The Art Docent Company
Instructions and Notes
for the Art Docent
These instructions are specifically for the novice Art Docent. Have fun instructing your lesson! After you do it a few times you will become very comfortable and familiar with the format and method of instruction.
- Docent refers to a teacher or instructor. You are a Docent.
. - Docent, our Lesson Plans allow for a 90 minute presentation ideally.
If you have a time restraint, there is a Homework site where a Quick
Review and Vocabulary for your lesson can be completed by your
students before you give your lesson and a Review/Assessment Quiz
for your lesson can be completed by your students after your
presentation. You will find this Homework site with instructions
under Docent on the menu bar of your Lesson Plan. You will give
students a link to this Homework site. Students will need a User
Name and Password to Log in to access this Homework site.
. - For schools that require Blended Learning Scheduling our Lesson
Plans require a minimum of 40-45 minutes. A Quick Review of the History of Art
from your Lesson Plans, up until the lesson the students will be taking and
vocabulary for the lesson they are taking can be completed by students
prior to your lesson presentation on their own time. This will allow students
to be prepared for the new subject matter that you are about to instruct. They
will be able to access this information from a Homework site, which
you will give them access to by going to Docent on the Menu Bar and then to
Homework where you will find instructions on how your students
can access this site. They can also access a Review/Assessment Quiz from
this same site. They can take this quiz on their own time after you have
completed your lesson.
. - For schools that require Block Learning Scheduling our Lesson Plans work
great at 90 minutes. For 40-45 minute lessons minimize the review to what the
students learned in their prior lesson or use Quick Review found under
Docent on our Menu Bar. A one-hour (60 minutes) lesson works well with
approximately 20 minutes for instruction, 20 minutes for the project, and
approximately 20 minutes for the closure portion of the lesson.
. - Smile, Smile, Smile! Being an Enthusiastic Instructor is contagious.
Smiling reduces stress levels and makes everyone around you feel
better.
. - Please make sure that your students especially in kindergarten to
third grade, use the rest room before class begins. There is no time once
class begins.
. - Before instructing any lesson please read the History of Art for
Docents by The Art Docent Company. Look for it under Docent
on our Menu Bar. Before you give each lesson, review the
period of Art which you will be instructing that day. Each period of art is
color-coded the same as our timeline and Lesson Plan pages in order for
you to recognize the period of art you will be instructing.
. - Docent, become familiar with what a Mandala is from our Lesson Plans
and even draw some yourself. This will enable you to know what your
students are experiencing when you instruct how to draw a Mandala.
. - Be sure to read each Lesson Plan to familiarize yourself with the
subject matter and project. Review the lesson you will be giving as many
times as it takes to become proficient. Each lesson is succinct and will require
the docent to be thoroughly knowledgeable of all subject matter. This
will ensure an efficient delivery of each lesson.
. - It is important to know how much time has been allowed for your lesson plan.
Every docent should have a watch, a phone, or classroom clock to
ensure having the exact time. There must be a cut off time from instruction
to allow students to have enough time to complete their projects and for
the closure portion of the lesson.
. - Docent, please be sure you know how many students will be in your
class so you have all the media on hand for the project that you will be
presenting well in advance of your presentation. As you talk about what
media they will use for their projects in the lesson plan, display it as well.
Have extra media in case it is needed, especially white paper. Try to use new
materials as your students will not want to use old and broken crayons for
instance. If for some reason the media for your project is not available,
have students use pencils and paper to draw anything relating to the days
project. Be Creative!
. - Docent, familiarize yourself with the project you will instructing
in advance of the Lesson Plan you will be instructing that day. If your
project requires photo copies, make sure you download and print them
before you instruct the lesson. Displaying a completed project is extremely
helpful to the students and you will then experience what they are
experiencing when they are in the process of making each project.
These projects are explicitly (clearly) detailed and designed to be easily
accomplished.
. - Docent, always have your students sign their artwork projects.
. - Docent, assess each student’s project before they bring them home.
Some students may have to complete their projects at home. Please
assess by the use of these questions:
.
— a. was lesson understood
— b. was project completed satisfactorily
— c. did student engage and participate in class by answering any questions posed
— d. did student participate in cooperation exercises
. - Each Lesson Plan has its own Review/Assessment Quiz. Look for it under
Review/Assessment on our Menu Bar.
You will find the answers under Docent on our Menu Bar. Then go to
Review/Assessment Answers.
This assessment can be given any time before the next lesson. You will be able
to access your students answers by logging in under Review/Assessment
on our Menu Bar. Then go to Docent on your Menu Bar and to your
lesson on Quiz Submission to access your students answers.
. - Docent, if no one has an answer to a question from your Lesson Plan,
you may read the answer to your students. If a student asks a question
that you do not know the answer to, just say that you will get back to
them with an answer next time you meet for class.
. - Docent, whenever possible, we suggest that you play classical music during
project time, for classical enrichment. Music should not played be too loud.
It should be played as background music.
. - The preferred chronological order of classes is: Art of the Caves Part 1 and 2,
African Art and Culture Part 1 and 2, Native Americans of North America “The
American Indian,” Part 1 and 2, Ancient Egyptian Art and Culture Part 1 and 2,
Art and Culture of Ancient Greece Part 1 and 2, Art and Culture of Ancient Rome
Part 1 and 2, Art and Culture of The Middle Ages Part 1 and 2, Art and Culture of
the Renaissance Part 1 and 2, “The Age of Impressionism,” Part 1 and 2 and
Hispanic and Latin American Art and Culture Part 1 and 2.
. - Docent, you should have an attendance sheet with the first name and first
initial from the last name of each student for the lesson plan that you will
be instructing. Your administrator should provide this sheet to you at
least one day in advance of your instruction date, so that you know how
many students will be in your class and for you to prepare the amount of
media you will need for each project. If you do not receive this attendance
sheet in advance please ask your administration organization for this.
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The Duty of Care for Students – When non teaching staff, volunteers and external providers agree to perform tasks that require them personally to care for students (in the absence of a member of the teaching staff), they will also owe a duty to take such measures as are responsible in all the circumstances to protect students from risks of harm that reasonably ought to be foreseen.