Art as a Lifestyle.

This week has been one of the hardest and the most rewarding of my teaching life! I’ve had kids screaming and crying, as one would since I teach grades kindergarten through sixth* grade in my classroom every day. However, I’ve also had kids (miraculously!) learning to listen this week, sharing politely with each other, and expressing themselves more through their art in ways that I haven’t seen up to this point. As a teacher, that is what I like to see! I want to find kids who are using their words and their actions in a kind manner. I always challenge them to get out of their box whenever they are attempting artistry in my class. but as an art teacher it especially makes me proud that these kids are making an extra effort to try things that don’t come naturally to them. That takes true courage and I’ve definitely seen that come out in conversations and finished projects. Every day is another moment to learn.

For some classes learning includes using a regular-level voice when asking for class material. Another group is learning to share with each other and use polite words rather than grab things and scream for attention. I saw a kindergartner yesterday draw a recognizable bird sitting on a branch when three months ago this same child gave me a paper of scribbles to hang on the wall. As a side note, I love the scribble papers because they are usually super important to the five-year-olds (“This circle is my swing, this line is my house, and those three circles are me, my brother and Papaw!”). At the same time, I’m extremely excited to see how far each child has come as they begin to claim their art as their own.

I’m already mulling over how I can incorporate some of these older kids’ artworks into future lessons because they have come such a long way in just a few months. They are being vulnerable, even if they don’t know yet what that is; they are expressing themselves in ways that they have not previously. Several students and parents are telling me that art is their favorite subject. As an art teacher, I want to tell them “Of course it is!” But really, I hope it means something to them in the long run, even when I’m not teaching them anymore. That is what I really want to see: Their art—whatever fun they find in art—is expressed in a way that is personal to THEM. Most of all though, I want to see them continue to use this in their life in whatever way they choose. Some kids after this class may never draw (or study Spanish*) again, but they might dance, they might design buildings, or they might travel to another country. All of these are forms of art that they can take with them throughout their lives. That is why I am embracing the #artteacherlife this semester! I know that next year things might look a little different, but these kids definitely have a hunger to express themselves and to just have fun with new techniques and art history, while learning to communicate with each other and within themselves. In the long run, this is what is going to stick with kids as they grow into the awesome humans they are becoming. If I can nurture that in any way, even if a little haphazardly, I am definitely up for the challenge!

Always learning,

Hannah Marie.

*Note: I also teach Spanish for sixth grade three times a week, but that will have to be another conversation for another time!