Posted by:
Diane Jaquith
K-12 Classroom teacher
Newton, MA

Topic:
Choice Honors the Artist Within Each Child

Message:
Choice-based art education is appropriate for students of all abilities and backgrounds. This approach honors the artist within each child and allows time for art ideas to emerge. Students work to their strengths while developing confidence to take new risks and challenges. They determine the pace and depth of their work, and in doing so, take ownership of their learning.

In my experience, students with special needs require much less supervision than in traditional art classes, because they are not struggling to comply with a teacher-directed outcome. Like all artists, these students gravitate toward materials which match their ideas and interests. Personal investment in their own art becomes the incentive to learn new skills and develop strategies.

Ironically, predictability is an essential component in the choice-based program, particularly for students with special needs who find security in knowing the plan. And here I mean predictability that the materails they anticipate using will be available. When I know the content of an art class will be different, I visit classrooms in the morning to alert individual students of the changes. For example, one of my third grade students loves to work with clay. He has been sculpting a series of clay people. When I need to shut down the clay table for a few weeks, I make sure he is aware of this before he enters my room. This avoids disappointment and frustration later in class, which may result in non-productivity.

To reply, please first log into The Knowledge Loom

Back      Return to the Forum

This resource is developed and maintained by The Education Alliance at Brown University. Seed funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Send comments to: loom@alliance.brown.edu