AN ARTS EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY 1

An Arts Education Philosophy:

Exploring my Credo through Reflection and Connection
to Content in Designs For Learning Art
Amanda J. Vittie
Simon Fraser University







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As a part of my Designs for Learning Arts course I was asked to write a reflective
essay detailing my developing philosophy to educating in the arts. I have decided
the best way to do this is to expand on my credo, and break down each section as to
how it relates to education in the arts:
1) I believe that every student holds within them a special treasure, and that a
teachers number one priority should be to help students find that treasure and
encourage them to share it with the world.
In Elliott W. Eisners Art and the Creation of Mind, he describes five principles he
feels should guide the practice of art education, and describes principle four as an
education that should help students recognize what is personal, distinctive, and
even unique about themselves and their work (Eisner p42. 2002). I agree, although
I feel this is the first principle in arts education. Encouraging students to share their
talents with the world through the arts is an important part of student self-
expression and puts an emphasis on self-discovery and reflection. The most
important aspect to this philosophy is that is can encourage students to see value in
themselves, and value in others.
2) I believe it is a teachers job to pursue the growth of a society by encouraging
students to be thoughtful and conscientious citizens. No matter the subject, the
learning outcomes always involve promoting respect, valuing community, and
honouring oneself.
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In Agents of Possibility: Examining the Intersections of Art, Education and Activism
in Communities, Alina Campina describes an alternative approach to art making and
education as vehicles for social justice (Campina p.278, 2011). Encouraging
students to become critical thinkers is a major part of engaging in social justicenot
just making posters for world peace, or building schools in Nepalbut by examining
the hierarchies and power structures in the world around us, including the very
classrooms we teach in. For the inclusion of visual culture pedagogy with the goal
of empowering students to be thoughtful, reflective, and active participants in
society (Campina, p.280, 2011), is my ultimate goal. It ties in closely with my first
philosophy of teaching art, because valuing oneself, and others, helps the process of
being empowered. Once empowered the concept of change is possible, and I would
like to encourage all my students to make the world a place they want to live into
change what they see as unjust.
3) I believe a teacher should lead by example: To be fair, honest and trustworthy; a
calm face in the presence of turmoil; an ear to listen without judgment, and a strong
voice for equality. Teachers are more than just the leaders of the classroomthey are
the leaders of a community.
Tied intricately to the idea of teaching social justice, and teaching through
community, I must hold myself accountable to principles of social justice. It is deeply
important to me for my students to feel safe in my classroom. Safe to be whom they
are, and express their points of viewwhether or not I agree with such view.
Teaching is as much an unspoken art as it is of lectures and demonstrations, and
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social justice is a subject that can easily be undermined by the contradictions of
teachers actions.
4) I believe that in order to maximize the potential of any curriculum, a teacher
must be flexible and creative in their ability to adapt teaching methods to the needs of
their students. This requires an in depth knowledge of the subject matter, unbridled
enthusiasm, and sometimes an unorthodox approach.
How can one teacher cover all the prescribed learning outcomes the government
has imposed, while making learning accessible to their students? By thinking
outside the box, being open to surprises, and not being afraid of making a mess. In
the chapter The Messiness of Aesthetics, Celeste Snowber describes how important it
is to give oneself permission to be messy, as to be truly open to the aesthetics of
everyday life, in or out of the classroom, may mean we create a bit of a mess, not
only literally, but metaphorically (Snowber, p70, 2009). I believe that allowing
oneself (and others) to get messy is integral to the creative process, but I would
push this metaphor further. Messes are great, but eventually have to be cleaned up. I
believe art can be wonderful by exploding what is clean and organizedto really get
dirty with objects, textures, or ideasand then re-assemble to make something
new, and organize in a way that makes sense to oneself. I believe I take this
approach to teaching art, and when an idea doesnt fit within the prescribed
outcome, I try to break it down, re-work it, and make it new. This way the process is
messy, but the outcome is sparkling.
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5) I believe that students and teachers alike benefit from connection, laughter, and
joy. It is important to acknowledge students for their strengths, and to make time to
connect with each of them. Encouraging students to connect with the teacher, and
with each other, fosters a safe environment, and promotes creativity. Incorporating
humour into any lesson helps release anxiety and engages a room.
In my quest for quantitative support for my own anecdotal experiences of
engaging in lessons that are funny and bring joy to me, I have found the article
Humor in the Classroom: 40 Years of Research, by Maryellen Weimer. She describes
how research has proven that humour in educational settings serves a variety of
positive functions beyond simply making people laugh. Humour builds group (as in
class) cohesion. People respond more positively to each other when humour is
present (Weimer, M. 2013).
I believe that the label of teacher is synonymous with that of learner. True teachers
are never satisfied with what they think they know; they are constantly looking at how
to change a moment of knowing something into a moment of learning something
either by reflection or the pursuit of external knowledge.
I believe that in order to stay a vibrant and enthusiastic teacher, one must
continue to learn. This process must be an active one, where learning is sought
afterfrom purely aesthetic preferences, to academic endeavors, and most
importantly personal biases and self-awareness.
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Overall my philosophy boils down to trying to make the world a better place
through empowering students, critical reflection, and community participation
and making the process both engaging, enjoyable and safe.














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References
Campana, A. (2011). Agents of Possibility: Examining the Intersections of Art,
Education and Activism in Communities. National Art Education Association
Studies in Art Education: A Journal of Issues and Research, 52(4), 278-291.
Eisner, E. W. (2002). Visions and Versions of Arts Education. The Arts and the
Creation of Mind (pp. 25-45). New Haven: Yale University Press.
Richmond, S., & Snowber, C. (2009). An Aesthetics of Everyday Life. Landscapes of
Aesthetic Education (pp. 65-77). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars.
Weimer, M. (2013, February 1). Humor in the Classroom: 40 Years of Research.
Faculty Focus Humor in the Classroom 40 Years of Research Comments.
Retrieved August 25, 2014, from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/
effective-teaching-strategies/humor-in-the-classroom-40-years-of-research/