The Habits of Mind in the Art Classroom

Ana Melo

As an art teacher, I used to struggle with the mindset of students who would perceive art classes as merely recreational rather than intellectual. Then I began working with the Habits of Mind. This collection of 16 intellectual dispositions proved a great framework that enabled me not only to change student misconceptions about art, but also to articulate the experiences students have in art class in a more meaningful way. The process I used can be applied to any subject area.

I started by examining my current practice to highlight which habits students would be using in class. Most of my units can be divided into five parts: (1) introduction, (2) planning, (3) process, (4) final product, and (5) reflection. Each class I would use the Habits of Mind vocabulary and point out which habits were being used, which has resulted in a more positive culture of learning. Students have become more aware of the thinking processes used in art class, which has helped them value art even more.

1. During the lesson introduction, I use demonstrations and warm-ups and give a unit handout to motivate students. In this phase, the most common habits are questioning and posing problems, listening with understanding and empathy, and finding humor. One powerful activity is showing students a work of art and having them suggest which of the Habits of Mind the artist might have used to create that piece. By doing this, they are able to reflect on which habits they themselves would use to create their own pieces, or which ones they would need to develop to do so. I purposefully show very different images, which also develops the habit of remaining open to continuous learning.
2. In project planning, I encouraged students to not go with their first idea, but rather come up with many possibilities. Students might create an idea web, brainstorm ideas, draw sketches, set goals for their studio work, and then share their ideas with the group. Through these activities they use such Habits of Mind as managing impulsivity; creating, imagining, and innovating; and thinking and communicating with clarity and precision.
3. Next comes the hands-on process of creating art. It becomes a very interactive process, as I walk around asking questions, giving feedback through Post-it notes, having students give feedback to each other, as well as writing in journals about what they have accomplished. The most used habits during this part are persisting, striving for accuracy, applying past knowledge to new situations, gathering data through all senses, thinking with flexibility, thinking interdependently, and thinking about thinking.
4. From there, we get the final products created by the students—the artwork itself. Students share their pieces with the class, take digital pictures to document the final result, and display their artwork to the community. At this phase, I highlight the same habits used during the process of creating it (see above) as well as the habit of responding with wonderment and awe.
5. The last part, reflection, brings together the whole process and sets the tone for future learning. Although I use it for closure, a lot of reflection happens during the whole process. Students look back at what they have planned and what actually happened, which skills they used to accomplish their plan, and which skills they need to improve. This can be done through written reflections, peer feedback, open-ended questions formulated by students, portfolio presentations, conferences, and so on. The habits used here are remaining open to continuous learning, thinking and communicating with clarity and precision, questioning and posing problems, and thinking about thinking.

Applying the Habits of Mind has been a fabulous professional development experience that proved to be an effective way to change the culture in my classroom. Now, my students perceive art as not only fun but also demanding the use of their intellect in precise and varied ways.

Ana Melo has taught visual arts for 20 years in public and private schools in Brazil. She currently teaches middle school art at the Escola Americana do Rio de Janeiro.