Out of eight students submitting drawing portfolios this year, SIX out of the eight kids got a 5!!!!!! OMG! Six 5’s?!?!?! This is amazing, really. THEY are amazing! We also got one 4 & one 3 and I’m elated that everyone passed. But I’m blown away by these scores… wow.
CONGRATULATIONS Lissette, Celena, Jessica, Kristia, Emily & Austin on your FIVES!!!!! I don’t usually post student scores but wow… just wow. Average score 4.625. *Mic drop*
Mt. Eden AP Studio Art: Drawing 
That is great! Please share your secret! I’m happy all three of mine passed, but no 5s.
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Hi Suzette,
I wish I could say I have magic trick but I really think it’s just practice, practice, PRACTICE! I require 1 piece to be put up each week for critique but the kids work on 2 pieces at a time so they’ve really got 2 weeks per piece. This fast pace is not easy at first, but by about October they’re used to it and by December or January you can see their skills skyrocket. I tell them “Practice doesn’t make perfect but it DOES make progress!”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/07/drawing-progress-photos_n_5533734.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063
Also, the weekly critiques take up a lot of time (1 whole period a week) but it really helps them to be able to critique their own work (and each others’) while their working. This builds a trust in each other so they don’t just have me as their one teacher, they’ve got 25 teachers in their classmates. Lastly, they turn their work in a few days AFTER the critique so they have the opportunity to apply the feedback they get at the critique.
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Good tips. I have been doing one piece per week with mandatory 5 when you walk through the door the first day of school. Critiques are like pulling teeth at first, but they get with it eventually. Nothing makes my heart sing with joy then when I hear students critiquing each others work unsolicited by me. And, not, “Oh that is so cute” or ” OMG he is hot!” I would love to know how you get them to do such awesome value changes with prisma and painting. I’m doing a shared google folder with a couple of AP teachers so we can collaborate on the fly. Would you like to partake? I have thumbnails of all my kids portfolios there now. I have them do a one sheet portfolio as a final. Eastartroom blogger Tim Bogatz is also sharing his AP stuff.
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I’d love to be in the shared google folder! How does one go about joining?
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Do your students do the 2D Design or the drawing portfolio?
Thanks,
Joanna Mann
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Hi Joanna,
For the past 6 years or so I’ve only taught the Drawing portfolio. For many years before that, I taught all three portfolios in the same class (often mixed in with other art classes), but I know I didn’t properly serve our 2D & 3D kids. Plus, now I have enough kids signing up to keep AP Drawing running as it’s own class. Recently, our awesome 3D teacher has taken on AP 3D. We still don’t have an AP 2D class yet but we just hired a new teacher who has the skills and experience to build that program.
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I just wanted to drop by and say thank you SO much for sharing such an incredibly well-put-together website with the world! I am an art teacher in Seoul, Korea, and I am in my 2nd year teaching AP Drawing and 2D Design, 3rd year teaching art. This resource has been absolutely invaluable to me, especially in showing example pieces to my students. I also love the way you spend the time after the AP giving back to the school with murals!
How long did it take you to develop your stride-ironing out these routines of pacing, etc.? I just wanted to drop by and let you know how much you are helping me, and how much you inspire me! So thank you!
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Wow, thank you so much! It’s great to get your feedback. When I first made this website I wondered if anyone would ever see it or care, apart from my own students, who still don’t use it as much as I’d like… So, thank you!
I’ve been teaching art since 1992, and AP since 2002 and I’ve been fine tuning ever since! In the beginning I attended some invaluable AP institutes in Hawaii and California which gave me the basics of the AP portfolio & other class logistics like grading, the calendar, etc.
I didn’t invent very much of what’s on this site, I just put it all out there in a somewhat organized way. Since SO many amazing teachers helped me along the way, I feel it’s important that I “Pay It Forward” and I’m so glad that you’ve found it helpful!
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