Larry Vigon of Chicago writes; “I am extremely concerned about how teachers are perceived today. Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition. Teaching is a noble endeavor [with] teachers [who] have a passion to do...great things for the children...and care about the welfare of their students. However, some misguided reforms are taking the fun out of it, and there is...too much emphasis on testing...at the expense of the curriculum. Teachers entering the profession...should always remain positive and enthusiastic. It is not a job but a vocation in which the daily joys will greatly exceed [any] monetary [returns].”
(Mr. Vigon is a retired teacher and writer of 30 published letters in the Tribune)(PEN PALS Profile Saturday, August 13, 2011)
Marketing Arts Education:
Usually you are the only art teacher in your school. And therefore, the only spokesperson for the arts. There are always economic hard times in public education. Elective classes in the arts are being cut, because they are perceived by many as unnecessary. The opposite is true; studies show schools that include the arts have higher student test scores (www.sharpbrains.com/blog/2009/04/16/arts-and-smarts-test-scores-and-cognitive-development/). When the only concern is improving test scores; then more study halls and courses in test taking strategies prevail over an expanded curriculum. This cuts into scheduling electives for students, and consequently classes with low enrollment are eliminated.
Academic Arts:
The visual arts is academic if it involved reading, research, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. The arts in public schools should not have be in a fight for its' life. The art teacher needs to take every opportunity to promote the necessity for the arts. Students learn to be "inspired", "enthusiastic", and "motivated" from making art. I have had parents tell me..."their child did not want to even come to school before finding personal success in art". They went on to say…"their child's grades greatly improved in other classes".
Consider this:
In the visual arts, the finished product should be on public display, and identified by the student's name, year in school, a statement about the project assignment, and the teacher's name. This should be refreshed with new work continually throughout the school year. If this seems like a waste of time, then please believe the following:
1) Kudos for the student: Other students may be more likely to comment about the work to the maker.
2) Promote your program: Parents, other educators, and visitors in the building will be impressed with a well designed display which offers information about your class; and reflects good on you. 3) Security: Identified work in the hall is less likely to be vandalized or stollen.
4) Share your project lesson plans with other teachers in your and other academic departments. Teachers can spin off assignments from each other. English classes can write about the art work, etc. You may want to start by asking your colleagues about their assignment for the week, and create an art project to further explore their topic in visual images. There are many paintings of historic people and the battles they fought.
The Business of Art:
As a teacher I rarely missed an opportunity to defend the arts in schools. There are many reasons for the arts beyond higher test scores. One reason is the opportunity to make money as an artist. There was..."a movement born in the 1970's to set aside a percentage of federal, state, and local construction projects for art”. “Many federal projects, by policy, have o.5%...set aside for art, while 350 programs at the city and state level...reserve 1.0%. Miami has a 1.5% set-aside with 30 active projects, five of them-at a cost of $7.2 million. And ‘artsy’ Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California, 2.0%; the highest in the country”. “Public art creates a sense of identity of places we inhabit” says Liesel Fenner of Americans for the Arts. “Public art is a way you can reflect community history” said Martha Peters of the Arts Council of Fort Worth & Tarrant County. (Art Remains Fixture in Public Places by Maria Recio, Chicago Tribune Aug. 11,2011)