Art Resources
Introduction
Art practitioners working with teachers on the Confident Creators programme, encouraged a process rather than outcome focussed approach to art. Children experimented with materials, developed skills through warm-ups, and explored their creative ideas with the skills and knowledge they had gained. Teachers themselves learnt they didn’t need to be ‘good at art’ to lead an art lesson – they facilitated a space where children could learn, experiment and develop.
Artist Liz Atkin produced an Art toolkit available below to help teachers incorporate art into the classroom including advice on materials.
Art Resources
Planning a lesson incorporating art
✔ Materials and planning the space
Plan in advance what you need and make sure there’s enough for everyone (avoid children waiting for things to be shared around). Might children be making a collaborative piece? (using long rolls of paper stretched down tables arranged in a line in the room); could children take sketch books outside for part of the lesson to do some observation work?
✔ Warm up
A 5 – 10 minute activity on scrap paper or in a sketch book – teacher guides children through some experiments with the materials.
✔ Discuss the theme/topic
What do children already know? Teacher might want to input particular knowledge here, show children some stimuli for discussion eg photos/watch a short video. Teacher could demonstrate some starter art techniques – but avoid making their own finished product that a child might feel they have to copy.
Main Activity
Children use their knowledge and ideas from the warm up, discussion and topic input to make their own interpretation.
Teacher and Teaching Assistant go round the room and encourage children to talk about what they are doing.
Keep the focus on experimenting, taking a risk – away from making a mistake, rubbing out, trying to copy a finished piece etc however magpieing ideas should be encouraged!
Follow Up Activity
If one or two children finish early, what can they do whilst they are waiting?
This is where each child having a simple sketch book might be useful – sketch a new design, experiment with some of the techniques you have been using today, etc
Teacher Role
Encourage children to share with the class work that’s particularly interesting
Encourage children to comment and share what they like
Encourage children to magpie ideas from each other
Reflection
Enable children to see everyone’s work
Invite children to feedback what they like about their work and others
Ask children what they found difficult and how they overcame tricky things
Confident Creators 