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How-to Teach Art Lessons Without Compromising Creativity
I’m often asked how to teach art lessons without compromising student creativity. I like to answer this question by first explaining what it means to be creative. Once you understand what it means to be creative, you’ll understand how not to compromise it. I always ensure this by following the guides I’m sharing with you in this blog.
What Does Creativity Mean?
Being creative means coming up with a completely new idea. Something novel, or something never designed before. Something conjured up from your own imagination. For a children to think this way we teachers have to get out of their way, and not disturb this creative process. We have to not control the end product.
Take a closer look at the art lessons you plan to teach and ask yourself these questions:
Are you asking your students to copy step-by step instructions?
Do you have an art sample of what the outcome should look like?
Does your art lesson have no flexibility to invent or create a new idea from?
Do you discourage your students from exploring and experimenting with mediums?
If you answered yes to these questions, you are teaching copy-mode step-by-step instructions. And are definitely going to compromise creativity. To support more creativity you have to adjust your lessons. Allow more freedom to explore, experiment and finish the art project in any direction.
It’s possible to teach good quality art skills. Start by following these creative guides:
- You choose the art project
- You choose the artist technique, method, or style to study
- You can demonstrate mediums
- You can prepare for exploration and experimentation
- You can allow flexibility and freedom to create their own ideas
It’s OK to show step-by-step instructions and inspirational examples. But, try not to insist on what they need to create at the end.
Other ways you can support creativity is to teach methods like Process Base, or Choice Base. These methods allow kids to flow into their own creations. Without adhering to rules of what to create. Choice Base providing giving kids the freedom to choose their art project, mediums, and make anything they choose. Process Based – is about the exploration and discovery, but not the end result. Not driving what that final product is going to look like, there’s no right or wrong way to finish the art.
Start by implementing a few of my guides, see if you can promote creative thinking in your lessons. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll notice your students coming up with new creative ideas. You will also be supporting the artistic process which metsing the arts standards.
Spramani Elaun – Nature of Art®
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