There is no end to what the art classroom can do for students when their innate creativity is fostered. Art can be a pivotal tool for teaching vital 21st century skills like communication, evaluation, synthesis, self-direction, and problem-solving. When building curriculum, I strive to address these areas while using as many modalities as possible per class. I want students to write, speak, listen, watch, create art, and engage with peers on a daily basis. Students are encouraged to communicate with their peers in order to engage with each other’s work, share techniques, and discuss important works of art. Students learn to constructively evaluate artwork created by peers, professional artists, and themselves using established principles of art and design. This practice helps students build fluency when speaking about art that can be applied to other educational disciplines. For example, a student who is encouraged to examine the symbolism in a surrealist painting is better prepared for analyzing the symbolism in the literature read in their English classroom. Synthesis is addressed in every class as students create art given teacher guidance, building confidence and skill as they work. Students learn to organize their process using a series of steps and materials created to improve their abilities to self-direct and manage their time effectively. Finally, students learn to solve art problems as well as "real world" problems with art while they explore content from a variety of academic realms through their work.

 

In addition to fostering problem solving and analysis, art is a powerful tool for exploring culture. What is the function of culture? How is culture shared? How are cultures connected? How can we connect with culture? Students in my classes connect with their cultures of origin and learn to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the cultures of their peers.

 

Art is a benchmark discipline for inclusion. Students who struggle with traditional modes of education like naming, sorting, logic, and memory can find success and foster a love for learning in the context of the discussion, observation, touch, and technical training found in the art classroom.

 

Students in my classes are engaged from bell to bell, using art as a means to push their cognitive abilities in ways not traditionally thought of as areas of focus within art classrooms. For example, I strive to use my art classroom as a means to improve student literacy.  Students write every day in my classroom, responding to prompts that encourage higher order thinking while examining works of art through the lens of literary analysis.