Starting the year has its challenges. This will be my second year teaching, which means I only know about 50% of what's going on. The first week back has been an endless whirl of professional development workshops, annual training, curriculum and instruction updates, and meetings. I have found myself trying to create time to get into my classroom and prepare for the students who will be in my room on Monday, and also to organize and decorate for the year. Most of this found time occurs after the teacher workday has ended. All the mandatory requirements can dull the glow you usually have about teaching.
I started teaching because I wanted to make a difference, and most teachers I know fall somewhere along that line. It's my second year so my goal is to stay true to what got me into all of this mess. I love what I do. So I asked myself, "why is art important, and why should it be taught in schools?" This helped me reflect on my practice as an artist and a teacher and why I signed up to do the job that I do. It also gave me some direction for the beginning of the year. We can get in the mindset where we focus on what we have to do rather than what we get to do. Even after the longest days, I am still rewarded by getting to share my passion with my students.
In considering the importance of education in the arts I thought about what has impacted me, and I realized that my art practice was not separate, it has enhanced every aspect of my life. As I start the year I have been thinking about how I can better connect the curriculum to important topics in these high school students lives. How can I make students see how art influences culture, and society? I have no answers to this question, but Its what I have been reflecting on before the year starts. I wish I had an easy ten step process to engage students in the critical dialog of contemporary art, but unfortunately, I am figuring it out as I go.
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