What Kids Taught Me

Over the years I have learned that when teaching art-making to young people it is preferable to let them teach you where they want to go. 

This open-minded approach is the one students have taught me over a number of years of guiding them to where they want to go with their art.  We have all heard arguments that people do not come to us as "clean slates or tabla rasa."  Everyone has information and good concepts and children are people too.  They have their own ideas and their own ways of doing things. 

To impose ourselves, just because we are older (not necessarily wiser) and maybe think and do things differently does not give us the right to discount who and whatyoung people are and what they think and do in making their art.  Really, how would we ever know who is right?

The next important learning I made is that it is the values of the concept and the process, rather than the product(s) that must be front and center.  It can be the joy of creating, the fun inherent in the manipulating of materials and fashioning them that is valuable.

When a child loves the process the quality of the products become significant

to the person it matters to the most – the child.  It also becomes an activity that will

be loved for the long time.

Personally I do not believe in external praise for a child who is involved in creative activity.  It is not for us to make judgments on what is well done and what is not.  It is the prerogative of the child to make pronouncements about the value of the piece and the quality of the work. 

If a child is taught various principles and elements of art, how various techniques are done, has adequate instruction with ample time for questions and practice, and then is encouraged to do art talk (has, in fact, been taught how by demonstration and example) about his or her own work, then the child's evaluation becomes meaningful to the child.

Once a person of any age, including children and youth, begins to work on a piece of art, that becomes sacred and very private.  It is not okay to correct on a piece of artwork.  Instructors can ask permission to help, or can intervene if requested, but

Only ever if invited.  Personally, I believe in showing on a totally different support that which a person needs to learn. 

New projects from year to year are very important, and keeps interest levels high.There is nothing like a good challenge, hard enough to be exciting, but allowing students to achieve success.  Instructors should always try out projects first. 

Which brings us to making mistakes.  Everyone makes mistakes and we can learn

from them.  We realize one person's mistake is just the effect another person is

striving for in art.  Do not hesitate to allow students to see changes being made.

Let your students guide you and enjoy them and their creativity.  Keep that as your

motto for teaching young artists.  www.valeriekent.com