As an art teacher, I think it's important to help students discover new information on their own and engage in critical thinking processes. Therefore, in my classroom, students are responsible for performing various self-directed tasks and projects that involve goal-setting and learning activities relevant to their educational needs and life experiences. These tasks and projects culminate in a final portfolio project through which students create a gallery showing of their work and demonstrate their ability to both self-direct and self-contextualize their learning.