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I teach pre k to 8th
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I also use a grid draw lesson with my 7th graders. It is a great tool to know and it really boots their confidence (especially since it is a required class for them)!
I use gridding a self portrait as the final for my 7th grade drawing unit. The non-drawing students are always amazed at what they can do when they try this. Then my painting unit has more confident work because they have a tool to get the realism right.
Personally I find grid work tedious, however I admit it can be quite helpful as a tool for honing observation skills and scaling. I am not against using it in class at all I often have students flip images upside down (drawing on the right side of the brain).I’m curious to know if you use the grid to teach something specific?
I like to share how the great Renaissance artists used it. If it was good enough for them, it is good enough for us. In fact, I made a set of color copies of Michelangelo and daVinci drawings, and printed grids on to plastic transparency sheets. Year after year students have used these to make copies of master drawings in one or two sessions using conte or charcoal pencils. It is very satisfying for students, and teaches them a legit Renaissance technique.
they hate it but in the end, they really do understand why we do it. it's an important skill. a pain in the butt to teach at first, and you'll be repeating yourself so often but honestly worth it
At the 4th grade level, I use a more simple template for self-portraits that students use for correct placement of the features. This helps with proportions. Then I model drawing each feature, emphasizing the details, and give them mirrors to view themselves. I've had great results.
Useful to know, but prefer to use enlarger or projector.
I do teach it as a tool for helping to draw accurately and quickly and for enlarging an image (as though for a mural). I do one lesson this way early on. I teach free-drawing skills, too, though. Later on when they are doing more advanced , larger works, if they want to grid all or part of their image, they know how but they don't have to.