Visual Teaching Statement

Elliot Eisner’s, “10 Lessons the Arts Teach” is a great description of why art education is important in K-12. To paraphrase him, art education teaches good judgment, that problems have more than one solution, multiple perspectives, problem solving, that the limits of language do not define the limits of our cognition, small differences can have large effects, to think with material and to say what can’t be said, teaches experience and capacity for feeling, and informs youth about what adults believe to be important (Eisner, 2002).

Art education teaches craft and technology but also introduces students to history, worldviews, and culture. Teachers can achieve this outcome by using four studio structures for learning discussed in “Making the Case for the Arts”. These four structures are demonstration, lecture, critique, students at work, and exhibition (Hetland, et al, 2012). When an artist-teacher is successful in completing these structures students walk away with the ability to reflect, observe, envision, express, to engage and persist, to understand art worlds, and develop craft; all of which are transferable skills to real life situations (Hetland, et al, 2012).

I will create a positive learning environment for a diversity of learners by following the four structures for learning. I will decorate the walls with art, instructions, and positive, inspirational posters. I will also keep a library and a safe, cozy spot in the room for research, reflection and the occasional, necessary quiet time.

 

My approach to teaching is a holistic one. With a holistic approach, I will consider Gardner’s eight intelligences and use strategies to reach each student. In addition, I will address inclusion with differentiated instruction, universal design for learning, sheltered instruction, multicultural instruction, and the MMECCA framework (Voltz et all, 2010, p. xix). I will modify and adapt methods, materials, environment, content, collaboration, and assessment and throughout my instruction.

 

I will consider students that are gifted, students living with cognitive and physical disabilities, ESL students and the cultures represented in my classrooms. For gifted students, I will modify the process, content, products and environment for each lesson to provide them with a more challenging, abstract approaches to discovering their finished products.        

 

For students facing cognitive challenges, in order to help them succeed I will repeat directions, have directions printed with visuals as handouts or posters, carefully consider seating arrangements and implement peer help. It’s important to keep in mind that students with mental retardation operate with concrete thinking instead of abstract thinking and this will help me as a teacher to implement effective strategies. For students facing visual challenges, I will make sure and seat them will light shining from behind them to better illuminate their studies as well as provide enlarged instructions or the tools necessary to enlarge readings. For students with physical disabilities, I will adapt and modify tools and unit outcomes if necessary.

 

Perhaps the most important idea to remember is to end the “cycle of failure” (Gerber and Guay, 2006, p.75). This cycle is a great concern for students with cognitive challenges since it typically takes them longer to master a skill compared with their peers in an inclusion situation. I will operate with “success breeds success” (Gerber and Guay, 2006, p.76) as my motto. For example, a student with low reading skills can still exceed in art due to a teachers verbal instruction, demonstration and peer help.  This motto will apply to all students in my classroom.

The art and design content I believe is relevant today can be found in the students’ visual culture of their generation. For example, graphic novels, manga, street art, pop culture, social media outlets, and technology driven art are all important to today’s youth. We live in a technology driven world. Each generation of youth are more and more inundated with technology. Including technology in art education is a must in teaching art today. I will
use technology in teaching students how to research, create art, connect with art and artists, and exhibit their art. 

The role of art museums in art teaching and learning is also essential. It is important to get students out of their visual culture and into museums to see in person the art of the past and how it has progressed and changed over the centuries. In addition, there really is no comparison to standing in front of an actual Van Gogh as opposed to the posters many students are accustomed to, and this goes for all art. Seeing art in person is an experience essential to art education because we experience a sense of awe we can’t get from seeing the same piece on a computer screen or piece of paper. 

The strategies I will use to assess learning in art will include rubrics for each assignment. In addition, I will evaluate each student’s individual growth according to their developmental stage, and how their personal work has progressed.


I believe the responsibilities of art teachers outside the classroom are to be a lifelong leaner, to stay abreast of art education topics, to stay current in art trends and news, and to live an artful life. Being an artist-teacher is a way of life, it is who I am, and it is not just my job.