lesson you plan can be dissected to document that you are meeting curricular requirements and standards. When you plan your year strictly around curriculum, media, standards, elements, principles, or historical movements it is easily to lose focus on the most important thing that is not on that list…    The Student! 

Consider the vapid “lesson” of Monet Bridges above. Sure, it’s easy to teach, you don’t even need a certification to do it successfully. Parents “like it.” It “looks” good, but ultimately if you asked students what they want to create, I will bet you anything that not one will ever say...
a “Monet Bridge.”
 
These “canned” lessons are not only bad, but they are destructive to art education. More on that HERE.
 
So is my advice to you to throw out the curriculum, media, standards, elements, principles, and historical movements?

No.

But if you are a new teacher, or concerned that you may not be getting to everything, print what you are required to cover and cross them out as you teach them. At the half-way point, check your list for items you may be missing, and see if you can naturally roll them into lessons that will hold student attention, not the other way around.
 
For more about scaffolding lessons click HERE.
For more about scaffolding media click HERE.
For more about creating choice-based-lessons click HERE.
After 35 years teaching, THIS is how I start my new year.
If you must write curriculum, don’t “reinvent the wheel.”
If you are NEW to teaching art, THIS will be a helpful resource.
If you want to see how to differentiate the same lesson for grades k-12 THIS will be a helpful resource. You can modify a high school lesson and use the elementary version for your special needs students or give an high school version to a talented middle school student to keep them engaged. 

​If you need a year or more of lessons tied to the elements and principles, I created this book, which is a compilation from my other books (50 Art Lessons, and 51 Art Lessons). Click HERE to get it on Amazon.

How do we authentically explore culturally connected crafts without appropriating or minimizing their importance? Respectful approaches to craft traditions are not easy, but deeper dives into traditions are far more beneficial and educational for World Cultures, History, Language, and may even help bridge cultural divides within the classroom.
 
Consider the “God’s Eye” or more correctly, the “Ojo de Dios.” An Ojo de Dios is a spiritual and votive object made by weaving a yarn design onto a wooden cross. They are commonly found in Mexican and Mexican-American communities. It often reflects a trust in all-seeing Providence. Some believers think that the spiritual eye of a Ojo de Dios has the power to see and understand things that the physical eye does not know. Artisans in North and South America weave intricate or varied versions of the traditional Ojos de Dios, selling them as decorations or religious objects. The Ojo de Dios is a ritual tool believed to protect those who pray, and an ancient cultural symbol evoking the weaving motif and its spiritual associations for the Huichol and Tepehuan Indians of western Mexico. The Huichol call their Ojo de Dios Sikuli, meaning "the power to see and understand the unknown things." When a child is born, the central eye is woven by the father, then one eye is added for each year of the child's life until the child reaches age 5. It is believed that it served to provide protection to a child and its mother before, during and after childbirth.
 
The “God’s Eye” is a popular children’s craft made in schools and summer camps throughout America.  If we make them without context, not even calling them by their proper name, we minimize the origin of this cultural craft. We appropriate a culture to pass time and keep children busy without teaching or honoring the roots of this tradition.
 
Inviting master cultural crafters to visit our schools is the best way to teach authentically, but that is not always possible. What if we survey our students to see what cultural backgrounds are represented by our population and use that as the basis for our explorations of craft?  What if a student with Mexican or South American roots researches the traditions of the Ojo de Dios, shares their discoveries with the class, and then THEY (with the help of the teacher) lead the class through an exploration of this craft tradition? Not only has the student learned more about themselves, but they have been empowered to share their knowledge with their peers, deepening cultural understandings within their community.

If you are a proponent of Choice-Based art education or the T.A.B. approach, students can explore their own cultures individually, or dive into an craft that is represented across cultures like kites, puppets, baskets, clay vessels, etc.

​Over the years I have created scaffolds, worksheets, assessments & rubrics to help my students and I explore cultural crafts authentically and respectfully. They are available HERE. 

​We can learn a lot about other cultures and ourselves by studying their crafts. Crafts are an important part of a culture's history, traditions, and values. They reflect the unique skills, materials, and techniques that are passed down through generations. A few ways we can learn about other cultures from their crafts are:
 
1. Cultural Identity: Crafts often represent the cultural identity of a community or a nation. They can showcase traditional symbols, patterns, and motifs that hold deep meanings. By studying these crafts, we can gain insight into the cultural values, beliefs, and stories of that particular group of people.
 
2. Materials and Techniques: Crafts are often made using local materials and traditional techniques. By examining the materials used, such as clay, wood, or textiles, we can learn about the natural resources available in a region and how people utilize them. Understanding the techniques employed, such as weaving, pottery, or carving, can give us a glimpse into the craftsmanship and technical skills of a culture.
 
3. Historical Context: Crafts can provide valuable historical information. For example, traditional pottery designs may reveal information about ancient trade routes, migration patterns, or historical events. By studying the evolution of crafts over time, we can trace the cultural and societal changes that have occurred.
 
4. Cultural Values and Practices: Crafts often reflect the values, traditions, and rituals of a culture. For instance, ceremonial masks or traditional clothing may signify specific social events, religious ceremonies, or social statuses. By analyzing these crafts, we can learn about the customs, rituals, and social structures of a particular culture.
 
5. Artistic Expression: Crafts are a form of artistic expression. They can showcase the creativity and aesthetic sensibilities of a culture. By appreciating the beauty and intricacy of crafts, we can understand the artistic traditions and preferences of a community.
 
