ABSTRACT
Building relationships with art students does not just include the relationship between the art teacher and the student. It also has to do with the relationships that students build between each other, as well as their relationship to the art projects they work on. As a teacher, encouraging both of these relationships is imperative to create independent art students who are in touch with their artwork. Working independently does not always mean working alone. Instead, students should come to understand what it means to have a support network, including the valuable relationships that they will make with other artists. An art teacher guides and instructs students, building relationships with them so that students feel they can come to the art teacher with questions about the art process. However, the art teacher must also give students the freedom to explore relationships with other students, and independently engage with their artwork so that what they create is entirely their own.
