As educators, it's crucial to purposefully create a learning environment that inspires students to actively participate in the creative process. Building a conducive space involves establishing trust with students, ensuring they understand the purpose of instructions, and empowering them to approach activities in their own distinct manner.

Here are three things I like to keep in mind when designing a focused & engaging arts-integrated activity:

Identify the art strategy

Name and know precisely what you are developing in the activity; dialing in your arts objective can help eliminate distracting choices and tasks (e.g., exploring watercolor, facial expressions in pantomime, using contrast to build tension in collage, etc.). Just like any lesson plan, naming your objective promotes a focused activity. There is a beautiful chaos that is a part of creating, but the organization of the activity itself shouldn't feel chaotic.

Clarify what skills & art vocabulary need to be taught.

What essential skills must you impart to students to enable them to grasp and employ the artistic strategy you've identified? For instance, when introducing watercolors, students should learn how to handle a paintbrush, understand how to add a drop of water to their brush, blend it with their chosen color, and properly clean the brush between colors. This reflective process focuses not on the product's final appearance but on providing students with the necessary skills to cultivate expertise in this particular art form.

Focus on what artistic freedoms will be available to students

With our newfound focus, we've minimized distractions, paving the way for enhanced engagement and accessibility. Instead of framing an activity with the question, "What will the final product look like?" I prefer to consider, "What opportunities for choice am I providing?" and, "In what ways am I encouraging the celebration of individual expression?" For instance, when students use watercolors, they can freely choose colors, control the amount of water they use, and experiment with dots, strokes, layers, blotting, bleeding, and more. Shifting away from a rigid emphasis on a predetermined outcome fosters an environment where creating becomes a means of personal expression and exploration.

By infusing intentionality into the design of my activities and acknowledging that intention doesn't always translate directly into impact, I create space for authentic, potent, and sometimes entirely unforeseen expressions from students! When I notice that an activity isn't unfolding as anticipated for a student, I find it valuable to ask myself, "What is the underlying purpose of this activity?" This question becomes a powerful tool for recalibration, helping me identify which behaviors require attention and which ones merit celebration.