The Art Docent Company
Suggestions for the
Art Docent
- Docent, please express to your students that we at The Art Docent
Company are excited for you young people to take our classes because
you will learn many new things most people don’t know. Even most
adults do not know much of this information.
. - When Lesson Plan says wait for a response, please give the children 5
seconds to respond. This has been proven to be the proper length of
time to respond according to Rowe 1974.
. - Whenever possible create an Art Gallery atmosphere. Have easels
placed around the room with relevant lesson visuals on them for that
days lesson if possible. Display a map of the world as well as having your
digital one on your screen.
. - It is a good idea to have your students stand up or shake their hands
every 20 minutes to replenish their energy and concentration. It will
help increase brain performance according to Chung 2009.
. - Docent, when you see words repeated in your Lesson Plan it is
important that you know if the children are absorbing them. YOU are the
ultimate decision maker of this objective. This is in keeping with our
repetitive teaching method. YOU are ultimately responsible to make
sure your students understand the material.
. - Docent, alternative projects may be implemented if they are tied into
students current curriculum so long as they are in context with The Art
Docent Program’s Lesson Plans.
. - For all those Docents who are novices it is helpful to practice giving a lesson in
a mirror. This will give you more confidence when you instruct each lesson.
Please Don’t Forget to Smile!
. - Docent, it is important that after your students have taken a few lessons, for you
to encourage them to analyze, critique, and recognize the Elements of Art and the
Principles of Design in Art Works that they may encounter locally in newspapers
or in museums or even on posters on the street. This will reinforce this very
important knowledge of what it takes to produce visual art. Practicing drawing
or painting at home will also reinforce this knowledge.
. - Docent, we encourage you to read The New York Times Arts and Leisure section
weekly (at your local library or online) or any local newspapers so that you will be
familiar with art events that are taking place. You can impart this information to
your students at the end of class. You can even encourage your older students,
perhaps 6, 7th, and 8th graders to read these publications as well. They will get
excited about a local exhibition of Periods of Art that they already learned about.
. - Docent, we encourage you to take the opportunity to have a local artist come to
your class and present his or her artwork to your students. As the artist presents
his or her work, perhaps you might ask what Elements of Art or Principles of
Design the students recognize in the artworks or what Genre the artwork is,
for example: landscape, portrait, or still life.
. - Docent, if possible after students complete our program give out a Certificate
of Achievement to each student. You may find one under Docent on our
Menu Bar. You may make a copy of this one for each student. Please fill in the
name of the student. Students will be proud of their accomplishment. This builds
self esteem!