Artful Assessment

Visual Arts Lesson
Teacher Reflections by Cam Weir

Reflection 1

This lesson was effective and enjoyed by the students. The open-ended nature of the project, where there was no real “right or wrong” way to create the assemblage, freed the students to be creative and expressive. The students loved the project and found it relaxing. They felt it was the best lesson they had ever done.

Reflection 2

I wanted my students to have an appreciation for three-dimensional work, especially abstract sculpture. Most children recognize and appreciate realism in painting and sculpture, but it is harder for them to understand abstract or non-objective art. My goal was for students to be able to talk about a work of art using accurate vocabulary. I wanted them to understand 2D and 3D art, and abstraction and representation. For their own art, I wanted them to demonstrate depth, pattern, rhythm, and variety in their work.

Reflection 3

The checklist was introduced at the beginning of the lesson and used as an introduction. The rubric was given at the end of the lesson. I feel that the rubric is too involved, and this lesson was so open-ended the rubric did not seem necessary. Perhaps a written reflection about their work would have been more effective. The notes the students wrote on the back of the rubric were the most useful for providing insight to the students’ progress.