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Re: Why do kids fail art?

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From: judy nash (turtlesoup4u_at_TeacherArtExchange)
Date: Mon Jan 31 2005 - 02:42:58 PST

I too have had a few who have failed art. My grading rubric is set up so that even if they don't produce an end project, the process of trying it will keep them with a passing grade. At the beginning of each 6 week group I get, I pass out my rubric and explain that if they just give the project some effort, and they use the materials, they will still get a good grade. The ones that fail are the ones who come into class and either do nothing ...because they think that everything is "stupid", or they are the ones who just think that art is "free time to cause trouble and get away with all kinds of things that they cant do in class. I show a technique, give directions, then let them decide the subject... it can be whatever relates to their lives(music, sports, history, movies) but they still don't want to even attempt it... there are some who fail because of attendance. In my school, if they miss too many days, they automatically get an "F" in all subjects...even if they have
 completed all projects in art, they still have to fail. These really bother me because even though they have missed a lot of school, they have done well in art with the time that they have put in....and they have to fail.
Judith Decker <jdecker4art@yahoo.com> wrote:
Greetings,

I am surprised how much discussion my post
generated....Think about why those kids fail art (this
is mainly for elementary teachers - middle school,
too)

Someone along the way has failed....A parent? A
teacher? All students are born with the abilty to
create - someone has ruined that spark early on in
those children. If you have students failing your
classes....take a good look at your curriculum and how
you teach. I only taught elementary two and a half
years - but never had a student who received an
"unsatisfactory" (or failing grade)....Yes, I did have
some "needs improvement". If elementary students are
failing art - you need to take a good look at what
your "standards" are.

Standards Based Assessment.... I did do a search to
see if I could find some samples for visual art. How
are you going to decide what the "standard" will be?
Based on what? a preconceived idea of what the
standard should look like? Have fun.... I did find
lots of stuff on Standards Based Assessment (related
to NCLB). Art is always going to have some
subjectivity in the grading....

I agree.... If a child sits there are does nothing,
he/she deserves to fail.... but I would want to know
why he or she is sitting there doing nothing before I
fail them. Are you talking one on one with these
children who do nothing to find out why? I only had
two kids fail art in my years as a middle school
teacher -and that was because in their eyes doing
nothing was "cool" (and their parents didn't care what
grade they got in art, either).

Regards,

Judy Decker

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