Ideas on Teaching Young Artists

The making of art takes precedence over all other activities.
Intellectual sophistication is not always determined by age.
Teaching art is a combination of providing opportunities for personal exploration and expression, skill-building through practice and exposure to techniques, and the understanding of past and current trends and reactions to trends within time periods.
The young are naturally curious and creative; avoid over-teaching when a few choice words will do.
Learning is internalized by connecting concepts to practice.
Emphasis on creative approaches and engagement in creating takes precendence over "correct" drawing or strict adherence to set outcome.
Encourage risk taking in art; this is critical if the artist is to add new schemas to help them navigate through increasing complexities.
Young artists should see the highest quality art in person.
Use the masters to show students possible ways towards the expression of an idea. I always include historical points about the time in which they lived and how political and social realities could have played a part in their work. I'm fascinated by how art is constantly rebelling against the past and present.
Keep many sketchbooks.
It’s time to move beyond the elements and principles of design. These concepts by themselves do not constitute understanding; they are definitions that are learned through the process of making art.
The practice of art is a journey that can branch in many different directions that leads to both personal and collective discoveries.
Students should be involved in the display and explanation of their work. If they can hold a pair of scissors and and a glue stick they are capable of taking part in this important facet of art.
New technologies and mediums are an important part of contemporary arts education, but they should not replace making things by hand.
Drawing is still the most accessible and immediate form of visual communication available to the elementary, middle and high school art teacher.