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As an artist, teacher, and researcher, I see teaching as an embodied, artistic act of courage in which I work to enable students’ lives to be enriched with a variety of experiences. Teaching is not a mere transfer of knowledge, learned behavior, or a set of tasks to memorize; it should be an open and honest dialogue infused with passionate interest in learning, subject matter, interaction, and in the creative process of coming to know oneself. It should recognize privilege, positionality, power, and systems. As a teacher, I see myself as a guide rather than overseer; looking for opportunities for students to discover the richness of everyday experience. Being this type of teacher brings with it much responsibility and influence that requires close attention to students and context – both of which are necessary to continually respond to the needs of a growing and changing classroom. Hansen (2005) states that “creativity in teaching often emerges in the unexpected, the unanticipated, and the unscripted…it takes form through attentiveness, a capacity to wait patiently and listen in the very midst of teaching, and then to move accordingly” (p. 59).
Teaching creatively is about being open to new and unknown possibilities – and then being prepared to work with ideas and conflicts as they arise. Dewey (1934) also suggests it is within everyday experiences that we may find true educative moments. He discusses the movement necessary within experience, highlighting attentive discovery leading to growth. Love (2019) states that “Art helps people remember their dreams, hopes, and desires for a new world. Art is how people connect to what has been lost and what has not yet happened yet” (p. 100). Working toward inclusivity can have its roots in the art classroom. We need only to begin the process of self-awareness by exploring our unconscious bias and being willing to engage in difficult conversations. I used to tell my students that if they could leave my class with only one thing, it would be the idea that art is not a product; it is a way of thinking. That has shifted in the last couple of years. Now, I aim for my students to leave my classroom more self-aware and ready to listen to others, regardless of their background or ideologies. While not entirely different, I want them to see and appreciate one another more clearly, rather than focusing mostly on appreciating the process of making. I want them to use art as a means – a tool – of communication. The arts offer experiences that are not as prevalent in other disciplinary areas and help make learning a meaningful, lived experience that we take with us for a lifetime. I attempt to create an open, inviting space where meaning can be made, or as Dewey (1916) puts it, practice “intellectual hospitality,” understanding that learning is a process in need of individual inquiry and discovery. |
We spend a lot of time discussing why we do what we do, and how the arts help us communicate the potential that exists not only in our students, but ourselves as well. This practice can set the stage for deeper inquiry into and reflection on our bias, privilege, and potential to address systems of oppression. Creative solutions are needed.
Imagining learning as a process and not a product allows students to enter the educative experience able to take risks and excited for new possibilities. Phrases like “I can’t,” or “I’m not creative,” begin to transform when you work to create a safe environment where the goal is not creating a beautiful piece of artwork or agreeing on all ideas that present themselves, but rather experiencing the creative process and the potential it brings forth through conflict and struggle. Meaningful ideas and practice to not come without adversity. The creative process that the arts encourage, and that I work to foster in my classroom, allow students to discover more than content; they learn about themselves as artists, individuals, advocates, and as future teachers. They make connections between the practice of art and the work of compassionate teaching and learning. I am committed to encouraging a creative atmosphere where anti-racist practices open possibilities within artist practice, respond to humanness, and assert that the “right” answers are determined by our individual situations as well as who we are as learners and teachers. I ask my students to be self-aware, take risks and question what they believe they are capable of, introducing new mediums and ideas that stretch the imagination. Just as I ask my students to be open to new experiences, I work to respond nimbly to and with each new group of students as they guide my teaching. I work to tailor the class experiences to the interests, backgrounds, and passions of each student. Every time I’ve taught a new course it has changed, as have I. I learn new ways to engage with the content as well as my students and the space and time we are in. References Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: The Macmillan Company. Dewey, J. (1934). Art as experience. New York: Perigree/Putnam. Hansen, D. (2005). Creativity in teaching and building a meaningful life as a teacher. The Journal of Aesthetic Education, 39(2), 57-68. Love, B. (2019). We want to do more than survive. Boston: Beacon Press. |
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2004-2005 (grades 9-12)
2005-2007 (grades 6-12)
2008-2012 (undergraduate)
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2012-2014 (undergraduate & graduate)
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2014-current (undergraduate)
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