Make It Your Own

​Over the years, I have introduced myself to a number of groups and have often been asked how I feel about stepping out of the classroom and away from interactions with students. I miss working on a daily basis with students immensely, but I also really enjoy getting to step back and really think about the way, the what and how we teach art. I am deeply passionate about teaching and about art, and about art's importance in our lives. I have often said I have a sick fascination with curriculum and that is because what we teach our kids, and how we plan to experience it with them can be incredibly fun! I like diving into the questions we might use to inspire them and what big ideas will excite them. I like thinking about my own practice and what that might bring to the table for students.  And because I think it is so important that students of all ages are able to experience arts learning, I think it is important that we think about how we engage students and what they are learning about. 

This all, however, takes time and in our school district we are lucky to have a position dedicated specifically to curriculum and instruction  in the arts. I know that few districts have a position  

like this and that leaves many teachers with questions about curriculum, assessments, and best practices in instruction.  My hope is that if you have found your way here that you will be able to use what I share as a resource, using it as you think about your own students and try it out in your classroom. I believe the best lessons are the ones that we are able to put a personal stamp on, thinking about how we might personally interpret it and in turn share with our students. I am reminded of the  Art of Ed podcast host, Tim Bogatz, and how he tells his students to "make it their own." The same goes for lesson plans or unit ideas you hear from other teachers. Delivering a lesson straight off a page without first internalizing your own thoughts about it is a recipe for disaster.  Sometimes all it takes is a small tweak to infuse an idea with our own voice, and sometimes the circumstances and situations in your classroom require major changes to really make it fit. 

My desire with the units and lessons I share is to provide just one example of how the National Core Arts Standards can be taught, looking at the big picture of an entire year (and eventually an entire K-12 span). I know there are many, many, many different ways that incredible art teachers all over the country are using the NCAS to engage their students with the artistic process and artistic literacy, and I would love to hear how others are doing it. What big ideas do you use? How do you connect artists and art history? How kind of juicy questions are your students tackling? How do you engage them in creative and critical thinking?

Leave me a comment sharing your ideas and what you are doing. Or if you try some of the lessons or units how did you make it your own? I can't wait to start a conversation about it. 

~Michelle