School Type: Public	School Setting: Suburban
Level: Elementary	School Design: Traditional
Content Presented By:
Teaching for Artistic Behavior Partnership

Summary

The practice: CLASSROOM CONTEXT -- Choice-based art education provides resources and opportunities to construct knowledge and meaning in the process of making art.

• serving 300 students in grades K through 5 in weekly choice-based art classes
• capitalizing on the learning potential of transition times at the beginning and ending of class
• fostering the creative, collaborative, and consistent environment that elementary school students need
• exposing students to varied instruction in concept, technique, aesthetics, and art history
• revising teaching strategies based on what students show they need

At Burr School in Newton, Mass., art teacher Diane Jaquith has transformed transition times into enriching teaching opportunities. Bringing students together at the beginning and ending of class creates a community of artist learners. In these class meetings, students first participate in group experiences and later share their work.

With eight of her twenty years' teaching experience in elementary schools, Jaquith continually revises her strategies based on what students show they need. Since creating a choice-based classroom six years ago, Diane Jaquith uses this method to help all students work toward district outcomes. By gradually refining group instructional time, she exposes students to varied instruction in concept, technique, aesthetics, and art history.

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