Learning the Life-Skill of Self-Evaluation In an Art Class

The first time I taught an art class, I carefully planned the lesson and gathered the supplies - all the usual preparation. And at the end of the lesson, there was time for students to post work. But that was when I hit a snag.

How would I critique the art lesson?

I was prepared to TEACH art, but not to evaluate it. Having to evaluate art raised a list of questions:

• How do you put a grade on CREATIVITY?
• Would evaluation squelch self-expression?
• Would I be grading merely on the basis of my personal likes and dislikes?
• How could I say something more helpful than, “Oh, neat!” or “Good job!”?
• And finally: does an art project really NEED to be evaluated?

So I took the easy way out. I told students that if they finished a project, they would get an A. Guess what: almost everyone got an A! Kids liked that, but a thought nagged me: shouldn’t I be giving better feedback than just a thumbs-up-you-finished-A?

That brought me back to those original questions - and some answers - about why we should or should not give evaluations on art projects.

• Should we evaluate art lessons? YES!
• Why? Because art classes are a perfect opportunity for students to learn the art of SELF-evaluation.

What we really want students to learn is to critique their own work. Learning to reflect on and critique one’s own work is a basic life skill. When we reflect on and evaluate our own work, we grow and learn. If we are free to critique our own work, we are likely to be open to the helpful advice of others.

So how can we use evaluations in an art class to teach kids the art of self-reflection?

It begins with the goals of the lesson.

Before the lesson begins, kids need to know what goals they are trying to accomplish. Here are some examples of different kinds of goals.

ELEMENTS OF ART:

• Will the goal be to use texture to give emphasis to one part of the picture?
• Will it be to use analogous colors?
• Will it be about making a balanced composition?

EXPRESSION/PURPOSE:

• Will the goal be to portray a significant part of a story they have read?
• Will it be to portray something about a historical period or historical leader?
• Will it be to portray some emotion?

STYLE:

• Will it be to imitate the style of a famous artist?
• Will it be to use the style of an art period like pointillism or art deco?
• Will it be realistic or non-realistic?

Having a clear goal of the lesson isn’t just helpful of the teacher.

It’s empowering for the student. 

Once a student knows the goal of an art lesson, the lesson becomes a puzzle to solve. For example, What’s the best way to use texture to emphasize that part? (Elements of art) Or, What part of the Art Deco style can I use to draw this car? (Style)

When we have clearly stated goals we know what to look for!

When it's time to evaluate, here are two simple ways of giving feedback that don’t hamper student’s creativity, but that DO help students focus:

1. Use the three-part TAG system:

• TELL something that was successful. Be specific.

• ASK questions that help kids to:

talk about their purpose,

discuss a problem they ran into,

tell what they learned about a process

• GIVE advice about

what might be explored further

how to solve a problem the student has voiced.

2. Use a give-and-take TAG system. 

This involves two students, a group of students, or a parent and child. After EVERYONE INVOLVED has finished the project, each person uses the three-part TAG system to comment on their neighbors’ projects. This gets everyone into the work of evaulation.

Students who learn both to give and to receive evaluations are even better equipped to reflect on their own work.

Now that you've learned how to evaluate an art lesson for kids, why not teach one?

Gets started with some free art lessons here!