Reflections on Intentions

I was honored to be included on a list of recommended blogs from Art Mouse House.  I have just recently started following Art Mouse House and it is a very new blog.  It already looks like it’s going to be a wonderful blog with lots of fresh ideas and clear explanations.

I read her post about setting an intention and found myself nodding my head in agreement the whole time.. thinking, yep, that’s totally what I believe too!  I’ve been reflecting a lot about what 21st century art education should look like.  It might mean different things in different school settings and for different kids.  Whenever the conversation comes up about choice-based art education on the art teacher Facebook group, I learn new things and take bits and pieces from different art ed philosophies.  It always seems to get very heated with art teachers strongly advocating for one way or another of teaching art.  My classes do have more directed guidelines than a choice classroom, but I think it is also important for students to be able to infuse their own creative ideas into each project.  I will encourage students to take on new directions for their artwork if they still fit the goals of the art unit.  I do not teach a totally choice-based program where the students can choose any material & theme every art class, but I do have many opportunities for children to choose their own art adventures.  We do have free choice days and some more open-ended projects.   I follow lots of blogs including some choice based ones.  Adventures of an Art Teacher is one of my faves.

Here are some mini interior designs that two of my students started on a choice day. They have been adding to these throughout the last few weeks.

Like Trish said in her post, I like to think about overarching goals and intentions for my art program.  I would like students to leave with an appreciation of art, a desire to create (no matter what form that takes), an understanding of how art reflects cultural beliefs, the ability to talk about art and art history, confidence in their problem-solving and creative ability, an understanding of basic art fundamentals and experiences with a wide range of art materials.  It is also always important to connect to the children’s life experiences so they can see how art is a part of the world around them.  How I achieve that will look different from how other teachers approach their teaching.

Medieval style banners for a Medieval day at school.

So what are my intentions for this blog?  I too hope my projects reflect what my goals are.

First, when writing a blog, it’s helpful to think about who you intend your audience to be.  I am intending the audience of this blog to be art teachers, homeschool parents , camp counselors, creative parents, classroom teachers and basically any adult who wants to learn more about ways to teach art to children.  I know many readers are just stopping by after seeing a post pinned on Pinterest.  That’s okay too.  If it encourages some random visitors to make art with their child, then great!

Second, I like to share and connect with other art teachers.  Way back when I first started teaching there were not many art teaching websites.  The Incredible Art Department was one of the first (or it might have been the actual first) and I visited it frequently to get new ideas.  There was also the Getty Museum Listserv where art teachers posted questions and shared ideas (no pictures yet!)  I had lots of mentors online and felt like I always had a place I could go to and learn something new.  Now, by following blogs and adding to the trove of online art resources I can continue to learn new things about teaching art, but also share what works for me.

Finally, blogging has become a big hobby for me!  I love learning all about blogging, manipulating pictures and figuring out all the behind the scenes stuff about websites.  My goal is to have a successful blog that people enjoy coming to.  Yes, it is also about earning a little extra money.  Through ad revenue, Amazon Affiliates, and my TPT shop, I am able to earn a bit of extra income each month.  That money has most recently renewed my membership to NAEA, allowed me to purchase a bunch of art books for my classroom (beyond my classroom budget) and will soon help pay my way to the national art conference!   I know some art teachers are opposed to for-profit art teaching blogs, but think about how you might be able to make it easier for you to continue your professional development, buy art supplies and art books for your classroom (or maybe even save for retirement!)  If you are nervous about turning off your readers with ads, Amazon Affiliates is a good place to start, since you can add links to products you are writing about without it being very intrusive.  Like this:  “I used an Angora watercolor set to create this painting.”

Another painting I did recently for my ongoing bird studies.

 What are your goals as an art teacher?  Are they similar to mine?

If you have a blog, what are your intentions for your blog?