One of the first things that I say to
students that I have taught art to is that every one of them is an artist. I believe that every child can be successful
in art. Art can be learned and to experience success is not based on talent
alone. It is my obligation as a teacher, as well as a mentor, to help each
individual student/artist reach their potential. This is accomplished through learning methods
that best match the student. It is also
my duty to help students via art develop higher-level thinking connections to
the past to what is happening now in the classroom as well as the world. I wish to have what I teach have a lasting
impact on my students where they can use the thought processes that they used
to create art in other areas of their educations and lives.
My area of expertise is art creation and
education. I have been a professional
artist for most of my adult life. Teaching others has been a way for me to
connect with others, educate and encourage them and help myself reach my own potential
as an artist and educator.
As a homeschooling mother of three, I
learned a lot about adaptability and the need to be flexible when working with
students. Many children are unique in
the way that they acquire information and how their brains process that
information. It was through my
experience teaching my special needs children that I learned that to facilitate
learning, various approaches to teaching should be used. This applies not only to special needs
children, but to the different learning styles of individual students. There
were times that successful information acquisition was determined on how the
material had been presented. Flexibility
was the key when working towards the needs of my student. I found that this was the greatest lesson
that I learned while homeschooling.
Students that are learning disabled or
have learning differences are smart and creative individuals that can find
success and confidence through the resource programs that a school offers. That
is why I believe that it is important for schools to offer art programs. It is a means where students that are not
successful in traditional school subjects can find self-esteem, express
themselves creatively and find direction in an area that motivates them to
learn.
I have had the opportunity to teach art to
students at galleries, homeschool co-ops and recreation centers from ages PreK
through high school. Some of my favorite
moments while teaching have been when a student has surprised themselves in
what they have created. It is wonderful
to see a student find success and self-confidence through art. It helps to develop a growth mindset where the
student can see that “ability is changeable and can be developed”. (Bergin
& Bergin, p. 558) To see connections being made from previously learned
material and apply it to new projects is exciting to witness. It promotes self-efficacy. “Students with high academic self-efficacy
believe they can master school topics, can regulate their own learning, and can
get peers and teachers to help them when needed”. (Bergin & Bergin, p. 557)
I believe students put
forth their best work in an atmosphere that is positive, supportive and where
experimentation and questions are encouraged.
“The effective teacher creates a classroom climate that communicates
positive expectations”. (Wong & Wong, p. 57). When students are invested in
their learning, they are more eager to learn and show pride in their work. Creative work is then strengthened. The creative process ends up being an
extension of themselves.
Not every artist has the
same style or uses the same techniques. Lessons
taught in class can serve as a jumping off point for a student to learn more on
an area of art or a technique that interests them. My ideal classroom fosters
respect for art history, art processes, supplies and for others in the class as
well as for differing opinions.
I believe that learning
about art and creating art is important for children. Art is universal. It crosses continents, countries and language
barriers. It is unique in the way that
it can connect people with each other not through language but through
images. It reflects the human
experience while teaching about history, culture and community. All of this can be transferred to other school
subjects students are learning as well.
Having a child take part
in the learning process also includes student assessment. “The purpose of assessing and providing
feedback based on assessment is to improve instruction and promote student
learning”. (Wong & Wong, p. 244). Students keep a portfolio of their work
throughout the year so that they can see the progress they have made in their art. The portfolio is assessed throughout the school
year. Part of the assessing and critiquing is listening to their opinions on
what pieces they created that they liked best and felt successful in. I believe that this helps to review prior
knowledge as well as helps both student and teacher determine what the
student’s strengths are as well as areas they could improve in. “Feedback should reaffirm why students are
doing what they are doing and how well they are doing.” (Wong & Wong, p.
243)
I believe that enthusiasm
for a topic or subject can be transferred from teacher to student. “Applied to an instructional setting, the intentional behavior
of a teacher to be enthusiastic can raise the level of enthusiasm and vitality
of students”. (Mitchell, p. 20) Having the teacher excited in presenting
or demonstrating a topic can make students more interested in what is being
taught and more willing to experiment even if it is something that does not
appeal to them initially.
Art history can be tedious
to some but when one understands or relates to the artist who created the art a
connection can be made for the student.
I enjoy teaching about artists of the past and to speak of their
struggles and the world that they lived in.
I believe it leads to more understanding on what motivated an artist to
create a piece.
All students are unique
in how they learn and what interests them.
Art is a way to express their creativity while obtaining higher-level thinking
skills in the process. It is my job as a
teacher to help spark each student’s creativity while keeping in the forefront
how best to transfer art knowledge and skills to each child.
References
Bergin,
C. A. C., & Bergin, D. A. (2018). Child and
Adolescent Development in Your Classroom. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Mitchell,
M. (2013). TEACHER ENTHUSIASM: Seeking student learning and avoiding apathy. Journal
of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 84(6), 19-24. Retrieved
from http://eres.regent.edu:2048/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.regent.edu/docview/1431431772?accountid=13479
Wong,
H. K. & Wong, R. T. (2018). The First Days of School:
How to be an Effective Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
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