Teaching Aspirations: The Importance of Art Education

Since this blog is a document of my process of becoming an art educator, I wanted to write about why, at this moment, I want to invest in this profession. I know the process of becoming, and being, an art teacher will be a constant realignment of expectations. As someone entering this profession with the perspective of mid-life, parenthood, and many friends and family members who are teachers, I like to think that the glasses I wear aren't entirely rose-colored. But I do have the spark of energy and vision of someone entering something new, and I hope that later on, should I become jaded or burnt-out, I can look back on this 'vision' and be reminded of why I started down this path.

Art is Interdisciplinary 

Octopod by Mikael Hvidtfeldt Christensen. Algorithmic art
produced with the software Structure Synth, demonstrates
the Golden Ratio.

Having homeschooled my own children entirely through their elementary years, the key teaching approach I learned to embrace was the idea of integration. Study in one subject can be reinforced by, or in some places replaced by, study in another. In third grade, everything my eldest daughter learned about American History was through American Girl's historical fiction novels, and associated supplemental activities. She boasted a far greater knowledge of our nation's history than most her age, even if that knowledge was gained primarily through reading about the lives of fictional ten-year-olds. 

Similarly, art exemplifies this kind of learning magic. While integrated learning is not always practical in a modern public classroom, especially beyond the elementary years, the arts remain the domain of merging ideas. This is perhaps especially true of the visual arts, which absent the time-sensitive demands of performance, there remains room for broader and deeper discussion.

Art has historical context. Art illustrates literature, religion, war, mythology, politics, and people.

Art possesses at its foundation a kaleidoscope of mathematical relationships. Art is ratios, proportions, perspective, and elegant geometry.

Art observes the natural world and scientific phenomenon. The artist must at times be aware of how materials and light and the air and heat interact, and of how the eye perceives light, color, form, and motion.

Art's interdisciplinary nature is not something every art teacher fully capitalizes upon, but I hope to do so. An art education can help a student take what is learned elsewhere, and crystallize it into something of beauty or meaning.

Art Develops Observation and Analytical Skills

The Curious Ones. 1655-1660. Bush and gray ink, gray
and brown washes on light brown paper. 391 x 560 mm.
Kunstmuseum im Ehrenhof, Dusseldorf

Whether making art or simply learning to appreciate it, the skill of non language-based observation is developed in the study of art more than in any other subject.

This subject is elegantly illustrated in Amy Herman's TED talk, How Art Can Help You Analyze, though I have noticed this phenomenon in my interactions not with just physicians and police officers, but with everyone.

For example, I was surprised to recently learn that there are many people who cannot automatically discern the difference between 3-D rendered characters and 2-D cartoons of a similar style. Others can discern the difference with some effort if asked, but honestly never occurred to them before. To anyone I know with even basic training in the visual arts, this difference is immediately obvious and the fact that to some, it isn't, is shocking. This inability to visually discern, I notice, creeps up in less trivial circumstances; attention to detail assists in assessing body language and facial expressions, detecting flaws or missing objects, and in appreciating aesthetic balance.

Similarly, I once heard the story of a respected engineer who asked all prospective employees whether they or not they played a musical instrument proficiently. In his anecdotal experience, trained musicians who were also trained engineers were were superior problem-solvers who constructed more elegant solutions. 

Many studies have been conducted on musicians to lend validity to this engineer's approach, but I suspect formal instruction in the visual arts yields similar (even if somewhat different) benefits. I suspect the benefits are more difficult to measure, both because definition of what makes a 'proficient' visual artist is much broader than that of a musician, and proficiency in music more than in art demands grueling physical and mental practice and muscle memory. The benefits of art instruction, however, are usually more accessible, and aspects of visual observation are introduced that are not really touched upon in the field of music. 

Art Engages Students Emotionally

Street Art, New York City.

This is one point I think remains true for any of the fine arts, but art engages students emotionally. Especially for developing children and adolescents, the importance of emotional engagement is vital, and often too easy to overlook in a school setting. The emphasis on student performance and 'college and career readiness' has made this disconnect even worse. 

Though I do believe there are teachers of all disciplines who are well-aware of the importance of emotional engagement, fine arts teachers (perhaps along with English and literature teachers) enjoy an especially unique opportunity to engage with students on an emotional level, and to help them grow as human beings. The arts teacher is more free to re-define success for individual students, to frame assignments around an individual student's emotional needs, and to use student work as an opportunity to gain insight into a student's current mental state. 

With all the emphasis on STEM, an art instructor in a unique position to engage students on an emotional level, and to help them frame the human experience in a reflective and expressive manner.

Keeping Expectations Realistic

I am trying to remember that as I move forward, I have to keep my expectations realistic. Time and resources will be limited, and not every student can be reached, enlightened, and motivated as much as I might hope or dream. But I do believe that reaching students at all in this way involves making a conscious effort to do so. Of course, walking students through one project after another may fulfill the core standards for visual arts, but a true art education is much more than that.

For my part, I am resolving from the beginning that I will do everything in my power to make their arts education an experience of enduring substance.