ABSTRACT
When creating lesson plans, art teachers must be careful not to put all their students into a strict box. Lessons must be able to fit themselves to students, not the other way around. Art classes are about celebrating individuals and allowing them creative license to decide on their paths. When teaching for artistic independence, students must learn that they are going to grapple with the unknown, that they have agency and must make decisions when it comes to their art. When considering your own art education, and when learning how to be an art teacher, consider a teacher or mentor in your life that provided you the freedom to explore and find your voice. Reflecting will help you understand how best to teach for individual students instead of as a collective class. And as you consider how you found your voice, think too about how you communicate the special qualities you have to others. That is also something students must learn. As they find their unique voices and creative leanings, they must be able to communicate with their peers and audiences about what is unique in their art and place it in context. They must be individual, but understand why and how they are individual.
