Teacher Tips
October 2007
The Art Exhibit as Billboard
By Lynda C. Kerr, Ed.D.
Dutchtown High School
Hampton , Georgia
Whether the space is a bulletin board at your school's entrance, a hallway display case, or a gallery area with spotlights, your art exhibit should possess some of the same key characteristics as a highway billboard. First, it needs to attract attention. Second, it should communicate an idea to visitors and passersby. Finally, it must leave a lasting impression.
Here are a few tips to help your exhibit go beyond just pinning up student artwork.
Grab attention with a large headline. Use a phrase or sentence to emphasize the theme of the exhibit. Billboard designers usually use seven words or less for legibility. Create the headline using hand lettering, calligraphy, or cut-out letters on bulletin board roll paper. Or, print out oversized words on your computer printer and glue them together in a long strip.
Communicate the idea. Interview students (or have them interview each other) and include brief artists' statements to reveal what they learned, or obstacles they overcame, when creating the project. Print these statements from the computer or hand-letter them in legible print and hang them with the artworks. Include photos of the students at work. If there is a suitable space, display the objects or tools used to create the artworks, such as pieces of a still life or linoleum printing blocks.
Leave an impression of the learning that took place. Post one or two essential questions to show the critical thinking that occurs in the art studio. One may be open-ended, showing divergent thought: "How can my neighborhood inspire a two-dimensional design?" The other might emphasize technique: "How can I use washes to save the details in a mixed-media painting?"
Like a successful billboard, a creative art exhibit can benefit your program in increased support from your school and your community.
Student Portfolios
By Tiffany Asha, M.A. in Art Education
Art Teacher
Deerpark Middle School
Austin, Texas
Whether you teach fifth grade or advanced placement studio art, begin the school year by having your students make portfolios in which to save their work. Portfolios help solve storage and organizational issues by keeping everything in one spot. Let students keep their portfolios and artwork in the classroom until the end of the school year to ensure that you have plenty of work at your fingertips to display. As we know, once the artwork goes home, it often never comes back!
My middle school students make portfolios from large pieces of oaktag, 48 x 36 inches in size. Have students fold the boards in half and adhere masking tape to both sides of the seam. As students learn about the elements and principles of art, have them write and illustrate verbal and pictorial definitions of each term on one side of their portfolios. The other side should display a drawing of the student's name using one-, two-, or multiple-point perspective, depending on the grade level.
Planning Programs and Performances
By Roxanne Semonchik
Music Teacher
Batavia Public Schools
Batavia, Illinois
There is nothing like a live performance! For children, it's the culmination of a lot of practice and teamwork. For parents, it's a chance to see the great work teachers do for the students. And for music teachers-well, we are reminded of why we do what we do.
Planning a program or a performance can be almost as fun as the performance itself because it is a chance to dream and be creative. The next time you plan a program, try the "4-K" method:
- Know the end of the story first. Work backwards! Make a detailed to-do list, including how long each task will take. Put the start and finish dates on the calendar, then follow your plan. Don't forget to plan a rest period!
- Know your talent. Make sure you plan your event around the ability of the students who are performing. Help them excel at what they can do.
- Know your audience. Does your audience want to be entertained? Do parents want to see what's going on in their child's classroom? Will the performance reinforce the value of arts in the children's lives?
- Know who can help you and how to ask them. "One person can only do so much." This seems obvious, yet teachers are often too generous, and students can absorb only so much within a certain time frame. I will ask my art teacher to help with scenery, my P.E. teacher to help with choreography, and other classroom teachers to help with memorization and schedule changes for grade-level rehearsals. And don't forget the parents! They might be your best asset.
Teaching Backwards
By Kari Gilbertson
Head Choir Director/TAP Mentor Teacher
Forest Meadow Junior High School
Dallas, Texas
As choir directors, we often start planning a performance by thinking ahead to concerts and programs and selecting the desired songs. Next time you are preparing for a performance, imagine the final outcome. What do you envision it to be? Now, work backwards from that vision and put into action the necessary steps to accomplish your goals.
Knowing in advance some common program and performance pitfalls will help you "teach backwards." The following are things to consider when planning a program:
- Will people attend? Mark your calendar to send letters and e-mails to parents-early and often-about upcoming performances. You may want to arrange transportation for students or families who cannot attend without extra assistance. Also consider any additional resources you may need, such as volunteers or busses.
- Will students behave? Rubrics will help students understand what is expected of them before an event. Students who practice these expectations in advance are more likely to succeed. Check your Teacher Resource Binder for a rubric to follow or construct one that more specifically meets your needs.
- How will it sound? "Choose for Success" is a common motto to follow when selecting repertoire. Choose music that will allow for high expectations to be met, but that will also assure a successful performance. Lessons learned from success last longer than lessons learned from failure. The right song can make all the difference.