We didn't feel we were performing a concert, we felt we were practicing. Let's also ritualize the art experience. The art class needs a devotional time to cleanse souls and center consciousness. Life outside the class and inside the student is turbulent, disorientating, sometimes violent, often depressing, and always confusing. Repeat the practice every day.
Life is tense enough.
Instead of striving for a unique surprise each day in art, I propose for each day to begin predictable, stable, fulfilling, skill building, brain building, and above all centering. Teach them to look carefully at the edge of the object being drawn while the pencil moves. Use a B4 soft pencil so it shows. Never look at the paper while the pencil moves, but look at the paper any other time. Never draw for them on their paper.