Teaching and Assessing

I use the National Core Art Standards to teach my students. I also make sure their curriculum spirals from year to year. I am constantly assessing students both formally and informally to make sure they are meeting the targets. Speaking of targets... Art Targets are derived from the standards and more specifically what students are learning daily. We begin each day with our targets. After that lesson I post the targets on the Target Wall, which stays up all year.

Often times I create rubrics with students to make sure they know the expectations as they work on their art. We do Target Checks throughout the projects to make sure students are understanding the expectations. I provide students with a lot of visual examples of the expectation.

When projects are completed students self assess first, then I assess their art. Often times we give each other peer feedback in the form of "Glows and Grows."

Self Portrait Portfolios

Every year from 1st grade -5th grade students create a beginning of the year and an end of the year self portrait. They keep these in a portfolio in the art room to reference each year. We use these to check on progress and celebrate growth! Here are two examples of a 1st grade portrait and a 5th grade one! Big difference! 5th graders get to take them home at the end of the year.