Memories In Quotes

Arts & Activities, March, 2001 by Nan Forrer

Reflections for Elementary Art Teachers

Have you ever had the feeling that, as elementary art teachers, we really don't matter? Have you wondered whether anyone would notice if we collapsed behind our art carts or quietly expired in the kiln room? Most of us see hundreds of children a week, for brief periods of time. How much impact can we have? Apparently, more than we may realize.

I teach art at an elementary school by day, but teach an undergraduate methods course for elementary education majors by night at a local college. The purpose of this course is to infuse fledgling teachers with an enthusiasm for integrating the arts into their academic curriculum and to familiarize them with elementary art media and techniques.

One of the first assignments I give my older students is to write a short essay sharing memories of their own elementary art experiences. These poignant essays have become a source of inspiration to me. They affirm the positive effects of good teaching practices--even by teachers whom children see only once a week!

THE IMPORTANCE OF A POSITIVE ATTITUDE Teacher attitude seems to be paramount in whether these young adults had favorable memories of elementary art class. In addition to a positive teacher attitude, when good classroom management, effective lesson planning and positive assessment practices were used, art class recollections became warmer and kinder:

"We all had assigned seats and sat at big tables so we had enough room for all of our supplies, First, our teacher told us what we were going to make during that particular period and then he demonstrated what we were supposed to do. He would always sit at one table and we would all gather around to see what was going on. We then went to our seats and created it ourselves. During the period he would walk around and make sure we were doing OK. He would give us some suggestions and help us make our picture. When it was time to go, we all had to help clean up and wait quietly while he dismissed us. The way he dismissed us was unique. Above each table was an artist's picture hung from the ceiling. He called the artist's name and that table was allowed to leave. Now I realize we learned about these artists without even realizing it."

On effective lesson planning: "Now that I think about it, my elementary art teacher must have been prominent in my life because I can still remember her name. She was an excellent teacher because whenever we had art she was always overjoyed to see us and always had an interesting project for us. I remember looking forward to art class because I was so anxious to see what my teacher had in store for us."

"When I was in grade school, the classes I enjoyed most were gym, music and art. The art program was good. We would have art appreciation class once a week. What it consisted of was a story, telling the background of an artist and the style of art that they did. We would look at pictures they had created, and it was always a fun and relaxing time. The teachers made the lessons interesting."

On assessment: "The art teacher at my school picked out different kids' projects every week to showcase. Some were chosen to be permanently displayed in the school. A positive experience with art was when one of my projects was chosen. I could not believe the teacher had picked mine. As always, I thought I did a horrible job. This experience changed my view. I began to enjoy art more and believed that I was just as good as some other students."

"From my point of view, the program benefited all the students. If someone was a terrible artist there was no penalty. On the other hand, if someone had talent they were encouraged to use and pursue that talent. We were never judged on our ability to draw. We were graded on our ability to follow directions, though. Our teacher knew that all children have their own artistic style."

"My art class provided a stimulating and supportive environment for growth and learning. It was there that I developed a sense of self and uniqueness. I found a place to explore my abilities and develop my talents. As I became more involved in art, my grades in other classes began to rise. The work I completed in art made me feel good about my accomplishments and myself and that feeling carried over into other classes. Hearing negative feedback from the teacher about an expression through art was hard at the beginning. But soon, because of the sensitivity of my art teacher, I was able to accept feedback in all areas of my life and build on them instead of taking it personally and getting upset. I began to read over teachers' comments and apply them directly to the work only to make it better."

LEARNING FROM OTHERS' MISTAKES Negative responses reflect on poor classroom-management and discipline skills, highlighting how important the development of these skills is: "Our art teacher was a funny man, but we didn't respect him. He'd ask everyone to have a seat but no one would sit down. He'd turn red and yell, `Sit down now!' Then we would scatter to find our places. He'd explain the art project and distribute the materials needed, which would get thrown around the room. Again he would scream, `Everyone have a seat now and put your head on the desk!' That is how we'd spend the rest of the art period."