Heading to San Diego for NAEA

I am excited to attend another National Art Convention but this time as a presenter.  I have to admit I am not as relaxed as I was last year but a little stress keeps me on my toes.  I have been gathering photos and content for years and I thought no problem I can pull this together easy.  Not so.  I have almost 25 years of teaching art and not all of the years are documented with the digital era so I am relying on my last 10 years of documents to help me through.  My sessions speak to the heart of who I am so I am comfortable talking about it.   I am wading through years of photographs of lessons, club activities, and past students.  I am very lucky to have had a stable and positive career.  I had the same troubles as most art teachers do: teenagers who don’t behave, low art budgets, administration who just don’t get it, etc.  But I must say the majority of my career, I have always been able to overcome and steer the ship forward.

I love working with young people and making a positive impact on their immediate day and their futures.  As I read some posts on Facebook and other blogs, I read the tension so many teachers are feeling due to budgets, political pressures, common core, contracts, etc.  I am not immune to this either but I do focus on the students in my studio space.  I can control the environment.  My students deserve the best of me, even when I am not feeling the best.  I often say to myself “fake it, until I make it.”  This year has been incredibly busy.  I have students spread all over the place, participating in art contests, charity events, local showcases, art club activities, and of course all of my art courses.  I have spent almost every Saturday with a different group of students.  I don’t regret it, actually I enjoy it.  Having my students ask me to meet them at a little hole in the wall to have breakfast was so precious.  We gathered around a small table and we just enjoyed talking to each other.  It was great.  I was a running a little late (10 minutes), I thought they would be too, but I was wrong.  They sat waiting wondering what was keeping me.  I was just sleeping in a little too long.  Ha!  High school students waiting on me for breakfast still makes me smile a bit.

I invest a lot of time with my students and I believe that is the key.  They crave attention, appreciation, a place to belong.  I provide a time, place, and activity with others who enjoy the same thing.  We meet “fancy” people and the students get respect.  I wish more adults would create safe opportunities for teenagers to learn how to behave, grow, appreciate, and gain self-esteem.  It is very important, more important than a letter grade or a standardized test.  The experiences build young people to want to be someone and they realize they can do it.  When students realize all the possibilities, they align themselves to be successful in other areas in their life.

As educators we need to fuel what makes us feel balanced, happy, and inspired.  This trip to San Diego will place me among all the people who get what it’s like to be a dedicated art teacher and artist.  In my world they cannot be separated.  It is the Disneyland for art educators.  I hope I get the chance to meet many of you there.  If you cannot attend make sure you follow along online either on Facebook groups, Twitter, or ArtEd 2.0.

Top State Art Awards and the Highs and Lows of an Art Teacher

It’s been a busy couple of weeks and they will only get more intense as results of juried art contests, scholarship awards, and exhibitions begin.  My art program at my current school is starting to catch air under itself.  I work very hard and dedicate a lot of time alongside my dedicated art students.  I have modeled what it takes to be successful as an artist and my students are exceeding most of my expectations.  Yes- there are a few who could work more but they are who they are and … I will keep working on them and not give up but I choose to focus on my achievers.  So my motto is “Get on board!!!  This ship is moving forward and you have a seat but you need to take it, it’s not reserved seating, and it may get taken by someone else if you don’t occupy it now! ” 

I take pride that my art classes don’t just encompass the gifted but all students with all kinds of skills and interests.  My demographic is pretty even for boys and girls, athletes and scholars, and I like it that way.  Art should be available for everyone to try it on and see where it will take them.

Recently, a series of seniors have been praising what the visual arts program has done for them in front of the whole middle school and high school.  They all mentioned how it is hard to be an artist but well worth all the time and effort with failures and successes.  One student in particular mentioned her experience with me in my studio for five years.  She was placed in my class as an eighth grader and has never left.  I was touched by her description of who I am and about what I have done for her.  I didn’t realize how much of myself I revealed to them. 

 NO- not anything crazy but she picked up on my kindness and support I give to students when they are struggling to be a teenager, to all the charity work I do, and a few quirks that she finds engaging.  I just do these things and I don’t really think about how much my students see or think about what I am doing.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because she is an artist and has keen observational skills but for some reason it surprised me.   She mentioned my work as an art advocate, my work with local charities, and my global efforts to help Haiti.  She stated that observing this has helped her see artists can and do make a difference.  It helped her decide to NOT listen to people who tried to discourage her from going to art school.  I nearly melted into a puddle of mush as she spoke about how she learns differently and it’s okay because she is an artist and can see and perceive the world differently.   I felt my heart skip a beat when she so proudly shared her path to become a secure young lady through the arts. Her success in the art studio helped her become more successful in other classes.   It was one of the very best speeches for the purpose of art education and what we do as art educators.  We do so much more for young people; more than teach our students to create wonderful art pieces- We create strong, healthy, positive, curious, creative people.

This year has been full of positive energy, honors, awards, but also challenges.  Most recently, I have felt that I need to pull out my art advocacy file and defend the Fine Arts program.  It is truly scary to think there are people who cannot see the value in a Fine Arts education.  I know it looks like we have lots of fun and it may even appear easy but I assure you it is not.  If it looks easy it’s because there is a heck of a lot of work upfront to support success.  I wish someone would wear my shoes for one week….be me!!! See how you handle all the different challenges that we as art teachers deal with all day.  I don’t sit in one spot and I do not have a correct answer to offer to satisfy my student’s questions.  I do offer more questions to propel discovery, I support self-discovery, I assist them to collaborate, try and try again, I help my students reflect, and learn.  I also ask them to show what they learn so everyone can see what they have struggled to create, question, think, and solve.  

This has been a strange couple of weeks where I should have been at my highest high, but found myself going into defensive mode instead.  It’s sad when the joy you deserve is tainted by someone else.  I am looking forward to the National Art Convention so I may steep myself in positive energy with other artist/art educators who understands the struggle.   Until then…. I will be in my studio matting all the latest art pieces who have landed in the top places in the state.