One of the most important ways to build a kind of classroom culture that allows students to develop and express their creativity is to establish a safe space where students feel comfortable to express themselves. I strive to eliminate phrases like “I’m not good at drawing” because that tells me the student thinks that is their limit or that is the limit to being an artist. I want them to think positively about my class and their work in my class. I redirect those kinds of negative phrases to focus on their growth, as opposed to their limitations. I assure my students that being good at drawing or painting is not the culmination of this class, although my hopes are that by the end of the year they will have developed some drawing or painting skills.

I want all my students to put in effort. If they are willing to try, I can help them develop the skills to become better artists. I encourage students to do a little more work each day. I compliment their work so they know they are accomplishing something, but I don’t give my students false praise. My students know that I hold high expectations for them regardless of what their backgrounds in art are. I tell them what areas they are struggling in and push them to work harder in those areas. When they overcome those struggles, they feel more accomplished than if they had left their work half-finished.

I encourage students to take small steps to bring them towards the final product. I break down each project into mini lessons that allow the students to practice the skills needed to successfully produce the final project. Those mini lessons are simple to do and are low stakes so the students feel successful with their work. In doing so, my students continue to build their skill set and confidence in their work.

At the beginning of the year, I made assigned seating charts for my foundations classes. Given that they started out as the largest classes, there was more variance in behavior and more need for behavior management. Having assigned seating for those students separated groups of disruptive students and made the class as a whole more manageable. It also allowed all the students to be more focused on their work rather than distracting each other. I have since removed the assigned seating charts because my students proved they could sit where they wanted, next to who they wanted, and still be productive in my classroom.