I've always had weighted classes in my school.
Unfortunately some students will opt out of my classes
because they are on the 'validictorian' track, but I am
happy to say that most don't. I also run the gifted
program which is weighted as high as the physics class, so
the majority of 'those' kids take the gifted class and are
exposed to my nuttsiness, and then they decide they will
take an art class, after they find out that I will be
stimulating a part of their brain that lies dormant.
I always say that art is NOT the same as the higher
weighted classes because we are NOT on the same SCALE as
they are! One of the reasons 'those' kids don't take art
is that they are 'afraid' to take educational risks. They
prefer the classes with distinct 'right' and 'wrong' that
they can 'study' for and be 'tested' on. While there is
plenty to 'study' and be "tested' on in art class, there
are also those 'grey' areas, and areas of skills and
problem solving which confuses the average smart kid. For
example, we started the new semester and as an
introduction I was speaking about visual cliches and how I
do not expect to see any of those images in my classes.
One of the 'smart' kids asked this question "if we can't
copy images, then where do we get our inspiration?" I
explained that that was what the semester would reveal.
