Building Confidence, Problem-Solving, and Self-Expression with Art

By Michael Tauscher

Step into the Lower School art room at University School of Milwaukee and you’ll quickly notice that this is more than a place to draw and paint. It’s a studio where children are encouraged to take risks, make decisions, and see themselves as artists. For Mandy Culver, USM’s Lower School art teacher, that sense of ownership is at the heart of everything she does. “We really focus on choice and voice,” Culver explained. “That’s one part of supporting the whole child—because choice and voice support so many other parts of learning as well.”

Culver is in her 16th year as an art educator and her second year at USM. A graduate of UW–Milwaukee with a bachelor of fine arts, she brings both deep classroom experience and an active artistic practice to her teaching. Outside of school, Culver works primarily in watercolor—often floral pieces—and regularly participates in gallery and alumni exhibitions. Staying connected to the Milwaukee art community, she says, helps her remain grounded in the work of real-world artists while continually inspiring what happens in the classroom. She considers herself a lifelong learner; finding opportunities to grow to eventually bring into her classroom.

More Than an Art Project

From kindergarten through 4th grade, the USM art program is intentionally built around choice and voice. Rather than focusing on identical final products, Culver designs experiences that invite children to make meaning through their work. “We want students to be able to look at their artwork and talk about it,” she said. “To be able to say, ‘This is mine, because…’ and really feel that connection.”

That sense of ownership matters. When children feel agency over their work, they are more willing to take risks, revise their thinking, and persevere through challenges. In the art room, those habits show up in tangible ways, like experimenting with ideas, changing course mid-project, and learning to articulate why certain choices feel right to them.

Art walks are a regular part of Culver’s classroom practice, giving children time to view and discuss one another’s work. “Students can talk about their piece and pick out artwork they feel inspired by,” she explained. “It builds confidence—and that’s really why I do it.”

Process Over Product

At USM, the art curriculum is guided by the studio habits of mind: develop craft, engage and persist, envision, express, observe, reflect, stretch and explore, and understand art worlds. While traditional elements and principles of art are still taught, Culver emphasizes the process of making rather than the final outcome. “The Studio Habits of Mind focus more on the process throughout the making,” she said. “Not only what the piece looks like at the end.”

In many ways, the art room becomes an early makerspace where children plan, experiment, problem-solve, and revise. Mistakes are not only expected; they are celebrated as part of learning. “I probably say 10 times a day that making mistakes is a good thing,” Culver noted. “We’re learning from them, and it will help you grow the next time.”

She often shares her own experiences as an artist, showing students that unexpected outcomes can lead to creativity. “I’ll tell them, ‘I spilled coffee on this, but I made it into something else,’” she said. “They’re amazed by that and it really helps them keep going.”

Building Skills and Mindsets

Art plays a critical role in children’s development. In the early grades, it strengthens fine motor skills and hand control, supporting writing and other classroom tasks. As children grow, its impact deepens. The art room becomes a place where confidence is built, perseverance is practiced, and problem-solving becomes second nature.

Culver is especially intentional about helping children see themselves as artists. When students say, “I’m not good at art,” she often finds the challenge isn’t ability, it’s mindset. “A lot of times, students just haven’t found the materials they want to work with yet,” she explained.

By introducing a wide range of tools—paint, oil pastels, clay, printmaking, and more—children discover new ways to express themselves and realize there is no single ‘right’ way to create. “Some students don’t like the texture of certain materials,” Culver noted. “So we try different supplies and let them find what works for them.”

Exposure to contemporary artists further expands that understanding. “Young students often think all artists do the same kind of work,” she said. “I want them to see that artists aren’t all doing one thing—and that their own ideas matter too.”

Not Cookie-Cutter Creativity

Early in her career, Culver remembers teaching more step-by-step, themed projects. Over time, she shifted away from that model. “I got bored,” she admitted. “And kids don’t want to do the same things over and over either." Today, she avoids showing finished examples, instead modeling her own process and offering multiple pathways for meeting learning goals. “When students see a finished piece, that’s what they think theirs has to look like,” she explained. “That can really deter creativity.”

Culver enjoys sitting down and working with students to model focus in the art studio. Projects may share a common concept, but the results are personal, expressive, and unique. This approach reduces comparison and invites children to take pride in their own creative decisions.

Creativity Beyond the Classroom

Culver’s philosophy extends naturally into advice for families. Especially during long winter stretches indoors, she encourages parents to make art materials accessible at home. “If children don’t have materials available, they’re not going to make things,” she said.

Importantly, those materials don’t need to be expensive. “You don’t need fancy art supplies to make beautiful art,” Culver explained. Paper, tape, cardboard, sketchbooks, and recycled materials can spark creativity just as effectively. “Art doesn’t always have to be about making something look like something,” she added. “It can be exploring color, texture, or an idea.”

“I Am an Artist.”

What excites Culver most is watching children grow over time. From early mark-making to increasingly intentional and expressive work, she sees artistic voices emerge year after year. “There are times I know exactly who made a piece—even without a name on it—because of this little thing they do,” she said. Each class is grounded by a shared art room mantra that her artists say each day: My mantra. I am kind. I listen and learn. I am creative. I am proud to be me. I am an artist!

For Culver, the impact of art education at USM reaches far beyond the walls of the studio. When children learn to take creative risks, reflect on their thinking, persist through challenges, and express who they are, they are building habits that align directly with USM’s Portrait of a Graduate. In the art room, children grow as learners who explore and problem-solve, as leaders who make decisions and trust their voices, and as citizens who observe the world thoughtfully and respect the perspectives of others. “Those skills don’t stay in art class,” Culver reflects. “They carry into how children see themselves and how they move through the world.” At USM, art is not an extra—it is an essential part of helping children become confident, reflective, and creative individuals prepared for what comes next.

About Michael Tauscher:

Michael Tauscher has served as the head of Preschool and Lower School at University School of Milwaukee since 2015. Born and raised on a family-owned farm in Pulaski, Wisconsin, he holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in educational leadership. With 24 years of experience as an educator, including 17 years as an administrator, Tauscher has worked in early childhood, elementary, and middle school settings, including teaching 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades and gaining international teaching experience in Kyoto, Japan.