Graduate spotlights: Exploring the intrinsic value of K-12 arts education (part 1)

This is the second installment in a series of five stories about recent Herron graduates whose creative practices include research, teaching, and clinical approaches.

In a well-rounded education the arts play a pivotal role — and yet art education is highly undervalued.

There's a lot going on in the classroom apart from just learning how to make and appreciate the arts. Whether drawing, dancing, or playing an instrument, students gain a wide range of transferable skills that will help them excel within and outside school.

Recent graduates from Herron's art education program will soon enter K through 12 schools to nurture not only the next generation of artists but also critical thinkers and problem solvers.

We asked the 21-strong cohort to share their teaching philosophies. Here are a few of them, and a second set will be featured later this week.

Curiosity-driven learning

Curiosity is a thread that connects almost everything I do, whether it's painting, printmaking, weaving, or writing a new art lesson.

When it comes to teaching art, curiosity is not something I include in my formal written lessons. Rather, it's my goal to create opportunities for curiosity in every class.

Evidence of curiosity that is taught can be found when a high schooler makes a real-world connection through the practice of weaving. Sometimes it's the determination on a first grader's face when their first printmaking attempt doesn't turn out quite right, but they hurry back to their seat with the confidence to try again.

There is no clear structure for the creative process. The way I like to see it is that curiosity ignites, creativity propels, and connections bridge. Mix these elements in any order, and you can still end up with something extraordinary.

Exploration of underlying beliefs

As an artist, I have explored how I experience life and tried to project that through my work. The notion of reliving my life through my own artwork has provided insight into who I am, how I think, and why it all contributes to the person I am today. In that self-reflection, I know how to get to where I want to be as a person.

As an educator, I would like to see my students experience what I have through art.

I will build a relationship where they feel free to express themselves and know that not having the "right" answer to every question is okay. I want all my students to be free-thinking creatives and help them learn how to have fun with art-making.

Sensemaking through observation

Art is a way of better understanding human nature and of interpreting the world around us. I sometimes find myself in a state of total observation, whether drawing a landscape in my sketchbook or watching how people interact within their surroundings.

Art education is a way to show students how topics and ideas can be conceptualized visually.

It is my responsibility to teach students how to solve problems through a visual lens, which is so necessary in a world that is so dependent on design and creativity. It is my intention to encourage students to reach their full creative potential through engaging and dynamic lessons, while also enabling creative freedom.

Democratic values

My teaching is rooted in my personal goal of being a role model in the classroom. I believe in building trust between my students and myself through openness, humor, encouragement, and community-based learning. By forming a connection, I can better understand their learning habits and adapt my teaching to the needs of the individual students.

My aim is to create a classroom that appeals to all types of student and fosters learning through creativity and experimentation. I will cultivate my students' abilities and help guide them in following their own personal interests. Recognizing the value of different ideas, I will welcome all students' feedback, because it helps create democracy.