As an art teacher I find it challenging to keep kids on task for the entire period. There is a huge range of abilities from students who create high quality work quickly, students who create high quality work slowly, students who create poor quality work quickly and students who create poor quality work slowly. All of these combinations have to do with ability levels as well as motivation to do well. I find myself mostly struggling with the first group: high quality work quickly. I will often have students who are done days before others. I have tried and implemented lots of differents things like overlapping projects, creating ongoing semester projects to fall back on, creating multiple assignments for each project (worksheets, readings, projects, written reflections/evaluation, critiques, journaling, etc.), yet still I struggle. I don't think it is fair to just create more work for those who finish early, and I am completely against using my class time to do other homework. Obviously I suggest revision to those who require it, but I don't always know how to handle it when a student uses their time wisely to complete tasks, and finishes before other. It never seems to create behavior issues either.
Do any of you have suggestions to keeping all students on task all the time?
I have the same problem at the elementary level. This year it has helped to have sketchbooks- when they are done they can draw whatever they want in their sketchbooks. However, I have encountered a new problem- with so many kids wanting to just "free draw" and doing poor quality work as quickly as possible.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, sometimes when they finish early I have them help a student that is farther behind or struggling with the project. I am not sure that this would help at the HS level though. I have also let them create another of the same project and they can turn in either one as their final, however, it doesn't work with every project due to supplies, or they just don't want to. :)
You could always give them a larger piece of paper- or size range on 3d projects. Or try and make it more challenging for them another way- they could even brainstorm with you.
Don't know if any of this helps... I haven't really taught HS. Good Luck!
I have the same problem. In elementary I have some different activities they are allowed to do when they are done early. I try not to allow "free draw" for the reason Tiffany said, they do poorly on their projects to get to free draw. I tell them they can use their own ideas/imagination with the activities I have. They are things like drawing prompts, patterns to color, blocks, art books, and coming soon...modeling clay! (That one will be an experiment, it could go terribly). Anywho, for kids who get done waaaaay ahead of time (usually older kids) I try to have a slightly more challenging assignment that still relates to the goal of the orignal project. For example, after drawing a 2 point perspective city like everyone else I tell a 5th grader to see if he can use the 2 point perspective to draw something completely different, I may have some examples for him to look at, but I would ask him to try to figure it out on his own, using what he's already learned when drawing the city. I like this because it reinforces the skills they just learned, pushes them to apply those skills in a different situation, but also gives them more freedom. (I don't feel they get freedom often enough)
ReplyDeleteIn 6th grade, towards the end of a project as some students are finishing I will assign a "Designer Page" which is an artwork that is a 2-page spread in their visual journal. I usually give them a starting point like "underwater world" or something. And I usually have them use an ATC they have made and attach it to the page as part of the picture. Again, it's less structured than the regular project but encourages their creativity and some problem solving as they figure out how to incorporate the ATC well.
I believe that you're never really finished with art. You may finish a particular artwork but that doesn't mean you sit back and relax. It means you start a new one, or you practice the skill again. You are given this class time to improve your artistic abilities and you need to use all of the time. It's the same in sports, music, etc. You keep practicing and trying new things because you can always improve.
It's tough to figure out how to help those students who finish early. If you let them do whatever art they want you struggle with those who don't want to do any, or don't know what to do. And if you assign specific things you have to spend time coming up with those things and justifying them.
You are not alone in your struggle!
I love reading this blog! You all have very insightful conversations. I hope you are finding this useful in your everyday practice. Enjoy Winter Break!
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