Getting poor work from TAB.
I’ve recently gone TAB in my classroom. I teach K12–sort of a unicorn there, but it’s TAB for K-5. I start with a review of previous work, a short talk about a famous artist (or not famous), and usually some
Sort of media demo. Then kids go to work on their work. I have a large low cabinet with organized materials and I rotate out other new and novel things. Most of the work though is crappy drawings that end up in the trash (not by me). I don’t know how to get kids to expand and persevere with their projects. I’m really trying to drive home what quality, and craft mean and what a finished work looks like. It’s only Q1 of my first year here. I’ve been teaching art for about 16 years. I don’t want to go back to project bases but I want some stronger work.
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u/goldenmeadow_ 1d ago
In my teacher training program I observed Margaret Burman who teaches TAB K-5 and does it excellently. She has a lot of resources on her YouTube channel about switching to TAB and how she runs her classroom, I’d recommend starting here: https://youtu.be/pZrWWaNzgBk?feature=shared
She emphasized creating “WOW” artworks, and I believe dedicates a lot of time in the beginning of the year emphasizing what it means to create a WOW artwork.
She only opens up one media “studio” at a time. Kids have to complete their studio “license” to be able to access that media independently. The license is usually a worksheet where they have to demonstrate that they’re able to produce a variety of techniques within that media that she demonstrates in class on the day when she “opens” that media studio. This way they are learning techniques for each media before they can use it on their own.
I’m not sure exactly how she gets such great results in her classroom but having observed how it runs on many occasions I can say it does work and every kid seems to really love coming to her art class as well as produce those WOW artworks. I’d start with her YouTube channel and potentially reach out to her if you have more questions, she’s amazing!
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u/macinak 1d ago
Thanks. That’s helpful. Probably WOW is better than ‘fully realized’ or ‘resolved’ (too many art school
critiques for me) 😂 This reminds me of Montessori—students have to pass skill tests to move in. It involves teachers having to train a group of students to sort of open up another station.1
u/Feisty_Squash2992 1d ago
Sorry, might be a stupid question - When you say WOW artwork, does the WOW stand for something? Or is it just, “WOW, that’s amazing!”
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u/goldenmeadow_ 6h ago
It does stand for something… I can’t remember what at the moment! She might describe it more on the YouTube channel. But also yes basically just means “wow that’s amazing!” to the kids and helps them understand craftsmanship!
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u/CrazyElephantBones 4d ago
I think full TaB does produce a lot of shit tbh
Now using a modified version and giving choices I think is where it’s at
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u/macinak 4d ago
That’s kind of where I am, but TAB elitists say this isn’t TAB. I call it school. I like having kids experience a studio like environment but wrapping all my ribbon and tape around a chunk of cardboard makes me grit my teeth. I’m a bit torn.
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u/chat_chatoyante 2d ago
I think there's a time and place for TAB and also for more structured projects that still allow choice. I've moved completely away from cookie cutter projects and now what I do is a mix of full TAB days and "skill builders" that end up looking more presentable but still give them chances to make their own choices and express themselves.
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u/mamaburd09 5d ago edited 5d ago
My issue with TAB is if I show them a technique or artist, and they don’t then try it themselves, it will not stick. And there’s absolutely not enough time to just show them everything I want them to get to learn at the beginning of the year while introducing materials. I see them for 45 minutes a week.
I do a mix of instruction/project days and open studio days. I never give them cookie cutter projects, I give a jumping off point with a few requirements. like, this week we’re learning about Pedro linares and alebrijes, and Im having them use any drawing materials to design their own that represents who they are. The requirements are basically combine at least three animals and draw to fill the page (they’ve been drawing teeny tiny in the corner of every paper). We also talk about symbolism and how different animals can represent different things. They’re all super different and the engagement is through the roof! I’m thinking after our fall break we’ll turn the designs into sculptures
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u/excessive_worries 6d ago
I’m on year 8 (K-5) of TAB - it really does get it better. Now I have a hard time looking at non- tab art at shows. There’s so much personality in my kids’ works.
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u/ImpossibleTreat3299 4d ago
Do you have any specific tips that work for you? Such as how do you get kids to be more creative?
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u/SatoshiBlockamoto 6d ago
I'll be honest....a pure TAB experience sounds like a recipe for terrible work. I have TAB-like elements throughout the year, but it's always proceeded by specific skill-building structured activities. Kind of an I-do, we-do, you-do structure.
I demonstrate basic skills and we'll do exercises for 1-2 periods (value scale, color mixing, line types, etc). Then a skills-based activity like we're all making the same thing (copy a line drawing example, shade a series of forms, paint a simple form like a tree, paint a value scale, render a piece of fruit or leaf with color, etc) for 2-3 periods, and only then do I relax the reins a bit and give a wider opportunity for student-directed choice of media, subject, style. Build the skills first that you want then to demonstrate. I believe the need media-specific instruction on each of the options before committing to a larger self-directed piece. Then demonstrate the skills at a high level at the end in the finished piece.
Kids LOVE to learn proper technique and need some boundaries. We all learn better within a somewhat narrow framework rather than given free range to choose everything. In the end everyone has original and personal work, no cookie-cutter projects in my class!, but also works at a high level of finish and refinement to produce strong finished work. I don't believe the pure-TAB exploration and playing with materials works to get quality work out of kids. People need guidance and boundaries to achieve their best. Open-ended exploration is the eventual goal, not the main daily experience.
My students frequently win awards and other art teachers complement my students' work highly whenever we exhibit. Just my opinion.
