Coming soon, early May 2025 … a piece for NSEAD The Art Educator blog …

Teaching noticing in art, craft and design

Abstract:

The concept of teaching noticing strategies to learners of art and design is an established one. Deliberate practice in noticing - and its sidekick ‘close looking’ - is, and always has been, central to many artists’ ways of working and it has therefore long been a focus for the art educator as well. Yet often the physical process of creating dominates objectives and becomes the overriding centre of attention. Noticing, despite often being the groundwork for creating, is easily left behind.

Drawing on the author’s knowledge of working with primary trainee teachers to explore this balance, this article will situate noticing at the heart of art, craft and design education, inextricable from ‘making’, delving into why it should be given high value in today’s fast-paced media-driven society. It will put forward noticing-based art strategies that are inclusive, beyond ‘just’ seeing, that might benefit learners by empowering them, helping them to make connections, and contributing to wellbeing.