“Art is a place for children to learn to trust their ideas, themselves, and to explore what is possible.”
Maryann F. Kohl
I believe children have a natural ability for creating art. Art is an important way for children to tell us their world views and express themselves. Art education encourages the ability to value oneself and others and to approach the world with a desire to understand. I make art lessons child-centered challenging my students to their full potential while taking into considerations students’ individual needs.
Art education should initially focus on children's ideas and personal experiences. Their experiences must be valued and built upon. This way, art lessons can be successful and relevant. As a teacher, I present myself as an enthusiastic facilitator and guide to the student’s critical thinking and creative process. My job is to guide and empower them to express, communicate and translate their original thoughts into visual language.
In my classroom, I give students opportunities to create and solve artistic problems by getting out of their comfort zone in a safe, positive, and engaging environment. It is a place where teacher and student relationship have to be trustworthy.
I help students gain the skills they need to communicate their ideas effectively and make art that is meaningful to them. I want to invite risk-taking in art-making and art thinking that questions and searches for personal or social truths.
Exploring the diverse global contributions of artists will encourage my students and will give them a sense of pride in being an artist. Art should be studied and made for both its expressive power and its possible social meaning. This can be achieved through critical multicultural art education.
I incorporate cross-curricular experiences organically in the art room, with interdisciplinary studies and collaboration between teachers, students can explore the concept of a cohesive community interweaving the arts with literature, history, the environment, and much more. I work to build art literacy skills through observing and talking about art, and by writing about students' own ideas and artwork. Most students will not grow up to work as artists, but the habits of mind gained through art classes will serve them no matter their future career path.
References
IRIS Center
https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/
A teacher’s Guide to Special Education
By David F. Bateman and Jenifer L. Cline
The One World School House
By Salman Khan
Multicultural Education in a Pluralistic Society
By Donna M. Gollnick and Philip C. Chinn