Cultivating the Reflective Art Educator

A Transformative Framework for the Modern Art Educator

By: Jennifer R. Ferrari, visual art teacher, professional development provider, and coauthor of What Artists Do: TAB Pedagogy and Practice for K–12 Choice-Based Art Classes.

Author’s Note: This blog post expands upon content that was co-developed for the presentation “Rooted in Reflection: Designing Your Choice-Based Art Educator Growth Plan,” originally delivered by Bridget Kudrle, Kelly Beach, Lauren Gould Donahue, Dawn Norris, and the author at the 2026 National Art Education Association National Convention. Kayla Eliasson was also essential to the content creation process.

After more than a decade in the classroom, I know that every school day ends with plenty to reflect on. Like most educators, I often question missed curricular connections or second-guess an instructional choice. I’ll wonder why an assessment I spent hours tweaking flopped, while one I improvised last-minute was a resounding success. Then, there are the moments of “teacher guilt” due to impulsive decisions made in emotionally-charged situations, balanced against those rarer times I relish the afterglow of a teachable moment that went exactly as hoped.

This “post-game” analysis is what Schön (1983) calls reflection-on-action: a deliberate retrospective that identifies what worked and how to strengthen future professional practice. However, this requires a slower cadence and a step back from the daily grind. In a landscape where technology tethers us to a cycle of more, faster, now, this can feel impossible. Our societal norms have drifted toward prioritizing the individual over the collective, immediacy over patience, and consumption over contemplation—pressures further tightened by classroom logistics.

Yet, only within that quiet space can we apply critical thinking to our experiences. As educators, it is where we adjust strategies, reassess goals, challenge assumptions, and formulate new paths forward (Miulescu & Tacea, 2023; Higgins, 2011). While these deliberate moments clash with modern life, they are essential for student-centered pedagogy. Especially in our post-pandemic world, there is an urgent need for “a transformative approach to education that embraces reflective practice” (Kantawala, 2023, p. 4). To lead this transformation, we must cultivate these moments, because that is where the real work of teaching happens.

Rooted in Reflection: A Framework for Cultivating Reflective Art Educators

Rooted in Reflection (Kudrle et al., 2026) is a framework that outlines reflective practices within the Teaching for Artistic Behavior (TAB) classroom. As a choice-based, learner-directed model of art education, TAB relies on an emergent curriculum and student autonomy. This makes deep reflection an inherent and critical part of a TAB teacher’s daily routine. By viewing this reflective practice through the lens of a dynamic, living ecosystem, we can better understand how to foster continuous, authentic growth.

Step 1: Planting the Seeds for Future Growth

Reflection begins with openly questioning our own work. It requires integrity to identify our strengths while holding a mirror to the areas where we still need to grow. As we do this work, documenting our findings is essential. Reflective journaling, whether in a narrative or visual format, serves as a vital record of our insights. Over time, these entries can become a powerful data source for practitioners: pre- and post-self-assessments, for example, provide the tangible evidence needed to reach professional practice goals (more on this in Step 4!). By naming these strengths and facing our challenges, we are essentially preparing the soil and planting the seeds of inquiry for the next stages of our growth.

Step 2: Examining and Prioritizing “Growth Rings”

Like the rings of a tree, our choice-based art education practice exists in layers. These rings expand as our experience deepens, evolving naturally over time. These “growth rings” encompass various aspects of our practice, such as pedagogical philosophy, curricular content, and advocacy. While you may find that several of these rings could use some focus, it’s helpful to determine which are immediate priorities and which can be revisited later. Table 1 outlines six key “growth rings” in TAB and choice-based art education, providing a clear definition for each along with reflective questions to guide your thinking.

Table 1. Six Key Professional Practice “Growth Rings” for Reflective Art Educators (Kudrle et al., 2026)

Step 3: Symbiotic Sharing Through Peer Connection

Once you have identified and begun reflecting on your “growth rings,” it’s time to move toward Step 3. In the field of art education, we are often the only specialists in our buildings, and professional isolation can be commonplace. Just as plants need sunlight, water, and nutrient-rich soil to grow, art educators need a diverse, collaborative peer circle to thrive. This environment provides a symbiotic relationship that helps us gain and maintain the fresh perspectives necessary to sustain and (re)vitalize our practice.

Step 4: Branching Out to Effect Change

The final step is synthesizing your insights to branch out and expand your professional reach. This is where your reflections are transformed into actionable S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound)¹. While reflection often feels personal and internal, administrators and stakeholders benefit from seeing how those insights translate into your professional growth.

Below is an example of a K–5 art educator’s S.M.A.R.T. goal planning. Goals can be designed for both the short- and long-term; this example encompasses an annual goal. When designing yours, consider the action steps and resources needed along with the time frame in which the work will occur.

By grounding your reflection-on-action in this accessible framework, those end-of-the-day deliberations can be transformed into actionable professional practice goals that drive genuine impact. And, as detailed above, your growth does not have to happen in isolation! There are thousands of TAB educators who would relish being part of your reflective circle. If you’re ready to expand your professional reach and connect with peers who share this vision, I invite you to join the conversation on Mighty Networks. Together, we can protect those moments of reflection and cultivate the Rooted in Reflection ecosystem that our students—and our practice—deserve.

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Jennifer R. Ferrari is a visual art teacher, past president of Teaching for Artistic Behavior, Inc., co-host of the podcast TAB Storytellers, and a professional development provider for educators at all stages of their careers. Visit Jen at jferrari.art.

References

Higgins, D. (2011). Editorial: Why reflect? Recognising the link between learning and reflection. Journal of Reflective Practice, 12(5), 583–584. https://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/11020/2/HigginsEditorialpdf.pdf

Kantawala, A. (2023). Reflecting and adapting: The role of reflective practice in transforming education during the pandemic and beyond. Art Education, 76(3), 4–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043125.2023.2203665

Kudrle, B., Beach, K., Gould Donahue, L., Ferrari, J., & Norris, D. (2026, March 6). Rooted in reflection: Designing your choice-based art educator growth plan. 2026 National Art Education Association National Convention. Chicago, IL.

Miulescu, M.-L. & Tacea, A.-F. (2023). The role of reflection in teaching: Perceptions and benefits. Journal of Education Society & Multiculturalism, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.2478/jesm-2023-0022

Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.

¹ The S.M.A.R.T. acronym was originally coined by George T. Doran in his 1981 paper, “There’s a S.M.A.R.T. Way to Write Management’s Goals and Objectives.” While the specific words assigned to the acronym can vary by industry, the core framework remains a standard for effective planning.