Welcome Back....a little bit about our art room!

This school year, we are in our third year of a new approach to art education.  We will be blending our traditional style of art instruction with the nationally known art education philosophy called TAB (Teaching for Artistic Behavior). The concept of TAB is simple: Students are artists and the art room is their studio! During studio time, students will be taught techniques and then offered choices for responding to their own ideas and interests. When students are given the opportunity to explore their own ideas, passions and interests, students often find more meaning and relevance in their work. Students also become more reflective and engaged in the process.

Our blended approach will begin in kindergarten. Kindergarteners will have mostly traditional art instruction with a few days of TAB instruction each trimester.  With each year, students will be given more opportunities for studio work.  By third grade, students will have nearly equal amounts of studio time. By sixth grade, creative freedom abounds! 

Throughout the year, students will be given the opportunity to display their work in our building.  When students choose to display their art work, I also photograph their work and display in our online Artsonia gallery.  When you register for Artsonia, Artsonia will send you an email notification every time a work of art is published to your child’s personal gallery.   Many of our students are already registered and avid participators in Artsonia! Yay! Artsonia is a great way for students to share their art work with others and get feedback on their art work. You can check out our gallery at www.artsonia.com and search for Leib.

I am very excited to embark on a year filled with exploration and art making. Lastly, art exploration and art making are MESSY!  Please send in an old t-shirt for your child to wear over their clothing.  An “art shirt” can save many outfits from unnecessary stains.