Summary of Chapter 2: How Will I Teach?

The authors discuss several important points involving the development of a curriculum and how things might function in a classroom. Teaching artists’ work is simple and yet it’s complicated—simple because we just need to provide time and space for students to develop their work; complex because of the preparation involved, and because of other obstacles such as institutional politics and the “’outcomes’ that   institutions and employers sometimes want us to bring about. p. 58.

The stated main goal is to help students to become better artists.

In the process, it is suggested that we as teaching artists don’t necessarily have to specify what the outcomes should be. Students and teachers will learn together through the process of thinking about art, and through art-making. Using the medium as a basis for the learning, teaching how to be effective with it, helps the students as they think about their own projects.

There is a section in the chapter about how are is sometimes used to achieve other ends such as getting people to become more creative thinkers, behavior modification, and preparing for job skills. “Twenty-first century arts education advocacy in America has become far too focused on arguing that the arts are good for the corporate bottom line. We teaching artists are well placed to blow up that paradigm.” p. 65

Getting down to the nuts and bolts, the idea of “how a particular medium or technique relates to the larger concept,” is discussed.  “If we are specific, we can ofte find very surprising connections between concept and medium that can lead to highly original and interesting artwork. p. 66

Another point is the relationship between process and product, and how both are important in the world of making art. Students need to be allowed some time and space for experimentation.

Art-making involves knowledge from a variety of disciplines. Students can create art that is based on the knowledge gained from math and science, for example.

There is also some discussion about effective classroom management. Although, the author says not to use the term “classroom management.” He talks about considering it more of a collaboration.

I also found the section on helping students to learn how to talk about art, helpful and interesting. Asking them questions such as, “What do you notice in the work?” and “What does it cause you to think about?”

In conclusion, there are a variety of suggestions and thought-provoking ideas listed in this chapter to help the teaching artist with the “how” of teaching art.