Many students at Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School are at an advantage when it comes to viewing artwork. Through a partnership with the Yale Center for British Art, teachers have been invited to learn how to lead students through art observation in a method of viewing introduced to us by New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The teacher’s role in the discussion of the paintings is really that of a middleman/woman; the teacher helps the students to respond and discuss their observations without any interference. By beginning with the phrase, “What do you see here?” teachers are inviting students to make their own observations and draw their own conclusions based on their own viewing. Basically all of the students have some feeling or point of view about what they are observing. It is the teacher’s role to simply help them communicate what they feel, think or see. Simple repetition, paraphrasing and questioning allows teachers to do what they naturally do in class on a daily basis; helps students realize and share their own potential and abilities that make them individuals.
In the classroom or in the museum, students sit in front of the work, observe quietly for a few minutes and then are asked to share their feelings on the work. I ask probing questions to get the students to share their thoughts; what do you see? What makes you say that? Does anyone see anything else? What else do you see? What is this? What do you think this is? Why? Does anyone else see that? Does anyone else see anything different? All the students’ comments are welcomed and encouraged. No answer is wrong and no answer or interpretation is any better or worse than any other.