Respecting and understanding cultural crafts are important because they carry deep meanings from the past and help connect us to our history. These crafts show who we are as a community and support local jobs and businesses in a sustainable way. By valuing these crafts, we keep our unique identities strong and make our cultures proud.
 
Understanding and appreciating different crafts can help us learn about other cultures and be more accepting of people who are different from us. As we learn about cultural crafts, we are celebrating creativity and diversity while keeping our traditions alive. It promotes cultural appreciation, empathy, and cross-cultural learning.

Some art educators see crafts as “less than” fine art. Why is that? Traditionally, fine art is often divergent, meaning each artist will have a different answer to a visual problem yet all the “answers” may be considered “correct.” While in some cultural craft traditions there is a “correct” or convergent desired result. For many years there has been a Eurocentric opinion that this means fine art, often done by men, is therefore more important, better, and more valuable than crafts.
 
“Art lies in conceiving and designing, not in the actual execution—this was left for lesser minds.”  ~Leonardo da Vinci

This attitude is harmful in understanding and value of cultural crafts. A craft class can be taught so that each student creates a unique work but it is important to understand that cultural crafts have valuable lessons and traditions to teach.

Cultural Crafts Seek to Preserve Traditions:

• Cultural Preservation: To maintain and pass down traditional techniques, designs, and cultural significance. Originality is often secondary to preserving heritage.
• Continuity: Emphasis is on the continuity of cultural practices, ensuring that the knowledge and skills are not lost over time.
• Community and Identity: Traditional crafts often serve as a means of strengthening community bonds and preserving cultural identity.
• Local and Cultural Audience: The primary audience may be within the culture or community that values these traditions, though there can also be a global appreciation for traditional crafts.
• Educational Value: Traditional crafts can serve an educational purpose, teaching new generations about their heritage and the importance of cultural preservation.
• Functionality: Traditional crafts are often functional objects, such as textiles, pottery, or tools, where the focus is on usability as well as cultural expression.
• Established Techniques: Use of time-honored techniques and methods that have been passed down through generations. Innovation is often within the boundaries of these traditions.
• Replication: Replicating traditional designs and patterns is a way to honor and preserve the craft’s history and cultural significance.
• Materials: Use of traditional materials that are culturally and historically significant.

Be cautious to not inadvertently downplay the importance of craft. The distinction between crafts and fine art has often been fluid, with significant overlap. Crafts can be considered fine art when they transcend functional or traditional boundaries and engage with abstract, aesthetics, and personal expression typically associated with fine art. Keep in mind that “fine art” is a vocabulary term and should not imply that “fine” means “better.” 

For many years I struggled with how to capture “participation” in an authentic way and help student accountability. The advent of cell phones made this an even bigger challenge. What has worked for me for the last 10 years has needed an update as technology has advanced, becoming so distracting, its essentially crippling student participation. I think this may be the advancements in A.I. coupled with algorithms that are designed to keep young people engaged on their platforms, turning passive entertainment into a destructive addiction.

There has been a move away from grading "participation" as it's hard to quantify and judge fairly. We, however, know participation is key in art education. My creative work-a-round was to instead grade "Studio Habits," like set-up, clean-up, safe tool use, and record off-task behavior. 

I keep this seating chart with me at all time. If I see an issue, I'll add a minus on top of their name with a dry marker, perhaps noting the reason. PH=Phone. OT=Off Task. Etc. Then when it's convenient for me to enter the deductions at my desk, I do so and erase them.

​In Practice: Every project gets two grades. An unweighted studio habits grade (Updated daily, taking less than 1 minute per period) and a project grade. Everyone starts with a 100% on the studio habits portion of the project grade. Every time I need to re-direct them to work or get off their phone, clean up, set-up, using tools unsafely, I deduct 2 points from the score, and add a 2-letter comment.

At the end of the project, I transfer that "Studio Habits" score to their rubric under “Time Management” when the project is graded. If I have never had to redirect them to focus, or they were never on their cellphone, then their “Time Management” score will remain at 100%. If I have to address them even one time, they can only earn a "meets expectations" or 90% for the Time Management component on the grading rubric. If I have to address them 3x during a project this will drop even more. I still note off-task behavior on my seating chart and enter deductions at the end of the period as they clean up. This new method does seem to be having a positive impact and is holding them accountable. 

I also have an area in my room for students to store and charge their cell phones away from their desks. That too seems to work well with other teachers.

Follow up: I got a good question from T.H. on Facebook: " Where does the studio habits grade fit into the percentages you list at the end?"

Answer: In my grade book program, PowerSchool, I have "Project 1 S.H." (S.H. = Studio Habits) where everyone gets 100% on the first day of the project. (This can be weighted or unweighted, I go with unweighted) Next in my grade book I have "Project 1 Assessment." This is the grade for the whole project with my rubric, and I use the "Project 1 S.H." grade to help me fill out the Time Management component of my rubric.

If "Studio Habits" is weighted, then the project is getting 2 grades essentially for the on-task or off-task behavior. This is where having an unweighted Studio Habits grade might be a good idea.

For more about how I grade, and my universal rubric, visit THIS POST. For more about what I am trying this year to get my students to focus on their work, there's THIS POST. 

The following poster is one I made that may be helpful to explain levels of participation for yourself and for your more self-aware students. I based this off of Philip Schlecty's levels of engagement but re-worked it for an art environment. Where it says "artist" think "student." You can see a video about Schlecty's work HERE. Clicking on the poster will take you to Zazzle where you can purchase a nice poster, but I always suggest waiting until Zazzle offers 30-50% off. They have frequent sales and their product quality is high. You can read it and use the information here for free though. ;-)