I’m writing a short series on the the importance of arts education for our children. See the introduction here and stay tuned for more.
Well, I’m a little behind because I’ve had an offbeat start to my week. My Monday turned out nothing like I would have hoped and I have to tell ya, one thing I’ve learned being a mom is that it doesn’t always go well but you can always start over in the morning. Thanks goodness for a new day.
But the biggest sadness out of my Monday was the sudden passing of my former Principal, Cheryl Taylor. Ms. Taylor was an outspoken, bold, compassionate leader. She made waves, big choppy waves and you either learned to ride along or you fell off the boat. There was no room for lukewarm attitudes with her. She loved her students to a fault and I’m pretty sure that she will now be watching over one student in particular and he’s lucky for that.
Cheryl Taylor was a catalyst in my career. She saw something in me and she worked to mold that into an amazing educator. I so appreciate the time she took to invest in me and my art program. And I want to share something with you that I have only come to realize more recently about Cheryl, myself, and the arts.
As a child, Cheryl took ballet in her NYC neighborhood. Though I know few details of her experience with dance, I know that it had a tremendous impact on her life. She was lively but really came to life when she talked about dance. Her eyes would light up and it was as if she had traveled back to that happy moment for a few minutes. Cheryl came out of those memories, eyes filled with tears and longing for those wonderful times again. She even taught dance to her students when she began teaching and funded dance outfits out of her own pocket.
Dance brought out an empathy in Cheryl that was hardened by the rest of city life. There is something about the arts that creates a sense of empathy and compassion. Perhaps it is the personal nature of the arts that requires us to be vulnerable and appreciate the emotions of others. Once you have revealed your own emotions and thoughts through the artistic process it is much easier to recognize and appreciate those expressed by others.
Empathy is a skill that is difficult to teach and, judging by the severe bullying problem in american schools, is lacking in our students and employees. According to this Forbes article, empathy can create the more productive workplace that America is seeking to build. And I’m sure that every teacher in America will agree that there is a great need for empathy among students.
How can you teach empathy in the art classroom?
1. Share and talk about artworks with emotional subject matter. Kathe Kollwitz’s post-war prints are very emotional and many kids can relate to the desire of wanting to protect loved ones.
2. Have your students create art that answers an open ended question. For example, have your students creates a genre painting that gives a detailed answer to the question “what was the best day you’ve ever experienced?”
3. Let students talk to one another about their artwork. I’m a big fan of noisy art rooms; quiet work is important but, I also feel that artists are collaborative workers and need feedback and communication about their work. Teach your kiddos how to talk about the processes and thoughts behind their work and to give constructive feedback.
CRAFT in DC 