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Art & Design Educator
Student Engagement
Supporting and nurturing students begins with a welcoming classroom. My art room is a lively and visually engaging space. Student art work hangs from the walls, reproductions of arts and artifacts are on display. Photos of artists and designers cover the walls welcoming students into the space providing inspiration.
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The Art Room Environment
Students work at tables arranged in groups which provide opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and camaraderie.
Art supplies are stored for easy access to support student agency.
Creating and Implementing Rigorous and Inclusive Arts Curriculum
During the past four years at BHS, I have taught grades 6-10. Each semester brings its own differences and challenges, therefore the curriculum is constantly being revised to meet students needs as well as the vertical alignment needs of the program as a whole.
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Exposure to works of art from different cultures and time periods
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Make connections between the real world and their own work
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Skill development and mastery
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Give and receive meaningful feedback
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Revise work based on feedback
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Analyzing works of art for context and meaning
All of my units encourage students to walk through a creative process which asks them to develop a solution to or find a real world application using artistic skills and methods. They do this by following a cycle of inquiry which includes observing models, asking and answering questions, experimentation, giving a receiving feedback, revision, and reflection. Units and lesson are anchored in inquiry, open ended questions, global context, key concept, and self discovery. Throughout the arts curriculum, students are exposed to a variety of materials while working towards mastery of new skills. ​
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Planning and Instruction
Picture Book Making: A Case Study in Planning and Instruction
Starting in 2018-19 school year I started a collaboration with the school librarian to enter the EJK book making competition combining the regular flow of my art classes with literary skill building so that students can apply their artistic process to a real world context. By co-planning and co-teaching with the librarian we were able to develop a sequence of lessons of both literary and artistic elements. In this unit, students create picture books with a distinct message, told not only through the narrative of their story but through deliberate artistic choices. In both 2019 and 2020 our student entrant was selected as winner for the middle school category in the borough of Brooklyn. Unfortunately the contest was not held in 2021. We were so successful the librarian and I were asked to present at a city wide professional development on collaboration and bookmaking in the classroom.
Below you will see the steps in our process and products that students created along the way.
Click on the buttons to see examples.
Developing Ideas
Storyboarding
Feedback and Revision
Collaging Final Illustrations
A 6th grade student develops her project using worksheets, thumbnail sketches, rough drafts and frequent feedback to revise ideas to create the final project. The picture book, All You Need is Love went on to be the Borough Winner at The 2019 Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition.
Link to book below.
Developing Ideas
Students have many experiences to support and inspire them when developing their ideas. Inquiry is supported through exposure to multiple examples, activities, and formative assessments. Sitting in groups affords the opportunity for low stakes feedback. Small details are often fleshed out in this informal peer conversations.
Click on the buttons to see examples.
Layout and Composition
Character Development
Storyboarding
Feedback and Revision
Units are built with multiple opportunities for feedback and revisions. After each step of their process, students give and receive formative feedback using a rubric.
Click on the buttons to see examples.
Students receive feedback from peers and teachers. In this unit, picture book making, Mr. Hyland our school librarian joins the class to offer his feedback to students.
Working Towards Completion
After revising their work based on feedback, students work on their final artwork using the rubric. Students utilize studio time to work towards completion. The self paced lessons provide students the opportunity to complete work at their own pace.
Click on the buttons to see examples.
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Gallery Walks, Critiques, and Reflection
Students engage in a gallery walks throughout the process from sketches to final work. This provides to opportunity to see everyones process while giving peer feedback.
Click on the buttons to see examples.
Picture Books Links & Displays
Awards and Celebrations
All students are celebrated at an awards ceremony and a display of picture books. The Borough winner is celebrated at the Ezra Jack Keats Book Making awards ceremony at The Brooklyn Public Library with their family, myself, the librarian, Principal Lanzillotto and Assistant Principal Schmoeger in attendance.
Book-Making Resource Page
The BHS librarian and I developed this webpage to house all of the resources, strategies, and plans for our unit on book-making. It is as a resource for other teachers around the city who may be interested in participating in the EJK Book-Making Contest, or who simply want to bring bookmaking into their classes. It was the centerpiece for the city-wide professional development we presented at in the spring of 2020.
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