Blog Entry #1

I believe that art is a gateway into the human soul, a mysterious wonderland of endless possibilities. It is the only subject still taught in our schools that cannot (and should not) be taught by the books. So many 21st century art teachers like to go by the very basic "7 elements" and "7 principles" to which Olivia Guide refers in her article about postmodern principles... My 8th grade art teacher did it, and so did my Freshman and Sophomore teachers in high school art class. As an artist, I despised it. Sure the curriculum was easy. Anybody who wanted an A could have one. But if your not challenged it is impossible to grow. Every art class I ever took in within the K-12 period was heartbreakingly dumbed down, lacking in depth, and bereft of perspective. We never discussed ground-breaking artists from whom we might draw some much needed inspiration. The concept of "big ideas" and how they can be connected and personalized for individual works of art was absolutely unheard of. In the beginning of my collegiate pursuit of this career, I vowed to never be that art teacher. Teaching visual art is so much more than cut and dry principles and elements, and to simplify it to such is a discredit to the subject. Not that these things aren't important... They do serve as timeless building blocks upon which we will always be able to fall back. However, art is an exploratory matter by nature and deserves to be pushed to the next level. To be an effective teacher, I will need to have extensive knowledge of the dynamics of the art world and its past, present, and future. I will need to be very familiar with my example artists and thier big ideas, and I will have to be able to make the subject matter real to my students by presenting it in a way that they can relate to. I will see evidence of my effectiveness as a teacher through the art my students produce, the questions they ask, and the look in thier eyes. There's is an entire universe of beauty, inspiration and understanding just waiting to be unlocked through the fine arts, and a knowledgeable, responsive teacher is the key. It's good to know that 21st century professionals hold the same opinion. It is my duty to every child placed in my care to be this key, and I can't wait to get started!