Choice in the art room

Imagine walking into a classroom and you see every student is actively working on their project. But every project is completely different. Some students are painting, others are drawing, a few are even sewing fabric. This is what you will be greeted with in my classroom. Every student actively engaged in their own project that they made all the decisions for. When it comes to learning, the one making the decisions is the one doing all the learning. This means that I provide a basic framework for my students' projects and let them choose subject matter and material. In my classroom I provide certain days for teaching specific skills that will allow my students to execute their projects with the skill and confidence needed to be successful. However, my goal is not to turn every single student into an artist, my goal is to teach students artist behavior. This involves critical/ creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making, all these are applicable beyond the art room and can be applied to other content areas. Giving students a say in what art they make, allows for greater engagement with the learning process.