Why I'm a Believer

I am a believer in TAB. I know, deep in my bones that TAB empowers teachers to empower learners. There are many good ways to teach, but for me Teaching for Artistic Behavior is it. If you think I sound like a religious convert, I won’t argue with you. The moment I became a TAB teacher was like a religious conversion in that it was powerful and forever changed my pedagogy.

In 2009 I was an elementary teacher who taught whole group lessons where I selected both the media and the topic. I  tried TAB by accident, because of a promise I’d made to a fifth-grade class that had earned the reward of choosing the media for the next class. There was a three-way tie between drawing, found object sculpture, and origami, so I impulsively offered to have all three options available and immediately regretted it, worried that it would be a disorganized disaster. There was no going back once I’d promised, however, so I set my room up with three tabletop centers the next week, fully expecting chaos to ensue. 

It didn’t, to my shock and awe. 

This class of 27, plus the five special education students who only joined the class for specials walked into the room set up with familiar media they knew how to use and made art. Even the students who often needed redirection worked independently and with joy and excitement. My moment of TAB conversion came when I saw one of these students, Darius, folding an intricate, delicate, and superbly made paper airplane. This was a child who had never seemed to especially like art but he was deeply engaged and making phenomenal art that there had never been room for him to make in my classroom before.

I realized two things that day. I did not need to control a learning experience for my students to learn in meaningful ways and my students had lots of ideas they never got to use when instruction was focused on my ideas.

I chose TAB because it was a way for me to make room for the strengths and skills that every child brings to the classroom and to partner with students in directing learning. Now, as a high school teacher 14 years later, I realize that the invitation TAB presents to all students is a vital part of creating an equitable classroom where all students can succeed. 

In my high school classroom, I routinely ask learners to envision and develop their ideas for art-making. Doing this invites their skills, knowledge, interests, and life experiences to be part of the work they do. It also creates the opportunity for me to know more about who each one of them is and what they value. I leverage the relationships I very intentionally build to support learning on an individual basis by giving constructive criticism, suggesting artists that connect to their interests, or offering an opportunity to try a process that presents an opportunity for growth. I use my knowledge of students to both support and challenge them as they grow as artists. I respect them and trust them with the responsibility to direct their learning. 

When I practice TAB I invite students to use what they know and care about as part of the classroom community and then I apply what I know about them to further enhance their learning. When I know my students and my students know I care about them we can work together to set and achieve personalized learning goals. Together we create a space where all students can be successful in learning that is valuable to them.