To develop a unit as an art teacher, you first have to decide if you want to create a lesson by using and developing a skill or creating a lesson based on a topic that you want students to brainstorm about and then give students the opportunity to utilize materials based on their personal preference When creating the unit, you must include what standards are being taught and be able to break them down into objectives.

For this example, we will create a unit based on a topic students can brainstorm about then allow students to select what materials they are interested in utilizing for their project.

In this unit, students will create a self-portrait of what they want to be in the future. The standards that will be covered in this unit include:

• 5.VA:Re7.1 - Compare one’s own interpretation of a work of art with the interpretation of others
• 5.VA:Re7.2 - Identify and analyze cultural associations suggested by visual imagery.
• 5.VA:Cr1.1 - Combine ideas to generate innovative ideas for art-making.
• 5.VA:Cr2.2 - Demonstrate quality craftsmanship through care for and use of materials, tools, and equipment.
• 5.VA:Cr3 - Use art vocabulary to describe personal choices in artmaking and in creating artist statements

When developing a unit, it's important to know who your target audience is and have a general understanding of what their skills will be, what they learn during the lessons, and how the lessons will help them reach the objectives.

For this Unit, we will be focusing on 5th graders. The skills they will be developing are critical thinking skills as they brainstorm ideas for heir self-portait and utilize those ideas to create a visual representation of what they want to be in the future. 

After deciding on the unit you want to teach and which students the lesson will be developed for, you need to break down the unit into lessons with measurable objectives.

As a teacher, it's important to assess how students are doing during the lesson and ensure that they are reaching their objectives. The two types of assessments include formal and informatl. 

• Formal assessments are observations in which you check in on students to see how they are progressing
• Informal assessments are observations of students during the classes to ensure they are doing well and meeting expectations

When teaching your lessons, it's important keep the following in mind:

• Create a timeline of how the lesson should go and plan out what expectations you have for yourself as a teacher as well as for the students. This can help you build a routine so students know what to expect when you are teaching (Terada).
• Display visual representations of expectations and deliverables so students will know what is expected of them (Dillon).

As a teacher, it's important to assess how students are doing during the lesson and ensure that they are reaching their objectives. The two types of assessments include formal and informatl. 

• Formal assessments are observations in which you check in on students to see how they are progressing
• Informal assessments are observations of students during the classes to ensure they are doing well and meeting expectations

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an important part of student growth. During lessons you should keep in mind what SEL skills your lesson can incorporate to help students learn (World Economic Forum, 2016). 

SEL emotional competencies to keep in mind:

• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
• Creativity
• Communication
• Collaboration 
• Persistence/Grit
• Initiative
• Curiosity

SEL character qualities to keep in mind: 

• Social and cultural awareness
• Leadership
• Adaptability
• Persistence/Grit
• Initiative
• Curiosity

It's important to remember that you are not the only person working with your students. Collaboration is a vital part of teaching and knowing that you have a network of people to help you work with students helps you as a teacher and the students you are working with. 

• As an Art teacher, you are able to collaborate with students' homeroom teacher to help you create lessons based on what the students are learning in class. Along with lesson development, you can also work with homeroom teachers to understand students better to help you understand behaviour management strategies.
• Admin are good resources to assist with behaviour management as well as collaborating with installing student art work as well as possible gallery showcases.
• Parents are essential when working with students about behaviour in the classroom and keep students in check as parents should know how students are behaving in class and if they are doing their work.

• “2024 School Accountability Report Card.” Whitney Avenue Elementary School 2023-2024 School Accountability Report Card. Whitney Avenue Elementary School, 2024. Web. 15 Sept. 2025. 

• California Department of Education. (2019). California Arts Standards for Public Schools, Prekindergarten through Grade 12. California Department of Education.

• Dillon, R. (2018). ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: Becoming more intentional about classroom design can help teachers manage behavior, build community, and improve learning. Educational Leadership, 76(1), 40–45.

• Reeves, A. R. (2011). Where Great Teaching Begins : Planning for Student Thinking and Learning (p. 21). Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/alliant/reader.action?docID=806871&c=RVBVQg&ppg=1

• Terada, Y. (2019). 8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips. Edutopia.

• Tomlinson, C. A. (2018). Owning the Classroom Together: Ask students how they can create a classroom that works for everyone. Educational Leadership, 76(1), 88–89.

• New Vision for Education Fostering Social and Emotional Learning through Technology World Economic Forum ; Prepared in Collaboration with the Boston Consulting Group. Cologny/Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2016. Print.