What Artists Do: Tab Pedagogy and Practice for K-12 Choice-Based Art Classes (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780807783979)

This book explains why Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) is an influential art education movement, addresses misconceptions about TAB, and shares real-life examples from practicing teachers.

With a diverse range of examples from teachers and school districts who use the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) approach, What Artists Do provides a strong argument for the place of TAB in today's K-12 visual arts education landscape. After beginning in the 1970s as a grassroots movement, TAB's growth has been fueled by passionate teachers sharing ideas through social media, conferences, workshops, and professional development events. TAB's continued expansion is driven by its student-centered approach to artmaking, the creativity of its practitioners, and a growing demand for educational models that prioritize innovation and self-direction. With chapters tailored for a wide audience--including experienced and new art teachers, administrators, and teacher educators--this book serves as a practical resource for understanding and implementing TAB in art rooms everywhere.

Book Features:

• Includes over 40 full-color images of student artwork, classroom resources, and art teachers practicing in their studios
• Offers ideas and guidance for using a choice-based approach to visual arts education that values student agency, classroom community, and artistic process and thinking.
• Cites evidence-based research that supports TAB as a best practice in contemporary art education and explains the psychological underpinnings of choice and student engagement.
• Addresses the growth of this approach over the past 50 years, as well as TAB's place in the historical evolution of art education.

Author: Jennifer R. Ferrari,Jillian Hogan
ISBN-10: 0807783978
ISBN-13: 9780807783979
Publisher: Teachers College Press
Language: English
Published: 06/26/2026
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback