a passion for art… a love of children!

A Passion for Art…A Love of Children!

…unlocking a love of learning through the arts…

Presented by: Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT

GAEA Professional Learning Fall Conference 2005Lake Lanier, Georgia

A Passion for Art…A Love of Children

The KEY to good pedagogy must begin with what I like to call:

C P R…Commitment, Passion and the Power to Reflect. If teachers are to truly be the best they can be for our children, our future, they must be willing to resuscitate the life back into their teaching on a daily basis!


Key #1:Commitment

Teachers must be involved with their professional organizations, their communities and to being life- long learners. We must remember to practice what we daily preach! Students are watching and learning from us!


Key #2:Passion

Teachers MUST be passionate about children and for the discipline that they teach. We don’t merely teach visual art, we TEACH children through the vehicle of the visual arts!


Theme-based teaching is what works for me!

It is the KEY to my student’s successes!

Developing a yearlong, theme-based curriculum yearly, aids my students in better understanding the art that documents our world and the art they create, making them critical thinkers as well as problem solvers!


Several successful theme based curricula I have created over the years include:

The History of Art Through the Eyes of our Future!


Museum Mania…Where Yesterday Meets Today, Enhancing Tomorrow!


Visualizing Virtue…

Character Education through the ARTS


Art Detectives…Through Time!


Key #3:Reflection

One of the most difficult aspects in teaching is the ability to be able to reflect on what you teach and how you teach it. More importantly, assessing if it indeed was worth teaching and most importantly, thinking about ways in which you can teach it better in the future!


Upon reflecting on my own teaching, I often use art room materials to help me keep it all in perspective! I make meaning out of every medium in the art room…

Clay- molds the minds of our future

Pencils- valuing student’s thoughts; reminding myself to stick to the point

Erasers- knowing that one can erase and redo teaching that may

need to be rethought

Sharpies- staying sharp and up to date on current events and teaching

strategies

Markers- every mark a child makes is their mark on our world.


Glue- Good teaching is the cohesive ingredient that builds successful citizens, we

must make the learning stick!Paint- can be mixed together to make new

colors, much like good teaching involves several

disciplines to make it truly rich.Scissors- cutting out the unnecessary extras and

staying on course.Oil Pastels-blending together and networking

with others in the school to make the most beautiful teaching environment.

Camera- staying focused on the teaching objectives.Crayons- layering art history, art criticism, aesthetics

and production for a textured art learning experience.

Our student’s minds are like sponges and canvases…absorbing the information we give them to become masterpieces!


Teachers are like great artists who know exactly what and how much to put in the mix to make a successful masterpiece. When teachers are truly good at what they do, they know that it takes time and effort and hard work to create a masterpiece but they don’t give up, for they know that this art will be viewed by many. We must never give up on our youth, they deserve the very best so that they may grow up to create masterpieces of their own and continue to make this world a better place. Teachers teach the future!


I believe that the KEY to good teaching comes in the form of CPR! When we are following these simple rules, we are, in essence beginning to resuscitate the love of learning back into our children, our most priceless asset! Imagine a world full of children who believe in their abilities because an art teacher taught them to see the beauty in learning, and in life…through art!


Now, go back to your school and breathe life into your discipline! Be PROUD to call yourself an educator!

…and watch your children

soar!


Thank You! For more information please contact

Debi West at:[email protected]

a passion for art… a love of children!

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