Welcome! Bienvenido!

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year!

We are off to a great start in the GWMS Art Studio.  The students have been introduced to the drawing center and have completed a warm-up project.  We did a scribble design and they had to find shapes and/or images to highlight.  The following day they decorated the covers of their sketchbooks utilizing all of the various material in the drawing center.

George Washington Middle School

I am so excited to start this school year at George Washington Middle School.  I will be teaching art for grades  6, 7 and 8 following the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) pedagogy.  To learn more about TAB, click here.

The classroom set-up is coming along.  Just a few more days before school begins!

I teach with the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) philosophy which encourages 21^st century skills.  Along with creativity and problem solving skills, TAB emphasizes life and career skills.  This method allows  for flexibility as students come to class with their ideas, interact with varied resources in the art studio and discover new things everyday.  Students learn about initiative and self-direction because the students are responsible for coming to class with a plan, setting up their own materials, engaging in art making, and cleaning up their materials at the end of class.  Social and cross-cultural skills are exhibited as students work with friends and classmates.  They can collaborate or work side-by-side.  They will learn to negotiate, as they share materials.  Peers can teach each other.  Students will learn how to discuss their artwork with classmates.  Productivity and accountability are important in the art studio.  Learners will show what they know as they work independently or with a peer in the art studio.  They will be held accountable for their progress during their seven week art rotation.  Students will grow as they take on more leadership and responsibility.  As the teacher, I design the learning environment and the students are responsible for maintaining it.  Those that show proficiency with a material will be asked to share their knowledge with peers.  Students will also have opportunities to help with setting up new studio centers, assisting with organization and curating for art shows.

Learning skills adapted from Teaching for Artistic Behavior (http://teachingforartisticbehavior.org/why-tab/21st-century-skills)