Here’s some information on the professional development that we are offering the Art Department this year.

These are the overarching goals that we have established for the professional development:

• Engage in a curriculum mapping exercise to develop internal documents for department collaboration as well as public facing documents to communicate about the Art Department to the community
• Explore the Studio Habits of Mind (through Studio Thinking 2: The Real Benefits of Visual Arts Education book study, content shared by art consultant, and classroom based discussions)
• Reflect on teaching practices through classroom visitations, demonstration lessons, and discussions facilitated by art consultant

Art teachers are working with art consultant, Constance Moore. Constance is the Education Coordinator at the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) and she works with teachers across the Bay Area as a teaching artist and coach. She is also an Adjunct Faculty member in the Art Department at Holy Names University and works as an Integrated Learning Specialist Program Instructor for Alameda County Office of Education. Constance received her BA in Politics from Mount Holyoke College, an MA in Museum Studies from Brown University, and she is pursuing an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College.

In the professional development plan, Constance will be working with the Art Department throughout the year. During the nine sessions, here are some of the considerations and goals that we are keeping in mind:

• Teachers will participate in a visual art curriculum mapping exercise as well as lesson plan development consistent curriculum-building learning goals for each grade level.
• Constance will model art lessons with a facilitated debrief discussions afterwards. Teachers will engage in reflection and inquiry though the use of discussion protocols and documentation tools.
• Teachers will participate in hands-on art projects to extend and inspire instruction in their own art programs.
• The Studio Habits of Mind and Teachings For Understanding will be used as a framework for the meetings. 
• Curriculum development will be age/grade appropriate for Kinder through 8th grade using the California Visual Art standards and Common Core State Standards.
• Constance will support and mentor the art teachers while maintaining a leadership role, which also includes keeping the focus on our overarching goals throughout the process. 
• Roxanne Pagett, MOCHA’s Executive Director, will supervise all program management. 
• Throughout the year, Wendy Holmes, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, will serve as the liaison to communicate regularly with Constance to help develop and refine the plan for each meeting with the Art Department. This will ensure that the plan meets the needs of the department members and continues to work towards our overarching goals.