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Lesson Plans


Re: intEgration!

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Bunki Kramer (bkramer.ca.us)
Fri, 11 Oct 1996 22:26:02 -0700

>In a message dated 96-10-11 02:33:56 EDT, you write:
>
><< The more
> incentive, encouragement and training we can give the classroom teachers,
> the better...but we have to work together. Many of these same classroom
> teachers have little self-confidence in their art abilities and need
> strong, HELPFUL motivation from us. >>
>
>Bunki,
>I teach an extension course for classroom teachers<<Art Activities>>> and I
>am consistently amazed at how little confidence and/or knowledge most of the
>"regular" teachers have in art. I'm not sure from where it stems... perhaps
>by their teachers' training itself being compartmentalized (Science Methods/
>Art Methods/etc) and by those Art Methods courses focused on a variety of
>"things to do", instead of the art principles and elements of design, and how
>Art relates to one's life and is intEgrated across the curriculum.
>
>I'm curious if there are others who also teach a course such as mine. How do
>you go about training and encouraging the classroom teachers, so that they
>can tell the difference between "cookie-cutter" pumpkins and "creatively
>inspired" pumpkins.
>
>'Leni
............end of message..........

Hi, Leni......Your post suddenly brought back some cob-webbed memories of
my college days when I was an entering freshman with no high school art
class experience...just a kid who liked to draw and liked art and who might
one day become a famous artist. (Well, I WAS naive!) My first semester we
were doing thick whiteboard construction reliefs and I thought I was
finished with mine. I showed it to my teacher who shook her head, laid it
on the floor, sat me on a tall stool and told me to "look at it" until I
could figure out what was wrong with it. I sat on that tall stool...all
alone...for 45 minutes...and never "discovered" what it was that needed
"fixin'". I finally climbed down off the stool when everyone broke for
lunch and I was VERY quiet the rest of the day. I didn't have the foggest
notice of what "it" was and my self-confidence hit the dregs. I hadn't
planned on being a teacher but I remember to this day thinkin'.."If I was
ever an art TEACHER, I would tell them EVERYTHING I know so they wouldn't
have to sit on a stool all alone. I don't really know where this tale leads
except that I never experienced such a lack of self-confidence in my art
abilities when, at the same time, I thought everyone else KNEW what it was
all about!! Maybe this, in a nutshell, is what these classroom teachers
experience...that everyone KNOWS about art but her/him. It's a lonely
feeling!

True...all those method courses teach the little "how to do" projects but
maybe they REALLY need to hear about the basics...the elements and
principles and how they relate to their own artwork, and how to encourage
creativity and overcome the fear of jumping in with both feet, and going
for that risky "let's try it" thing.. Isn't that what we're all trying to
do as art teachers? Gosh, it must be befuddling to them when WE can't even
come to consensus on what is art, etc.!
I'm just thinkin' out loud here, but maybe you could introduce the
"pumpkin" project and do the cookie-cutter approach to show how it is
creatively stifling and then how they could go about making creative
pumpkins in different styles of artists or color or mood and how to try to
be more outrageous and creative than the next fellow. This way they could
see both sides of the coin and understand what they really need to teach!

Just a thought..........Cya

Bunki Kramer
Los Cerros Middle School
968 Blemer Road
Danville, California 94526
sch.# 510-552-5620
bkramer.ca.us

  • Reply: Lynn Foltz: "Re: intEgration!- whiteboard relief and pumpkins"