I run an art studio. We are growing... we need to grow more. I currently have 50 or so students a week, but realistically need 300 - 400 to really expand and justify the space that we have. My marketing guys (You have to worry when the marketing guy wants to make suggestions about learning) think that what we need is a certificate of achievement. Something the kids can take home and put on the wall and show their parents.
You would think that a child coming home from an ART SCHOOL would have something better to put on the wall than a certificate... but, hey... Millennials... so, last night I sat down, to create a certificate.
What I came up with, I am actually quite proud of... I immediately uploaded it to 'teachers pay teachers' and the art teacher facebook groups that I'm a member of... An all in one assessment tool...
Yes! It's a certificate... it's also a school report, a list of learning intentions, a 'next step guide' and a tool to teach parents what I believe is the most important learning in the art room and a tool to sit with students and staff and help them identify what learning is really happening in the classes.
So, here it is...
We are making a couple of "WELL DONE" and a 'Next Steps' stickers, that are students would help me to place on their 'Cert'... This helps them to see where they are, what they did well, and what they can focus on next.
Our plan is to spend 20 minutes at the end of each unit of learning... discussing what was learnt, going through the 'Cert' and getting the students to personally reflect on and place stickers next to their two biggest strengths in that theme, and their personal goal or next step. It's always good to develop your practice, so I'm hoping this exercise will be a great next step at the studio... I'll keep you updated.
