Preparing Staff to Teach “Being an Artist”

Training Tips

Introduction

Welcome to the staff training tips for Being an Artist, a series of 12 lessons introducing the fine arts to grades 6 through 8. This program is ideal for after-school programs, summer and vacation camps, scout troops, church youth groups and anywhere that young people gather.

Any responsible, enthusiastic and well briefed group leader, teacher, volunteer, parent, or other motivated adult can teach Being an Artist. The text is easy to read and understand, the set-ups are detailed and uncomplicated, and the processes and procedures are clearly explained in the Lesson pages. Adults act as coaches and mentors, and guide learners as they proceed through the lessons.

No special technical or artistic skills are necessary to teach Being an Artist. Instructors should be well organized, motivated and observant individuals. Volunteers—such as other instructors or parents—can be helpful in ensuring that all students are proceeding through the course and making progress in their understanding. Being an Artist is fun, so enthusiastic and positive instructors are essential “cheerleaders” in the learning process.

Being an Artist seems to contain a number studio sessions that require “artistic skills”—are all of these collage projects really easy to demonstrate and possible for the students to create?

Absolutely! We’ve designed each activity to teach an important lesson in the artistic making and thinking process. These activities promote both fun and learning, and the Notes for the Instructor (provided in each section) offers an overview and helpful hints to encourage learners. Pictorial guides have been provided to make demonstration clear and easy.

How can instructors most effectively deliver the lessons in Being an Artist?

Teaching any lesson in Being an Artist is easy if the instructor is well prepared. Follow these steps before every lesson.

• Always refer to yourself and the students as an “artist”. Never indicate that you are not artistic, even if you do not currently feel that way. (You may truly believe in your artistic skills by the end of this course, if you do not now.)
• Read the entire lesson before you teach so you know what sort of outcome you are trying to achieve.
• Familiarize yourself with the vocabulary and background information.
• Examine the art prints provided in the course.
• Think through your own answers to the discussion questions as you look at the art prints.
• Identify the corresponding pages (where appropriate) in the Student Activity Book and review them so you know how to guide students to “fill in” their part of the activity.
• Open the Course Kit and locate all of the materials you need for each lesson. Note that still life materials may vary slightly from materials pictured in the instructor’s guide.
• Find a convenient storage place for all of the materials. If possible, store paper products flat and close to the student working area.
• Set up your classroom so that it’s easy for students to work in groups of 2 or 4.
• Set up your demonstration area with all appropriate materials at hand.
• Walk through the steps of the demonstration before the class begins. In many of the lessons, you are asked to prepare steps in advance allowing learners more time to work.
• Review any safety precautions related to the particular lesson you are going to teach, and make sure you know where emergency help and supplies are located.

Review the entire lesson with any volunteers who will help you teach the lesson.

Once your lesson has started…..

Before you begin each lesson, review by reminding students of the materials and processes they’ve explored in previous lessons. It’s essential to activate students’ prior knowledge, and to stimulate their memories helping them make sense of what they are learning. Art making is a cumulative process, and the sequence of looking and making lead our learners to develop their critical thinking skills.

Don’t hesitate to review some of the vocabulary at the beginning of the lesson. And you can wrap up any lesson by asking students about their developing skills in seeing, creating and thinking. . . .

When you introduce new material and procedures, take a moment to assess how much students already know. For example, in lesson 2 students are introduced to the “Elements of Art” and the “Principals of Design”. Refer to works of art or architecture in your school or community. Can students see symmetrical balance in a painting in the hallway or the columns of their building? These questions ask students to become literally self-reflective, an important habit of mind for critical thinking.

Students will be stimulated and excited when they get a chance to “show off” a little of their visual knowledge.

A note about safety

All of the materials and activities in Being an Artist have been prepared with the greatest concern for student and instructor safety. Please read safety precautions closely before every lesson and make sure that when you are working you have provided adequate light, space, and information to ensure that all participants are afforded the highest level of safety possible.

Preview the Train-the-Trainer PowerPoint Here!

Download the complete PowerPoint and training script below:

Being an Artist Staff Training