|
|
|
Planning an artist visit
A VISIT BY A TRADITIONAL ARTIST to your classroom can lead to rich and
varied learning experiences. Like all such events, however, it requires
careful planning.
Before contacting the artist:
- Decide on a tentative focus and format of an artist’s visit.
- Have a clear idea of the amount of money you are willing to pay the
artist.
- Identify tentative dates and cross-check with other school events.
- Ensure that there is a venue available on each of the tentative dates.
Initial contact with the artist:
- Communicate your interests and situation.
- Ask the artist questions to determine if this artist is a good fit
for your needs and interests.
- Agree on a date, time, and price.
- Find out if the artist will need you to provide any equipment or anything
else.
- Talk to the artist enough to gather background information for the
visit. Depending on the artist, he or she may be able to send you a
demo tape or other materials.
- Inform the artist that you will be sending him/her a written contract
for the tentative agreements made in your conversation.
- Exchange contact information with the artist.
Immediately after artist contact:
- Notify the office of the scheduled event and add the event to the
school master calendar.
- Make sure there is space in your classroom for the artist visit or
book a space for the performance.
- Notify any personnel who will be involved with or affected by the
performance. Make sure that you want to go ahead with the booking.
- Send the artist a written contract that formalizes the agreements
made verbally. Request that the contract be signed and returned. (Arts
Council representatives are really helpful in providing samples of simple
contracts.)
- Provide directions to the school and any other pertinent information.
Before the artist's visit:
- Gather and share background information on the artist.
- Engage students in preparing interview questions for the artist. Make
a plan for collecting interview data from the artist. (See Interviewing
artists for ideas on teaching good interviewing techniques.)
- Set a purpose for the visit.
- Brainstorm curriculum integration possibilities. Think about how you
will use this experience with an artist to work toward academic, social,
and emotional goals for students. (See Curriculum
integration ideas and The artist's visit
as springboard for suggestions.)
- Make sure you have the signed contract from the artist.
- Follow local procedures for preparing a check or other form of agreed-upon
payment.
- Reserve video camera and/or digital camera (optional).
- Invite local school board personnel and/or the local press (optional).
- Make agenda/schedule for the visit. Provide a copy to the office,
each teacher involved, and save one for the artist.
- Identify students who will help the artist while he/she is at the
school. Students can help by serving as guides, getting water, carrying
the artist’s gear, etc.
- Reconfirm the artist’s visit the day prior to the visit. Review
what will happen and what is expected. Make sure the artist is clear
on how to get to the school.
During the artist's visit:
- Participate in the performance and discussion.
- Take notes on the artist for your records. Think about how you will
use this visit to meet your instructional agenda. Pay attention to the
ideas and aspects of the visit that students seem most interested in.
(See The artist's visit as springboard
for an example of how one teacher did this.)
- Take pictures and video.
- Monitor students’ questions and behavior.
- Help the artist keep track of time and pace of the event. Some artists
are not accustomed to sharing their music in a school situation. Your
time cues and gentle direction will be appreciated.
- Pay artist the agreed on amount for services rendered.
- Ask artist to evaluate their experience at your school. This School
Experience Evaluation from Haywood County, NC, may serve as a model.
After the artist's visit:
- Guide students to reflect on the performer and performance through
discussion and journal writing.
- Work with students to synthesize interview data.
- Have students write thank you letters to performers (as a shared writing
experience, in teams, or independently).
- Use the momentum generated by the performance as a springboard for
curriculum integration.
- Reflect on the success of the artist. Make personal notes to self
about how you may or may not use the artist in future years. You may
wish to use an evaluation like this Link Artist
Evaluation Form from Haywood County, NC.
>> Preparing your students
to interact with artists
|