Valerie C.

I will first ask about the student program and what they have reached. I will ask the student to show any work in progress or completed for each component (IA, Process Portfolio, and Comparative Study). The student will be asked what their expectation and most urgent need are. Based on this, I will give a structured proposal of what can be tackled in a few lessons.

The most important is to give an excellent guide to the learner for the specific areas in which they have difficulties. For example, if they have trouble in their Comparative Study, I will explain how to structure and plan it, giving details in tackling the first artist and each element to add to each screen. The student should then be able to continue on his own for the next artist while I remain accessible to guide them further. This goes the same for the other components.

IBDP Visual Arts in HL and SL can be draining due to the high effort needed to produce work and constant research with tight deadlines. Sometimes, students might even have an art block, especially after the first few months in DP1 of digesting the program. My strategy is to let them work on something else when they are stuck. I give them prompts to create a new project, which often ends up as a Resolved Piece for their exhibition. Constant communication with them and their parents, if necessary, is essential to help monitor the student's stress levels and give them appropriate solutions to deal with their concerns. Sometimes, all it takes is to lend an ear and let them open up. Most importantly, based on my experience, I remind the students to believe in themselves because they can do it! Trusting the process is essential; I am here for them during each step.

I will provide them with learning techniques more adapted to suit the learner. If the student is more visual, I will give concrete examples featuring a video, labeled images, or charts, which usually works very well with art students!

I will ask them to apply what they have learned! For instance, if we have worked on an artist's research and used their techniques in current work, I will ask the student to put this on a screen as part of their Process Portfolio. This way, the progress is visible to themselves and shows excellent documentation, which is an essential criterion for assessors of the Process Portfolio.

Tutoring has always been highly personalized for me due to the subject I teach. This way, I can guide the student to the artists closer to their practice and teach them technical skills they wish to learn or further improve. This is the same for the theoretical part of Visual Arts IBDP. I identify their weaknesses (Difficulties in researching, referencing, or finding familiar artists) and help tackle them.

I use my knowledge, book, and internet sources for any artist reference and information. I use various applications for designing layouts and digital art. I typically use visual guides such as charts, images, and templates.