Drawing Studio

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drawingstudio1

We have completed the first week of school, and it has been a whirlwind!  It is so great to have the same students year after year because we can pick up where we left off so easily.

I opened the drawing studio the first day of school.  It was so exciting and easy!  Although I made a few changes to the studio this year, the students caught up quickly.

The changes I made were minor, but I think they will be the tipping point to taking care of the art materials in a more meaningful way and having the students think deeper about their artwork .  I moved the paper to a shelf by the front door.  My goal is to have all of the paper in one place, out in the open, so it will stay neatly stacked (last year, the paper was hidden and saying it was a mess is an understatement!).  I have thoughtfully put each of the drawing materials in their own place.  I organized the colored pencils by color which is a trick I learned from the  Montessori classroom.  I organized the markers and crayons by warm colors, cool colors, and neutrals.

I have put many of the supplies in terracotta flower pots.  I want them to understand that the materials are special and putting them in fragile flower pots is a wonderful way to remind the students to be gentle with them.  This is another trick I learned from a Montessori art teacher.

The new organization system helps the students be more thoughtful about what they will create, because they can only take the materials they will use during that class period.    Instead of having buckets of markers and crayons at their disposal, they only have a few supplies that they pick out as they are needed.

I love the new drawing studio, and I know my students are loving it too!

2015/16 Studio Improvements

~ leemcfischer ~ Leave a comment

Last year was crazy!!  My first year doing TAB was almost a success, but there were so many things I didn’t include in my curriculum but that were important.  Last year I started a list of “Studio Improvements” I want to focus on in 2015/16.    These “Studio Improvements” will expand my students’ ability to have authentic artistic experiences in the art studio.

  1.  I want  to emphasize how to think like an artist to each student.  Last year was an experimental year for me and the students, so they did not understand fully how to make decisions about their artwork.  Towards the end of the year I focused on the Studio Habits of Mind to encourage their thought processes.  The Studio Habits really helped them focus on how to be thoughtful about their artwork.  This year, we will discuss how to think like an artist and make decisions about their artwork.  This will be a daily discussion with my students.
  2. I want the students to critique their artwork this year.  Everyday I want to have a different critique game for the students to play.  I want them talking about their artistic process and giving suggestions to other artists in their class.  I think critiques will help their understanding of the artistic process as they explain it out loud to their peers. Critiques will also help prepare them to write their artist statements.  The more talking about art the better!
  3. I want the students to take care of the art materials in the studio.  From pulling out the chairs to putting away the painting studio, I want the students thinking about the materials in the art studio.  This will create a feeling of respect, not only for the artists in the studio, but for the studio itself.
  4. I want the students to be able to complete the entire artistic process from the start of an artwork to the end of the artwork.  I want to have fewer deadlines for the students.  Last year I had the students complete a project each 6 weeks.  I had many students who were very invested in art pieces that wouldn’t be finished in time.  This meant they would put away the work they loved and hurry to finish something else.  I want the students to be able to complete the entire artistic process from the start of an artwork to the end of the artwork. I will have the students turn in two finished projects each semester.  This will let them have more time with a project and really put much more effort into how it will be completed.

I think these four goals are going to help the students be completely art focused in the studio, and I cannot wait for implementation as school starts.

What is TAB-Choice?

~ leemcfischer ~ Leave a comment

TAB stands for Teaching for Artistic Behavior.  Teaching for Artistic Behavior allows the student to have authentic experiences as an artist in an art studio environment.  The artist chooses his own art projects and the teacher follows the lead of the student and reacts to the student’s interests and creations.

The TAB classroom is broken into “Centers” or small “Studios.”  My classroom is broken into drawing, collage, painting, architecture, clay, sculpture, and fiber arts.  Students can pick one studio to work in or change day to day in order to have a mixed media piece.

The students have control over what they create and are encouraged to “Stretch and Explore” or experiment with different art concepts and materials.  Students make decisions about their artwork and manage their creative process.  independently.  Students learning how to be artists is the ultimate goal of TAB. I see it in my classroom every day and I’m excited to share it with you!