What Artists Do

<p><b>This book explains why </b><b>Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB)</b><b> is an influential art education movement, addresses misconceptions about TAB, and shares real-life examples from practicing teachers.</b><br><br>With a diverse range of examples from teachers and school districts who use the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) approach, <i>What Artists Do</i> provides a strong argument for the place of TAB in today’s K–12 visual arts education landscape. After beginning in the 1970s as a grassroots movement, TAB’s growth has been fueled by passionate teachers sharing ideas through social media, conferences, workshops, and professional development events. TAB’s continued expansion is driven by its student-centered approach to artmaking, the creativity of its practitioners, and a growing demand for educational models that prioritize innovation and self-direction. With chapters tailored for a wide audience—including experienced and new art teachers, administrators, and teacher educators—this book serves as a practical resource for understanding and implementing TAB in art rooms everywhere.<br><br><b>Book Features:</b><br></p><ul><li>Includes over 40 full-color images of student artwork, classroom resources, and art teachers practicing in their studios</li><li>Offers ideas and guidance for using a choice-based approach to visual arts education that values student agency, classroom community, and artistic process and thinking.</li><li>Cites evidence-based research that supports TAB as a best practice in contemporary art education and explains the psychological underpinnings of choice and student engagement.</li><li>Addresses the growth of this approach over the past 50 years, as well as TAB's place in the historical evolution of art education.</li></ul>