What Do Artists Do?
- seek inspiration in their daily lives
- are observant and open to new ideas
- practice skills and techniques for artmaking
- experiment and explore a variety of media
- PLAY - with ideas, materials, tools, conventions
- discover new ways to work and develop their own creative process
- are interested in the artworld and the work of other artists
Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) is a teaching philosophy for providing learners with personally meaningful, authentic art education. By asking (and answering) the question “what do artists do?” students explore art and the art world through the eyes, hands, hearts and minds of artists.
In our studio-classroom, students are introduced to the tools, materials, techniques and styles of artists, through brief, whole-group lessons. Later, lessons are targeted to the observed needs and interests of students and provide differentiated learning opportunities for our diverse student body. Lessons are kept short to maximize studio-time and allow students to delve deeply into their artwork. Time is set aside for evaluation and assessment through a variety of formats including; group sharing times, written artist statements, self and peer evaluation, and the selection and preparation of artwork for display.
Working as do artists in a community studio, students assume the role of artists, exploring their own ideas, interests and passions. Creative play, discovery-learning, whole group, small group and individual instruction, research, and practice are valued methods used by artists in the making of art and by learners in a TAB studio-classroom.
Standards-based and media-rich, TAB classrooms are student-directed, constructivist learning environments providing rich, authentic art experiences for learners at all levels and abilities. This practice capitalizes on emergent curriculum - instruction initiated by students’ knowledge , interests or questions, providing “just in time, rather than just in case” learning opportunities, prescribed for 21st Century Learners (Partnership for 21st Century Skills).
For more information about Teaching for Artistic Behavior and Choice-Based Art Education, visit the TAB website
