We all encounter students who are dismissive or indifferent towards art.
This is long but I am sharing on a stubbornly reluctant student who used to shut out my instructions to being more attentive.
This Sec 1 boy is really just into cricket - full commitment to cricket and not academically driven and didn’t want to have anything to do in art.
In Jan, he simply just didn’t submit the first work, a mini task. He wasn’t outwardly defiant but showed a certain passive-aggressive face, and calmly and softly told me behind his mask - he didn’t want to do his art. I called his mother to alert her that he was nearly 3 weeks late. His mother was apologetic but did tell me her son doesn’t like art.
I explained to her that he must learn to be responsible even in the things he doesn’t naturally like to do. If he would only do what he likes, then he will always be like a kid and not mature. I informed the mother that the mini task deadline is well over and the zero remains because the integrity of the assessment structure should be maintained and to be fair to those who submitted on time or within grace period. I emphasized that I really want him to complete it so as to learn to be a responsible student. Subsequently I told the boy to stay on the day I have aep lesson. He did stay but did a very rushed job within 15 minutes and it was very poor effort.
Tuning myself to the student’s frequency in interest
I decided to try helping him connect the learning of art to something he is more familiar and ready to engage - the sport of cricket. I hardly know cricket game but do know what’s the difference between bowling the ball and throwing. Throwing means the elbow is bent and it’s a foul. I was annoyed at his stubborn indifference but knew he was so hardened that a reprimand won’t change him. So I asked him a question: “In cricket, if the coach finds that your ‘bowling in cricket’ technique is wrong, what will he do? Why?
He answered ‘keep practicing the bowling’.. (the reason is obvious because wrong technique in cricket is considered a foul).
So I said ‘Exactly! I am sure not every bit of cricket is something you want to have to keep repeating the practice. Right? (He nodded). In art is the same, talent or no talent, you just have to use the right method we taught in class’.
I then told him, you got a failed mark but what is more important is that you did not apply the method, and actually that’s all you needed to do’.
I wasn’t sure if he was convinced but stopped at that and said “ok, you need to add a bit of details here”. He again did a rushed job but I decided to let go as he did ‘fill up the spaces’. So I let him go but reminded him that he should make better effort as I am sure he won’t want to have to stay back again in next project.
He again did a rushed job for the next project of self-portraiture, in the drawing stage, then again for the shading stage, totally not applying any of the methods we meticulously scaffolded.
When the work was marked the 2nd time, I decided I could either just fail him according to the assessment descriptors (which he deserved) or make one more effort to make him understand the true spirit of learning to build self-efficacy. So in the next lesson, I took him aside and said, “I really want you to apply the methods because i want to see what you can learn and do. So you need to stay again to redo the whole work. Remember I talked about the cricket practice? Perhaps I should discuss this with your CCA teacher and coach (now I gave a little ‘notion of consequence’), that on Wednesday when I have AEP lesson, you first finish your art before you can proceed to cricket. Or you can stay on Monday instead (ok I didn’t want to corner him so I gave an option). If he said no, I was sure I would speak with his mom again. He agreed and offered to turn up.
This time he did apply the methods. He rushed a bit still but unlike the last time, (when he just randomly did his work, ignoring all use of methods), he applied the method I had taught and when he was done, I told him that the quality of the work shows he can draw when he applied the method. I pointed specific areas that he improved drastically putting the new work next to the first failed piece.
Art learning not for art sake
This boy will never love art and that’s fine. The crux and my focus is not about whether he can do well in art but what art learning can do for him. What is critical is his self efficacy as a learner - that all learning is possible and it is a matter of applying knowledge properly and attentively. It’s not about getting A but about proving to himself he can learn by responding to structured scaffolding.
A former student of mine (now a mother of 2) once shared “I did not shine in art but art helped me shine”. The latter part of the sentence, truly is more significant!
From Jan to March, he was barely listening in class. Yesterday he did listen when I clarified on some common errors in 1-point perspective!
The picture below shows 2 self portraits by the same boy. From not applying actionable technique to applying. Both were rushed, the 2nd one a little less rushed. But see the difference!
This week in class, we are already halfway into 1-point perspective module. Knowing the boys put more effort in Math, I approached the teaching like a mathematical visual inquiry. This has worked for some students who are competent in math but had been indifferent to art.
It’s very clear. When the source of motivation switches from being externally pushed to intrinsically generated by evidence of competence, the quality of attention and effort improves!
This reluctant boy’s recent presence of mind is enough to make my week!
No comments:
Post a Comment