The wonderful thing about professional development is that when it’s applicable and taken seriously, many people benefit. Teachers obtain new or reshaped instructional tools, students benefit from a teacher’s use of these new or reshaped tools, and finally, PLC communities grow when educators share newly gained insights.
High quality professional development has influenced my instructional practice in multiple ways. Specific to art educators, high quality professional development bolsters our goal to inspire and develop students’ individual skills to enable them to effectively express themselves visually. At the same time, it highlights the importance of staying current with new and developing ways of teaching, while also sharpening our own art making skills and techniques.
An example of a sustained professional development initiative that I have completed is the application of Dr. Tom Anderson’s Interactive Critique Method. The Interactive Critique Method expands the traditional four-stage critique to a more comprehensive five-stage critique. The Interactive Critique Method has been scientifically proven to encourage the development of critical and analytical thinking in students. After mastering the Interactive Critique Method in graduate school, I began applying it as a weekly Wednesday activity when I became a full-time art teacher. My students find themselves engaging in a comprehensive interactive discussion about a specific artwork that leaves them wanting more information about the artist. To my pleasant surprise, I even had a student ask to facilitate a critique on an artwork she saw in a gallery while on vacation. This level of enthusiasm from students inspired the idea to evolve this teacher led activity into a student led activity, where students research an artist/artwork of their choice and I co-facilitate the critique. This was a huge success. Not only were the students engaged and learning about various artists and new art techniques, but I was also learning along with them! Often, I was amazed by students’ research findings, which prompted me to do further research on the new artist to learn more about specific techniques and media.
Additionally, I highly value disseminating research-based information to my peers as it fosters my own professional development as well as that of the larger art community. I presented a continuing education session entitled, “The Theory and Practice of Facilitating a Weekly Interactive Critique with High School Students” at the 64th Annual Florida Art Education Association Conference. I aspire to present on this topic again with new data on how I have modified the methodology over the years and share its impact on student learning.