SchoolArts - October 2011

12 October2011 SchoolArts Mystu-dentsandtheirparentscan barelybelieveitbut,yes, itispossibletoearnanFin myartclass.Imadeaposter thatlistsallthewaysthata studentcandoit.Thelistis meanttoinspiremystudents andmaybemakethemlaugh. Nonetheless,Iamasdisap- pointedasanyonewhenoneof mystudentsactuallyearnsanF. Who’stoBlame? Abadgradeisafailureonmypart asmuchasitisonthepartofmy students.Mygoalasanartteacher istosimplifyartintosetsofskills andideasthatanystudentcan learn.Itismyjobtomakethoseles- sonscompellingandcomprehensible. AnFrepresentsmyfailuretodothat. Ofcourse,itismystudents’jobto approachtheirlessonswithawilling- nesstolearn.Thatmeansmorethan just drawing well; it means investigating new ideas. It means struggling with unfamiliar materials. It means practicing something difficult until it becomes easier. It is a favorite irony of mine that students risk failure in my class by not risking failure in their artwork.

Good Artist vs. Good Student

Which brings me to the point: There is a difference between being a good artist and being a good student. Ideally, every art student would be both.

In my experience though, good students become rapidly more talented when they are presented with strong lessons. Talented artists don’t improve as much until they are challenged to become good students.

Effort isn’t enough either. Talent does play a role in the success of our students, but how important is talent if it goes unchallenged? If a student always creates beautiful drawings, does he or she deserve an A in art? What if that student draws all the time to avoid learning how to paint?

Should he or she earn an A without learning to sculpt? What about the student who doesn’t achieve beauty in his or her work but rises to the challenge of each lesson?

Art is an amazing subject because there are so many opportunities to succeed.

One lesson can challenge a student’s
drawing ability. The next one can
challenge creativity. The one after
that can challenge
his or her grasp of
history, knack for phi-
losophy, or ability to
communicate clearly.
Each lesson presents
students with a new
opportunity to suc-
ceed in art. Or to fail.
Grades as
Teaching Tools
A grade might motivate some
students, but it is not a reward, and
it is not a punishment. A grade is a
teaching tool. An honest grade starts
conversations. They often begin with
an exclamation like “I can’t get a
B in art!” My students are lucky to
have parents who get involved when a
grade falls any lower, which invites
questions: What is my child study-
ing in art? Why is that important?
What is my child good at? With
what does my child struggle? How can
my child improve?

One of my proudest accomplishments as a teacher came from the turn around that I witnessed after discussing a bad grade with one of my students. “I’m the worst artist in class,” He told me. “If you really think that you are the worst artist in this class,” I responded, “Then I expect you to work harder than everyone here.” And he did. In just a few weeks, he became a much better student and a much better artist, thanks to that one F.

20 Ways to Earn an F in Art 1. Be afraid of new things. 2. Be late to class.

3. Blame it on a lack of talent. 4. Do as little as you can. 5. Don’t ask questions.

6. Don’t even try.

7. Have someone else do your work. 8. Ignore instructions.

9. Ignore people who know
It is a favorite irony of mine
that students risk failure
in my class by not risking
failure in their artwork.
Illustration by Rama Hughes.