The “third spaces” of learning, excitement, reward, etc. that happen between two of the three entities in good artistic or educational engagement looked something like this:

              

 

2. Unpacking the “Standards” and Critical Thinking
We actually looked closely at the NYS Standards for Learning (all of them, not just the arts!) and demystified what they really look like in artistic practice and in really good learning. We also bravely addressed what we can love and enjoy about them. Parallel references included Bloom’s Taxonomy and Gardener’s Multiple Intelligences “verbs” that can help us to craft really good objectives for why we are doing what we are doing. (See objectives developed by Judith Burton at Columbia Teachers College in her Guide for Teaching and Learning in the Visual Arts. )

3. The Educational Environment
We reviewed the ownership of a learning environment…and how it is often something that teaching artists struggle with if they are working in a school setting. While we often see it as the domain of a classroom teacher, it is really the domain of the students who must be in that same space for the whole day, no matter who is acting as teacher at the moment. Something to keep in mind: the quality of engagement in that place is often shaped by many outside factors. It is best to be fully aware of the whole world surrounding your space so that you can be prepared for whatever (intentions, ideas, issues, etc.) the student or colleague teachers/artists are walking into the room with.

Here is a graphic reminder from Harvard Project Zero “Qualities of Quality” study to illustrate:

 

 
4. Goals for Today and Tomorrow
As we begin to invest in professional development that is meaningful and most helpful to our individual paths (conferences, workshops, degrees, etc.), we began an inventory of the skills that we know we have, and the skills that we hope to expand. This allowed for us to share experience from veteran teaching artists to new teaching artists and to have a dynamic exchange of professional support from each other for the future. This self-assessment tool is helpful to keep as a blank copy on your computer, and you can use it as an evolving strategic planner for your teaching artist career development.