Online Art Classes: Can they be effective and satisfying for teacher & student?
Art Teaching & Learning in the time of Covid-19
We are now far into the quarantine brought about by Covid-19. My count is roughly 25 weeks so far!! Yes, it has flown by and many of us as teachers and students, have had to decide between letting go of our previous art teaching and art learning that was in process before life changed for all of us or finding a substitute to keep us on the creative path.
How to teach art effectively online
Firstly, one has to let go of the notion that as a teacher or creative coach, one is going to continue to create the same learning environment that was in place before our worlds got turned upside down. Yes there are cons to be sure, the most obvious one being not connecting physically. Im my art classes and workshops, we had built a beautiful supportive creative community in which we not only created amazing art, but over tea around the dining room table, shared stories both happy and sad.
Are there advantages to learning art online?
As an art student, it is challenging to find an online art class that is engaging and inspiring. One has to look at the teacher’s style by checking out their philosophy of teaching on their website. You can WATCH MY PHILOSPHY HERE. If the teacher is flexible and imaginative, they should be able to translate their teaching online. The advantages of learning art online can be:
Easier to focus on your own work and not be comparing your progress to that of others
By screen sharing or sharing images, the teacher can watch each step of your process and be able to give feedback where necessary.
Helping to create a home space to work in that can be returned to between classes. This can be a kitchen table or a dedicated room or studio.
No carting materials between classes and getting stuck in traffic!
