The shape of most days in my class is as follows, after I set out the agenda for the day, give any demos or provide new instructions, I ask students who need help right away to make themselves known so that I can help them to move forward. Then, I spend the rest of the class circulating. This daily circulation allows me to monitor individual progress. If things are going off track, or students are stuck this is the time that I can informally provide them with another point of view or remind them of the criteria for the project.
MBWA. It appeared on my FA’s observation sheets twice before I had a chance to ask her what it meant. MBWA. I worried that it was something I should already know, and to have to ask would betray my ignorance. My SA and I searched it on Google and discovered that it meant Management By Wandering Around. Imagine my surprise to find a school of thought privileging wandering!
Because art class requires a high proportion of studio time where students work on their projects independently, MBWA gives me a chance to check in with most of the students every class. But, after thinking it over, I would prefer to change MBWA to ABWA, Assessment by Wandering Around. Although I’m sure my wandering short circuits some management issues, its greatest strength for me is the chance to provide students with formative feedback during their process, usually multiple times. The bonus of this informal method is that I also get to know the students by having conversations with them rather than delivering opinions. This relationship building is important to have students receive feedback with open minds. I always ask if I can make suggestions before I go forward, then I provide constructive feedback for them to think about and finally remind them that the project is theirs, and the final decision about the next step is always ultimately theirs.