Ten Things I Learned During My First Semester as an Art Teacher

Have you ever been an art teacher before? Me, either! Well, up until this year, that is. I taught art for a few months at the end of the last school year, but really began teaching in earnest this fall. Over the summer, one of my very talented students gave me drawing lessons and I also read both of Mona Brookes’s excellent “Drawing…” books. Here’s what I’ve learned during my first official semester of being an art teacher. Some of these lessons come directly from the classroom, and some of them come as a combination of classwork, drawing lessons, and Mona Brookes’s guidance.

(Note: Illustrations to follow.)

First, art is not about talent, art is about joy. Do you love flowers? Then do your best to recreate them in all their beauty in your own artistic style. Does your sister’s weird cat make you laugh? Then make your sister a Christmas card with her cat on the cover in a funny little Santa hat. I’ve learned to relax and enjoy whatever I’m drawing. My pictures don’t have to be perfectly true-to-life, but they do have to offer my audience something unique and pleasureable to view.

Second, a lot of classroom management comes down to supplies and how to disseminate them. In my younger classes, I began the year by handing out supplies to students, and gradually we’ve worked up to the students gathering their own supplies. In my older classes, I began by only allowing the students to leave their seats once to gather supplies. They’ve proved that they can keep up their work flow even if they have to leave their seats occasionally, so I’m not quite as firm about this classroom rule anymore. However we do it, I try to keep the gathering and putting away of supplies as orderly as possible.

Third, along the same lines, the supplies you have matter, but they are not all-important. At the beginning of the year, I wanted the students to have whatever they needed when they needed it. I rushed around the room, sharpening pencils and trying to find the perfect shade of blue, or pink, or yellow, so the students could work on their drawings without interruption. Now, I’m much more willing to say, “Hey, you didn’t pick up a pencil when it was your turn to gather supplies? Too bad. Don’t forget it next time!” Or, “You already have a red. If you want a lighter shade of red, color gently.” The students can make beautiful artwork with whatever tools they have.

Fourth, students will cry. I know, I know–it’s hard to believe. I didn’t believe it until I saw it happen. Art is supposed to be fun and laid back, right? But for some students, art is really hard. They put themselves against a measuring stick and rarely do they add up. I’ve noticed that what these students need the most is the confidence to draw what they like to draw and how they like to draw it, no matter what anybody else thinks, and the reassurance that their drawings don’t need to look exactly like what they imagined. If one of these more sensitive students asks me if her drawing is “good” or not, my first response is, “Do you like it?” If the answer is yes, nothing else matters. If the answer is no, then I can reach into my tool chest of drawing advice and pull something out that I think might be helpful.

Fifth, perseverance, in lesson planning, classroom goals, and drawings. I easily get caught up in the moment and probably base too much of my lessons on whether or not the students are “feeling” it. Intuition in teaching can be really great, when used under the authority of your classroom goals. I must keep in mind that good habits take time to build, and sometimes people (myself included) will fight against those habits because they’d rather take the easier route. The same goes for my drawings. “I’ll get to those half-finished pictures lurking in the corners of my sketchpad someday,” may be okay for a little while, but art takes discipline and structure.

Sixth, no erasers! We began the year using only marker or pen. When we did move on to using pencils, I didn’t allow the students to use erasers for a while. Mona Brookes recommends this in both of her “Drawing…” books. It teaches the students to be comfortable with whatever they draw on their papers, and also teaches them to think and plan before they draw. By the end of the no-eraser era, my students were more confident and relaxed.

Seven, avoiding certain words is immensely helpful and provides for some humourous moments with students. Mona Brookes recommends that art teachers and their students avoid using certain words in their classrooms. They are: “Good, bad, better, best, right, wrong, cheat, mistake, easy, hard.” I think all of these words lend themselves to comparison and unfair labeling. What is the definition of a “good” or “bad” drawing? We’re all at different skill levels and we all have different styles. I do believe in objective standards in art, but usually when students use the words good or bad to describe their artwork, they’re not referring to deep theological convictions. They’re looking at their drawing and comparing it to somebody else’s, or they’re noticing all of their drawing’s imperfections and ignoring what they did well. Using the word “easy” or “hard” to describe a drawing or painting technique can discourage the students who don’t find that technique easy or hard. Instead, I encourage the students to be encouraging, specific in their feedback, and kind to themselves and their classmates. In my Classroom Expectations & Culture (which I have posted in the room), I write: “What can you say instead? ‘Even though I don’t like how I drew…’ ‘I like how I drew…'” As far as humorous interactions go, I get reprimanded regularly for using the words good and bad in any context. Sometimes I also find myself avoiding the word good, but using its synonyms. “What an excellent drawing!” “That’s great work!” Ha.

Eight, consider your own classroom environment and goals. Mona Brookes recommends that students have a quiet atmosphere in which to work. I began the year by enforcing this standard. I didn’t allow the students to talk to each other or look at each other’s work, and the only sounds in the room were normal school-building noises and classical music played at a low volume. As the school year has progressed, I’ve changed my own thoughts about this standard. Mona Brookes gives excellent reasons for enforcing this rule in a classroom, and I understand them completely. However, one of my goals as a fine arts teacher is to create strong communities with the students in each class. I have this quote from Andrew Peterson at the top of my Classroom Expectations & Culture: “Art nourishes community, and community nourishes art.” After considering my own goals as a teacher, I realized that I don’t mind some talking while the students are working, as long as their work remains their top priority. I have a number of students in my classes who love drawing, and I enjoy watching them answer their classmates’ questions about art. If I enforced a no-talking rule, we would all miss out on these community-building interactions. My classroom still remains relatively quiet, but this way we are free to ask each other questions and build each other up as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Nine, theology matters. I gave a speech in my older classes on the first day of school. I explained why we study art, which is to glorify God, revel in the beautiful world he created, and do something fun and enjoyable. We can serve God in our artwork as well as serve our neighbors, our audience. And, as our infinitely creative Creator, God values art. This has set the tone for the entire year. The work we’re doing in art class is important. It isn’t just for entertainment or to show off our skills. We’re learning to convey truths about the world God made in a way that is imaginative, creative, and beautiful. I hope my students view the fine arts as a serious course of study that is just as vital to the Christian life as math or history.

Ten, 1 Corinthians 16:14 says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” And likewise, 1 Corinthians 13:1 says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol.” It might be cliche to say that art begins with love, because so many other things begin with love, but I don’t care. It’s true. Art begins with love: love for God, love for your neighbors, and love for yourself. Just like art is about joy, art is about love.

And now, here are some of the drawings I’ve done since beginning my study of art. Enjoy!