During the last class at Beattie, we did a blind contour exercise, where students drew each other without being able to look at their paper. This was a time when I saw students being really engaged in what they were doing, because it was something that was interesting to them. It was something fun, that they had never tried before, which was incredible to see. I think that so often we are afraid of failing in art, that we are too nervous to even begin. Even at the college level for me, there have been projects that make me so nervous that I don't want to begin. However, blind contour exercises are great because they allow for students to not have to worry about making mistakes. Students can try something that isn't about how the product looks at all, it is about the process that they go through. Students through this are learning to look at things closely, which can help them learn and grow as artists throughout their whole life. I think a huge part of learning is done through making mistakes, so we should teach students that it is ok to make mistakes, they can learn and grow through that instead of seeing it as a failure. The students at Beattie weren't nervous to start this at all, whereas sometimes they are nervous to begin their other projects. This is important because it allows for exploration without pressure, which is where much more learning can happen. For my piece this week, I focused on this idea of process over product. I was experimenting with different types of dye in the fibers studio. I used black beans in order to get some dots in the background, which created an interesting texture that I hadn't ever tried before. I also focused this piece on the idea of blind contour in connection with the students I was working with. I drew a few blind contour drawings directly on the fabric, which was also a learning experience for me, because so often when working with fabric, I'm painting instead of drawing. These were all new experiences for me, just like they were for the students, and I learned through them about these processes. I also wanted to connect with their experiences which is why I did blind contours of the people around me.  

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Much of my learning and understanding around this topic has developed throughout the last couple of semesters. I learned about the importance of process over product, which is really important when thinking about the idea of making mistakes. In the reading Studio Art: Praxis, Symbol, Presence, which we read last semester, it talked about the idea of exploration and play or praxis. This this something that in art education is so important. Students need to be able to explore, and that can lead to the process being emphasized instead of the product. That reading was a huge part of my growth in understanding around this particular topic. 

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For me personally, I think this event made an impact on my understanding. So often we talk and discuss about hypothetical situations, where students are learning and growing more through focusing on process over product. However, it can be difficult for me to understand the true impact of the situation until I see it through my own perspective and with my own teaching. This experience at Beattie wasn't the first time I had seen this for myself, however, it was one of the times that I felt like had a strong impact. Every student was trying, they were engaged, and they were excited. I also think a big part of this is my observation of the students who are sometimes hesitant to go forward, because they aren't sure if they were happy with their work. There are a few students in the classes at Beattie that I notice sometimes are hesitant, however through observation with this task, they weren't hesitant at all, they were excited to jump right in. This is something that makes me excited to see, because my main goal in the classroom is for students to learn, and through this exercise students are able to learn significantly when they aren't afraid of making mistakes. I also remember doing something similar myself. In high school, I was always nervous to draw, because it is something that I've always struggled with a little bit. I have high expectations, and I'm not always able to meet them in drawing. However, in high school when we did an activity just like this one, I wasn't scared of drawing, but I learned something about the way in which I can look at things closely in order to create a drawing. I think this is something that I can work to instill in students, the idea of process over product. 

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For my teaching in the future, I think it will be important to think about assignments that will allow students to step back from their own exceptions. Lessons that let them play and learn through that play. Lessons that focus on what is being learned through the process, instead of what the final product ends up looking like. This is important for taking that pressure off of students, and allowing for them to grow through that experience. When we try to focus so much on making something perfect though, we don't learn as much, so this is something that I want to help my students realize in my classroom. I think I will create lessons that allow for students to explore and play more often. I think this is so important. I think allowing for a lot of this, and then one or two project where they are further exploring something they have tried would be an interesting way to teach. It could allow for experimentation in whatever students are interested in, and it would also allow for them to create a couple of finished pieces in the end that deal with this idea of process.