SCHOOL OF ART

Making the Transition from
High School to Art School

There are several essential differences between high school and art school. The sooner first-year student recognize these differences and adjust to the pace and level of responsibility required, the greater their prospects for success.
 

AS A STUDENT, YOU MUST:

1. Be receptive. You will learn what you choose to learn. A radio must be turned on to receive music; a student must be turned on to receive information. Listen carefully. College teachers tend to say more and repeat less than high school teachers. Take notes. 

2. Be prepared. Bring required supplies to every class. Bumming materials off other students will annoy your friends. Using class time for shopping will annoy your teacher. You control your bank balance and daily schedule; you are responsible for supplies. 

3. Do your homework. Most classes require at least four hours of homework each week. Pace yourself, so that you can complete assignments and avoid all-nighters. Bring all pertinent information to class, including preliminary studies. 

4. Arrive on time. Each session is packed with information, and we will start right on time. 

5. Attend class regularly. You must be present physically and mentally in order to learn the material. If you are feeling ill, try to attend the first hour of class, so that you can at least get a description of the current assignment. Stay home or go to the Health Center when you have strep, flu, severe bronchitis, or other serious illness. Bring cough drops and tissues if you are infectious and explosive! 

6. Get involved. If you are shy, sit near the front of the room. Ask questions. Work like you mean it. The foundation year is the basis for you entire college education: this is not a rehearsal.  

7. Make mistakes--it’s the fastest way to learn. Build on your previous experience rather than repeating past successes--you don't want to make high school the high point of your career. Clinging to a narrowly defined personal style can really limit learning. Take risks. 

8. Value your individuality. What are your unique strengths? How can those strengths be expanded? Is your visual voice best expressed though a soliloquy, a narrative, a song, or a whisper? Use your sketchbook as a record of your creative thinking throughout the term. 

9. Never give up. Some assignments will seem impossible at first, others just seem impossible to complete. Just keep at it, getting help as needed. The more work you do the more you will learn. In my experience as an artist, writer, and teacher, "talent" is generally overrated; tenacity is generally more important. No amount of facility can replace hard work.

AS A TEACHER, YOU CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT:

1. Have all the answers. Beyond the obvious limitations in anyone's knowledge, it is important to realize that it is largely through seeking answers that students learn. You should have answers to the technical questions inherent in each problem, and provide demonstrations. You should have a clear sense of your objectives for each assignment. If, however, you "have all the answers" to a problem, it is probably too limited conceptually and will afford little individual development. Let students experience healthy stress: have you made progress as an artist by playing it safe or avoiding challenges? When students complain of frustration, try to determine the cause, and then ask questions to help refocus thinking. 

2. Have all the questions. The nature of the question posed determines the nature of the answer given. Even your most carefully posed questions inevitably reflect your interests. Creating critiquing situations in which students pose questions, and giving students the freedom of a self-assignment in the last month of the year broadens the conceptual base of the course while increasing independence. 

3. Be an entertainer. Do make each assignment as interesting and engaging as possible--a little humor can go a very long way. Do not load your course with entertaining yet insubstantial problems. Students seeking entertainment should go to a movie. 

4. Become a parent. Many aspects of freshman teaching can become almost parental. It is tempting to adopt them all, to nurture like a parent, to become the sounding board for all their fears and frustrations. To a degree, this sort of love for students can distinguish the great teacher from the competent teacher. However, you must realize your own limitations in time, energy and resources, and find a reasonable balance between nurturing and smothering. And, avoid the role of psychotherapist. If students perform brilliantly in your course, but flounder helplessly in subsequent courses, their success was probably too dependent on you.

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AS A TEACHER, YOU MUST:

1. Listen. Listen to all your students, not just the talkers. Some of the best students are quiet and introspective; many have experienced substantial trauma; they may have a damned good reason for withholding trust. Work from the assumption that all are potential Michelangelos. Listen to their emotions as well as their words. Sometimes all they need is reassurance that the risks they are taking or ideas they are pursuing are valid. 

2. Never give up. Immaturity and fear of failure can cause some curious behavior, especially in the first semester. It is easy to write off a seemingly hopeless student after a month of class. While some students really don't belong in art and soon change majors, the majority can and do succeed eventually. Be flexible. Re-explain, using different words and providing analogies. For best communication, talk privately. 

3. Set high standards. If you expect hard work, innovative thinking and serious engagement, you will generally get it. If you accept frequent absences, lame excuses, poor preparation and endless clichés, poor performance is inevitable. Establishing ground rules during the first month of class is critical. The initial pattern tends to become the set pattern. Set reasonable expectations then insist on competent realization. Incompetent solutions must be re-done. 

4. Value the individual. Some students have strengths as teachers, and offer great insights in critiques. Others struggle with idea development, yet realize even modest ideas beautifully. Some struggle with technique, have difficulty generating ideas, clam up in critiques--and, are tenacious as bulldogs. Each of the qualities is essential to an artist: value them all.  

5. Be optimistic. Positive reinforcement is essential. The more one develops confidence, the more one takes risks.

All students desperately want to succeed, and your enthusiasm can provide crucial support. I'm not sure that anyone can really teach art, however, I do know that your attitude as well as your assignments can create an environment conducive to learning.