Art Teachers: How to motivate Young Students

Technology has simplified life in many ways. However, we can safely say that it also complicated teaching, since the only thing that kids seem to want these days, is to look at their phone, to see who wrote on their social media timeline, to play games, or to chat with their friends on Spotify. But it is the job of a teacher to know how to motivate his students. Here are a few ideas that should help.

Turn the Classroom into an Art Gallery

What students want the most is attention. The best way to give it to them, is to do an exhibition where parents and friends will be invited to attend. You can even create customized hang tags, on which students can describe their work of art. To make it even more interesting, let visitors buy the work, if they wish to and create a fund with the money collected, so that you can take the students to visit a variety of museums, throughout the year.

Invite Artists to talk with Them

Another thing that students like is “people.” Therefore, any artist, even a little known, will become an attraction for them. Of course, the objective is not to entertain them, but to let them see the possibilities that are offered to anyone, in the world of art. If you take it upon you to make them aware of these opportunities, you probably won’t be successful. But a real artist will. That may get your students to be more active, at least for a few weeks after the visitor came to your classroom.

Let them create Work of Arts through Technology

“If you can’t beat them, join them.” This is something that is available for you, as an art teacher. There is so much software that exist today, for someone to become an artist. This will also open the door for you to talk about NFTs. These virtual creations should definitely get them interested. You can find a creative app online, that everyone can use for the project.

Change Art Form Often

Art is not just about drawing or painting. Your students can work on a sculpture project, a collage, or they can even sew textiles. By varying the art form that they work on, there is a greater possibility that all of them will find one that they like at some point. At the end of the year, let them choose the art form of their choice, to create an ultimate work, that will be on exhibition in the school. 

Tell them Art Stories

You won’t understand the power of stories, until you start using them. In fact, everyone loves to listen to them, if it is told with passion. This is a great way to teach about the history of art, which is a knowledge just as important as practicing art. You can create a context that will be favourable for them to listen. Dim the light low and make it a thriller, as you describe the life of some of the most important artists of various times.