I'm so excited to start another school year in the Eagle's Nest Studio! Here is a little information about our art program at Irving School.
At Irving we do TAB-Choice Art
TAB = Teaching for Artistic Behaviors
In a
TAB-Choice studio students are regarded as artists.
Students are expected to do the work of artists, directing their
own learning. They practice coming up with their own art
problems to solve, asking questions and seeing possibilities in the world
around them.
Students learn to persevere through difficulties as well as to
trust themselves and their own judgment while simultaneously learning to be
self-directed, organized, and to manage their time.
In a TAB-Choice studio students choose what to make.
Students learn best and work harder when they are excited by
what they are working on. And when they design their own work, they understand
why they are doing what they are doing and engage much more deeply with their
learning.
Teaching with choice creates a nurturing community of artists.
When everyone is working on different things, there is less of a
tendency to compare oneself to others. Students not only feel safe to find
their own ways of expressing ideas and investigating art problems but also
celebrate each other’s achievements. Students coach each other, discuss
artwork, share materials, and often choose to work with friends and classmates
on particular projects.
Developmentally appropriate work and differentiation occur
regularly.
TAB-Choice classrooms are highly structured environments.
Students scaffold their own learning, sometimes going deeply into specific
subjects or media. They work at their own pace, following their own lines
of inquiry, and develop skills as they need them.
Because everyone is involved in their own self-directed work the
teacher is available to work individually or in small groups to differentiate
for the diverse needs of students.
teachingforartisticbehavior.org