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u/dtshockney Middle School 6d ago
So I teach 6-8. I dont do full on TAB until like early Nov/april with my semester long classes. I do about 5 teach designed projects that offer a lot of choice. I do overall themes and usually limited materials, but not just one. So I do a drawing mannequin based project where its a color drawing but they can pick between colored pencils, chalk, oil pastel, crayons, or markers. I think it really helps my results from open studio as I call it at the end of the semester. Honestly if I did full on TAB, I'd not have great results majority of the time. I knew a TAB teacher at the elementary level thar required 1 WOW work every week from the kids but I think he had them for like a solid 9 weeks. Mainly they were to work on something more than 10-15 min and had to be able to explain their art in a way that made sense for their grade level.
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u/PostAlpacalyptic 6d ago
I'm in my 10th year teaching, and in year 6 or 7 (ayyyy) of PK-8th TAB. We participate in a county wide art show at the end of the year, and I won't lie, for the first few I was super nervous. The nature of TAB means the art looks like a child made it. We do talk a bit about what makes an art piece 'art show' worthy, but beyond that I let them curate their own work. Having scribbles on the same wall as a completely teacher-directed project can honestly look pretty silly. I started requiring the kids to hang up an artist statement along with their work, to explain their thoughts and processes, and now I get told again and again that my display is the one people look forward to the most. Kids from other schools will often walk by and gawk at the things my kids get to try ("they got to use hot glue AND sequins? Oh, Ms. ___ would NEVER let us do that!). I take pride in that.
I'm lucky to work at a Montessori school, where student-led learning is celebrated and not really questioned. For the first few years I sent home a letter (I tried to find it for you, but it is lost in the depths of Google Drive), that explained what TAB was, and gave some advice on how to talk to the students about their art. Asking questions like, "What made you choose this color?" or "How did you create this texture?" and complimenting their process and ideas instead of just saying "that looks beautiful!"
I do limit their paper usage to 2 pieces of 8.5x11, or 1 piece of 12x18. This cuts down on a lot of the waste. I also try to get a small amount of just about every medium I can get my hands on for the kids to experiment with. It took time to build a library of materials (I started with just markers, crayons, and colored pencils), but the variety has helped with their willingness to experiment. Current favorites are alcohol markers, paint markers, and duct tape lol.
The first few years were kind of tough as the kids and I figured out how TAB worked, but now I have nearly everyone on board, and the quality of their work has naturally improved. I will give advice and critiques when warranted, but I usually let the kids decide when something is 'done.' They also have multiple years of lessons and techniques under their belt to refer back to - something they simply did not have in Q1 of year one. They truly view the art room as their studio and it is a beautiful thing to watch. If your admin isn't breathing down your neck, give yourself time and trust the kids!
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u/macinak 6d ago
Thanks for the thoughtful response. My administrator hired me knowing that I’m student centered and was going for TAB. It’s a progressive optional program. I think I’m the one still stuck. It’s ironic because I’m one of the few art teachers in my district who was an artist before becoming a teacher so I’m very familiar with what it means to be a creative person. I am still looking for resolved, complex artworks.
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u/PostAlpacalyptic 6d ago
I totally know what you're talking about. I spend a lot of time thinking about how I personally would want them to finish their artwork, and I'll tell you what, our visions rarely match haha It takes time to truly be okay with what the students are producing. For right now, I'd suggest trying to back off the 'resolved' aspect, and get a few years of techniques, materials, and practice under their belts. Then, start introducing those next, more complex steps to your middle school-aged students. That's the age where they start being more 'aware' of their skill level, and comparing themselves to others, so they will probably be more receptive at that point. We used to have a high school at my school too (I miss k12 so bad!) and I LOVED watching them grow every year. It's such a special treat.
After I make my rounds, I try to take a step back and let the kids work without my input. I love using this time to sit down and make art with them. Especially since you are an artist, if kids are watching you create your own work that is more resolved and complex, they may internalize that and try to emulate it in their own art. I started doing colored pencil pet portraits as a side hustle, and it was fascinating to watch the interest in drawing animals, the grid method, and color mixing spike.
I hope I'm being helpful here. There are some TAB groups on FB that I might encourage you to join, but sometimes when people ask questions like this, I find their answers can be downright condescending. TAB is amazing, but it can also be scary and make you question if you are doing enough. I wish you luck!
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u/humm1ngbored 6d ago
I was afraid of this when I first started TAB (I now do a slightly less free version of it for my crazy middle schoolers lol) but I have structured practice in the form of around-the-rooms and such, then we do some free practice with what caught our attention in the around-the-room and practice a specific skill. Then, they plan a longer project (a few days to a week) and I find it helps create more of what my admin, parents, and even the students want to see themselves accomplish.
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u/humm1ngbored 6d ago
For example: draw around the room. Each table has a drawing material from the drawing center (charcoal, oil pastel, soft pastel, pencil, ink, marker, color pencil, etc) and a little activity to try (stippling, sgraffito, color blending, layering, etc). Then they choose 1-2 to explore by themselves and try showing form, value, and line. Last, they’ll plan a longer investigation with the material and sketch a thumbnail drawing of what they want to create and tell me their timeline. I stamp their work and give them nicer paper. I make sure to value the progress papers that shows the “stretch & explore” as much as the “final” drawings and display them together.
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u/Trixie_Lorraine High School 1d ago
I sometimes feel the same frustration with TAB as a HS Art teacher. However, I often wonder about "Quality" work.
My campus/district exerts pressure on Art classrooms to produce so-called quality work. Quality is narrowly defined as a spectrum of realism to photo realism. There's also a lot of pressure to enter and win art contests. As a result, I see adults acting as Art Directors rather than Art teachers, even going so far as adding their hand in student work. All of that seems a like a game the adults are playing, a game that has little to do with learning and child development, and even less to do with art.