Teaching Tips

Happy new year all! To start the new semester, I have asked faculty members to share some teaching tips. Please see below for the first response. I will be posting these as I receive them so stay tuned!

Tip number one: VARY YOUR CRITIQUE STRATEGIES

Critique one: Write out two questions you want students to address in
relation to the work. Break the class into groups of five. Have each
group discuss five works (not including their own) answering the
questions and adding other comments. Give them 20 minutes, then call the
class together. Each group presents their ideas on the fives works to
the whole class. Everyone in the group must present at least one of the
artworks. Then open comments to the class in general. The artist can
make a comment at the end.

Critique two: Short and fast. Let students know coffee break occurs
after all works are critiqued. In a class of 25, give five minutes per
work. Get a student to be the time-keeper (you will get an innate sense
of 5 minutes as you proceed). Ask "What's the best thing about this
work? How could it be improved?" Allow for silence as they look. Then
comments will flow in. The artist does not speak until the last minute.
Keep students moving around the room and take quick body breaks after
every few works: (stretch, big breath, neck roll, close and release
strain around the eyes).

Energizing strategy: Last person to be critiqued often doesn't get the
best from the class who are talked out. Propose each person say one
thing about the artwork, so going around the room clockwise, the artist
ends up with 25 comments.

Tip number two: ALLOW SILENCE WHILE STUDENTS FIGURE OUT THEIR RESPONSE TO EACH WORK.

You, the instructor, speak after the students have spoken.
It is *their job* to articulate and you will learn from them. Then you
summarize, no more than two points: strengths and area for improvement.