Artist. Educator. Art Educator: Wearing the "Robes"
To teach, is to learn twice. When I am taught, I learn. When I teach to students, I learn again. I feel it is essential to teach what we know, to explore what we do not and to discover what is new. By being an artist, I have experience with many different fields of art. I feel this is in large why art education students are required to take fine arts and art history courses. To teach is to also be curious, to want to learn more and to want to teach others what we have learned. To teach from experience is to remain in a comfort zone, I feel you should, as students do, push past your own comfort zone.
By being taught art for so many years and only teaching for a short time, I feel such an interior battle. On one hand, I want to use the information I have been taught, and the artwork I have created to continue my artmaking career. On the other hand, I have begun teaching students and I have a pull to stop creating my own art as much and to help and nurture and guide my students to create their works of art. Yet, when I consider the two, being taught and teaching, I feel I was impacted the most by my teachers who still created. Several names come to mind: Carrie Barnett: jewelry maker, art educator, OAEA presenter; Pat Bruns: sculpture, art educator, state board of education, Brit Rowe: designer, art/design educator, AIGA chairman. Three former teachers who I have collaborated with, created art with, and have currently as mentors in my art/art education career.
I feel my two “robes” help one another by always allowing me to remain on my toes. Students are inquiring young minds, wanting information, wanting to learn, wanting to experiment. By having experience with some of the forms of art making, I realize what the students are going through, since I too, went through that as well. The fear of messing up, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of the process, can bring a uncomfortable sense to a classroom. Also, by being able to verbalize, to show students the process, to use narrative to discuss it, by showing them with my hands, I feel students will be able to stabilize the anxiety.
Art educators should be artists. Math educators should be mathematicians. Foreign Language educators should speak a foreign language. Science educators should be scientists. History educators should be historians. The difficult aspect of this is defining and verbalizing the fields and occupations.
By being taught art for so many years and only teaching for a short time, I feel such an interior battle. On one hand, I want to use the information I have been taught, and the artwork I have created to continue my artmaking career. On the other hand, I have begun teaching students and I have a pull to stop creating my own art as much and to help and nurture and guide my students to create their works of art. Yet, when I consider the two, being taught and teaching, I feel I was impacted the most by my teachers who still created. Several names come to mind: Carrie Barnett: jewelry maker, art educator, OAEA presenter; Pat Bruns: sculpture, art educator, state board of education, Brit Rowe: designer, art/design educator, AIGA chairman. Three former teachers who I have collaborated with, created art with, and have currently as mentors in my art/art education career.
I feel my two “robes” help one another by always allowing me to remain on my toes. Students are inquiring young minds, wanting information, wanting to learn, wanting to experiment. By having experience with some of the forms of art making, I realize what the students are going through, since I too, went through that as well. The fear of messing up, the fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of the process, can bring a uncomfortable sense to a classroom. Also, by being able to verbalize, to show students the process, to use narrative to discuss it, by showing them with my hands, I feel students will be able to stabilize the anxiety.
Art educators should be artists. Math educators should be mathematicians. Foreign Language educators should speak a foreign language. Science educators should be scientists. History educators should be historians. The difficult aspect of this is defining and verbalizing the fields and occupations.