Mar 6, 2013

Plan for Success With a Visiting Artist

Bringing a teaching artist into your classroom is a fabulous way to motivate students, offer a new point of view, and introduce techniques outside your expertise. However, it can also be a total nightmare, which I talked a little bit about last week. With some thoughtful planning and organized follow-up, the teaching artist experience can be a delight for you and your students.

Visiting artist

1. Do your homework: Whether you are selecting a guest from an artist roster or just calling up someone you Googled, ask for references. Find out from other teachers what the sessions were like and whether or not they would recommend the artist.

2. Set the terms: Visiting/teaching artists often have a standard contract they use. It can outline everything from their hours and fee to what they’ll have for lunch. Don’t be afraid to negotiate! Just make sure everyone is clear on expectations beforehand.

3. Plan to plan: Schedule a planning meeting or phone call. It is important to communicate about the lesson taught and the materials needed. I’m always sure to discuss the level of classroom management the teaching artist is comfortable with.

4.Follow-up: At my own school we have developed a tool to keep track of artists and guests. We outline everything from the cost to the content covered, the materials to whether or not it was worth the time an efforts. It is so nice to be able to look into my file and pull out this information at a moment’s notice. You can start your own visiting artist file with this PDF download.

How do you prepare for a visiting artist in your classroom?

What other stories would you like to share?

http://www.facebook.com/LMCROCE Laura Croce

I just had a visiting artist in my class last week. Around December, one of my second grade students told me that their father was an artist, and I quickly told him that I would love to see his artwork. The next week, he brought in his father’s portfolio! The father happens to be an architect, who on the side paints, shows his work at galleries, and has artwork in the buildings he designs. He was very abstract expressionist, with splatter paint, color field paintings, and was very inspired by Kandinsky’s music-paintings. He came in (and brought enough mini canvases for everyone!) and it was such a treat. The child of the man was thrilled that “Daddy came to art”, and he really enjoyed working with children. He remarked to me that being an art teacher was such a fun job! To follow up, I plan on introducing abstract expressionism to the second grade, which now that they know what it is (its so hard to teach that style) they can really dive in. I would have another visiting artist in a heart beat!!! :-)
- http://www.theartofed.com/ Sarah
  
  Laura, having your students get to work with a person who lives and works in the creative economy is so powerful. Glad it was a positive experience for you!