This month the Art Ed Blogger’s Network is talking about student engagement and participation. When I tell people that I am an art teacher, some people who say ”Wow, that must be so much fun! I bet the kids all just love art.”
Example. How can you not have fun while making something like this?
Well, there are fun times, but there are times when not everyone is engaged in the media or project we are working on. I’m sure this happens in all classrooms. Sometimes it is due to lack of alignment with student interest, some times it may be due to the project being too easy or too difficult and other times the student may just be having an “off” day. I am here today to share with you some tips for increasing student engagement and participation.
If multiple students are not interested in a project, then I try to figure out what is the cause. Have I taught the students everything they need to know to be successful? Have I taken into account student voice and choice? Have I given clear parameters and directions? Is the subject matter or technique interesting and/or important for them to explore?
Here are my top 3 tips to increase student engagement in the art room.
1. Connect to prior knowledge and themes of interest.
Many of my art projects connect to what the students are learning in other classes. For example, my 3rd graders have been studying Asia in their social studies class. In Art class, we have been doing a variety of Asian inspired art projects. The students recently learned about Japanese Kokeshi dolls and then have been making their own wooden dolls.
The students learned about the Japanese dolls but were not required to replicate them. They were encouraged to design them however they wanted, so we had an Abraham Lincoln wooden doll, some scary dolls and some fancy ladies.
This was a VERY popular project. Connecting with what they are studying in other classes allows for richer connections and students feel proud that they already know some background knowledge about the subject matter. I do cross-curricular projects frequently in my classes. For example, Egyptian clay pyramids, paper mache masks after learning about Pacific Northwest coast masks, hatching chicks in science class and talking sticks.
2. Give students ownership and voice.
No matter what the project or skills you are teaching, there should be ways for students to take ownership and use their artistic voice. Give students ownership by teaching others what they know. Peer demonstrations are usually a great way for kids to show leadership and to help a classmate. Recently, a girl in my 4th/5th grade class started making miniature rooms at home. She brought them in to show me and her classmates. I was going to do a sculpture unit anyways with the kids, so when the kids all showed interest in making miniature rooms, we went ahead and did that as our next project. She was able to show off her creations and explain how she made the different parts to several of my classes. As the kids played around with materials and discovered new ways to make furniture, they showed each other how they made the different parts of the rooms.
3. Use a variety of media throughout the year.
Try to explore a wide range of media and techniques throughout the year. Show students the many, many ways artists create. Drawing with crayons can be great, but every kid needs to experience creating with recycled objects, making things with clay, getting their hands dirty with paper mache, drawing with oil pastels and painting with different types of paint. Try to rotate from one medium to another throughout the year to keep it interesting and novel. Don’t forget about architecture, cartooning, functional art and wearable art. Variety is the spice of life!
Most kids love working in three-dimensions and there are so many easy (and cheap) ways to do 3-d projects. Paper scraps, cardboard and recycled materials are all ways to work three-dimensionally at low cost. Storage an issue? I totally understand! Try to do some one-day projects where they can make something and bring it home right away. Paper sculpture hats and line sculptures are quick ones.
Well, those are my tips for student engagement and participation. What would you like to add to this list?
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This post is a part of The Art Ed Blogger’s Network: Monthly Tips and Inspiration from Art Teacher Blogs. On the first Tuesday each month, each of these art teacher blogs will post their best ideas on the same topic.
Participating Art Teacher Blogs:
- Art Class Curator
- Art Ed Guru
- Art is Basic
- Art Room Blog
- Art Teacher Tales
- Art with Mr. E
- Arte a Scuola
- Artful Artsy Amy
- Capitol of Creativity
- Create Art with ME
- MiniMatisse
- Mona Lisa Lives Here
- Mr. Calvert’s Art Room Happenings
- Mrs. Boudreaux’s Amazing Art Room
- Mrs. T’s Art Room
- Ms. Nasser’s Art Studio
- Party in the Art Room
- shine brite zamorano
- Tales from the Traveling Art Teacher
- There’s a Dragon in my Art Room
Part of being a teacher is accepting and embracing the fact that you will be a life long learner. Teachers are so fortunate to have each other as resources. Thank you for sharing this blog about promoting student engagement. In art class there are so many materials and resources that we use to increase engagement to hold student’s interest. While I agree that connecting student’s prior knowledge and themes of interest is important for maintaining their interest, we must first develop a relationship with them which serves as a vehicle for not only discovering what they already know, but what themes they are interested in. The first few months of art classes I teach basic principles of sustainability with art supplies and a series of open ended mini lessons that allow me to discover where these students are coming from. I am able to assess what they already know, and what their interests are through student discourse as well.
I agree that incorporating a variety of media throughout the year is important for sustaining student interest and engaging in multi-sensory experiences. Manipulating clay with their hands, rubbing and blending chalk, and mixing paint to make new colors are examples of using variety to engage the senses. When students feel like they have a voice and some control over their learning, especially in art class, they are motivated to learn more and express themselves.
Thank you for this insightful article! I agree that prior knowledge, interest, student voice, and variety of materials promote student engagement. This article served as a reminder for me and motivates me to consciously incorporate these aspects in my curriculum!
Christen