Introducing critique to my students and exploring concepts such as self-reflection and accepting criticism was no small feat. High schoolers are the last to willingly speak up when asked about their thoughts on their classmate’s work but I am happy to report that after a bit of awkward probing, I was able to get my Fashion Illustration class to open up about their thoughts regarding their classmate’s Met Gala sketches!
*Note all students did give permission for photos
I chose to open the critique by reminding students that a critique is a tool used to understand how your work is reading to a wider audience, not a tool for cruelty or personal slights. Then the following method, while unconventional did help set aside some tension; I joked to my students about the fact that they will likely not hang their tracing paper sketches on their walls and preserve them for several years, but rather they would more than likely toss them out at the end of the year. Saying this did lift a bit of the tension amongst my students and helped them realize that they can share their opinions on the drawings because they are, in fact, nothing more than just sketches on paper. Once students felt assured that they were in a safe space and that no one was going to take their words too seriously quite a few did open up and it creates a free flowing environment. I was very proud of my students for handling the critique in a mature and open minded fashion!
