Art is the medium for students to begin their unique and one of a kind adventures. It allows them to imagine, create and express themselves.
When education is tight for money, one of the first cuts is to the arts department. However, art is an integral part of learning as it teaches students how to think for themselves. Art is a medium that encourages students to experiment and to take risks. Too often the core subjects are learning facts and how to implement them in a variety of scenarios.
Schools need to understand the importance of art and how it allows the individuality of each student to shine. A class of students who are asked to create a portrait of themselves with no other guidelines will surprise you with their depth. In the initial stages of art, students are scared to experiment and expect their art to be perfect. If the drawing or sculpture is not perfect in their eyes they will begin to speak of their inability to be an artist.
Too often students are taught art is a fun activity that requires little guidance and you are either an artist or not, however, this is false. Any skill must be taught, practiced and practiced some more. Some students will be able to draw with less effort, just as some students will ace spelling tests without studying while others struggle.
Invite art into your class to enhance student’s creative and problem solving skills. Art is a great compliment to a variety of subjects. Math uses art to create geometric shapes while art is used in social studies to outline a community setting. Inspire students to write a journal entry by looking at a piece of art or to explain the relevance of recycle art. Joyce Raimond’s art books are an excellent resource to aid teachers in creating lessons.
