Even though I try to make my art class enjoyable, all I get is a lot of “what is the point” and “f this class” comments. The majority of the students who want to go to the gym are boys, but I really don’t know what else I can do to get them to take it seriously or to truly appreciate creating art.
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Children simply lack motivation these days. They are looked into whether it is not a game or a quick fix. They don’t desire something truly fulfilling; they want mindless entertainment. I witness it in the band; they find a new, flashy instrument thrilling at first, but when it becomes difficult, they give up. They don’t practice outside of class to improve, and they don’t show persistence. They think, “Oh well, I’m not working on this,” and if they go behind, they just sit there and waste time, never catching up to where they should be. They are extremely indolent.
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It is actually normal because I also hated going to school and sitting in classes I knew would never help me in the future, art being one of them. Art is boring to me, I don’t get it, I am not good at it. Therefore, I won’t blame your students.
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Money is everything nowadays, you ought to teach them that chasing the bag is an art.
I know someone named Shorty who used to charge her Tinder matches $1500 for each moon painting. Show them how to carry that out.
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To maintain those guys in your class, show them applications of art in the real works. As of right moment, they find it too abstract and “real.” What’s the deal? They are expressing to you their desires. Make it pertinent.
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To be a successful teacher, try as hard as you can to get even one kid to like a project. This would work because kids cave to peer pressure so easily at that age and will follow suit.
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Maybe you could give it a try teaming up with a teacher of another subject. For example, show them artwork and décor from the colonial era if they are studying about it. We create maps showing the spread of the West. Or provide them with grid paper and have a conversation about fractions. Show them grid-based works from the Bauhaus era.
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Try taking on a difficult task. Try your hand at metalworking or pottery; although I am not really artistic, I would be down to get my hands dirty and create a vase or anything.
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I am just surprised you didn’t mention the age of the kids, but you couldn’t do anything to help me like art class when I was in elementary school. I was too energetic to just sit around.
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That’s what happened to me when I taught art. Students believed that “art is about self-expression and having fun” or that it was my responsibility to amuse them. I was occupied with instructing students in fundamental drawing methods, composition, colour theory, and commercial art, such as logo design. The children anticipated sparkles and elbow macaroni.
Being one of the few elective instructors who didn’t simply give every student my all, but rather the philosophy of “if you follow all directions and do the best you can, that’s an A” But since “it’s just art” and the grades had no bearing on GPA or eligibility for sports, kids and parents would not give a damn when they received Ds and Fs.
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NGL Up until very recently, I have always detested art and thought of it as something distinct from myself. When they grow older, they might have art as a hobby or enrichment if you teach them skills—possibly with some rigour—because literacy makes things approachable, and approachable makes things interesting. You should also emphasize the process and mentality above results per se. Invest now for a later payout.
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The students are not all liberal arts major kids, is what I am assuming. For the majority of them, passing is all that matters.
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Strangely, you said this because my eight-year-old enjoys creating things with paper but despises art classes. I have no idea why.
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To be on the same side, normalise giving them projects that don’t suck. They will tell you what they are interested in if you will get your head out of your pretentious ass and ask them.
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What art interests them? Game characters? Movie characters? Anime? You should may be start from there and see if it could work.