Reply to Merian: Challenges in Art and Teachers as Artists

Hello Merian!

I think your question about balance in art is a good one.

I think there is a challenge in balancing correctness with creativity and that the challenge is largely externally imposed. There is also that inner drive where you always want to learn and do a better painting each time.

I think that when children are in preschool or day care, they are encouraged to explore freely in all the arts. There are no expectations on young children to be able to draw ‘well’ or dance a certain way etc.  Parents, teachers, other children are genuinely pleased with whatever the child creates because they can see how pleased the child is with their own work and the process of creating. However, as the child gets older, parents, teachers, peers start having higher expectations which the child also has a greater awareness of and I think they start to feel the challenge of balancing ‘doing things the right way’ and ‘doing things the way that feels right’.

My personal feeling is that when it comes to creativity, people should do what feels right because there will be more emotional value in what they then create.

Powell’s ideas (1997) likewise appealed to me.  I think the article makes a very strong argument for the idea that all teachers should tap into their own creative resources. I especially liked that ‘teachers are people too’ was pointed out. Since teachers are people, they have their own individual quirks that influence the way they teach their relationships with their students. I think that without this variability, school would be very boring.

I think that my confidence in my ability to paint and play piano doesn’t really translate to the primary classroom yet. I’m hoping that as I become more confident in my teaching style, I will be able express my own personality a bit more.

And you, Merian? I read your Haiku lesson plans. They are great! I really like the idea of looking around the school for word inspiration… Did you feel that you were able to express your inner creativity adequately through that lesson sequence? The children’s creations were lovely and definitely showed individuality.

Jess.