Are You Maximizing Your Art Room Drying Rack? How to Champion Your Students!

Everyone has a drying rack. It could be a wire drying rack, a shelf, a taped-off section of the floor, a back table, or even a bulletin board. It’s the place where work goes to dry before storage. But what if you could harness your drying rack for so much more? 

The class period can get busy very quickly. It can be challenging to check in with each student about how their artwork is progressing. However, the drying rack can give you deeper insight into your students’ creative processes, provide a point of connection, and highlight areas to champion!

Maudeleora Kaufman, a high school visual and performing arts teacher in Virginia, shares what she uses for a makeshift drying rack and how she maximizes this area and system for student growth.

Here are three things to look for in an in-progress artwork on the drying rack:

1. What techniques are students shining in? Celebrate them!
2. What techniques are they struggling with? Give them opportunities for extra practice. 
3. Who is drastically behind and who is surging forward? Check in and connect with them.

Discover more ways to level up your assessment strategies with PRO Learning:

• Formative Assessment Strategies Pack
• Implementing Formative Assessment Strategies Pack

To chat about the drying rack with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!