In my Art Education course, as often as possible, I ask my students to design lessons and actually teach them. I think this is the best way for students to see the successes and especially the flaws of their lessons. For the most recent project, I asked students to design a lesson related to careers in art and then teach it to a real child.
Learning about art careers is a great starting point for an art lesson, helping young students picture future possibilities and connect art to something tangible. The trick is taking a project that someone might create as an illustrator, animator, designer, etc. and turning it into something engaging and age-appropriate.
This assignment builds on my Art Education students’ ability to lesson plan with consideration for Lowenfeld’s stages of artistic development as well as the Michigan State Visual Arts Standards to help develop age appropriate lessons.
Teaching a real child changes everything. As my Art Education students discovered, even well-planned lessons do not always go as expected, requiring them to adapt in the moment. Teaching for the first time involves making mistakes and learning from them. Afterward, students reflected on what worked and what they would change. These reflections were the most valuable part of the project and will help my students grow into better educators.
Below are a few examples created by the kids that my Art Education students taught. Lessons taught about Fashion Design, Interior Design, and Illustration.
