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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion- Is Art the pathway to a Cultural Utopia?
This amazing blog entry is from the PAEA ED&I chair person, Lynette Brown
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion- Is Art the pathway to a Cultural Utopia?
(The blog consists of excerpts from my personal teacher reflections, inquiries, and presentations.)
“A cultural utopia meaning that every student has a voice in the classroom, school community, and we all (educators, too) can learn about the world by seeing, listening, and connecting to one another, (especially our students).”
As a black woman of color and art educator, every February during Black History Month, I often witness the parade of culturally conscious history and art projects throughout schools and various communities. However, for me, it is a time to reflect and delve deeper into my authentic purpose as a woman of color, artist, and art educator.
Reflections
In 2006, after spending ten years at one of the more challenging public schools in Germantown (Northwest Philadelphia) where school reform, No Child Left Behind, high stake testing and A.Y.P. (adequate yearly progress) were the only motivation for many, except students. My position as the art teacher, the last art teacher was cut as a result of the tumultuous test-driven environment. I was the last “advocate for the arts” and ambassador standing and gone were all of the art programs that once served over 1000 students. Never again at Pickett Middle School would the students paint Afro-centric murals on its walls, perform traditional African dance to the calls, sounds, and beats of distant African tribes, participate in the great theatrical performances like “Purlie” led by Mrs. Pollard and Mrs. Parkinson Hall, and the choir now silent had long sung its final gospel hymn. As the building decayed -so did the arts and its relevance as a new order of education took shape and rose in the city of Philadelphia.
I left a school that used only half of the building and a class filled with supplies and students who soared when being creative. I quickly recovered despite not knowing if the students I left behind did. I took up residency at Alternative Middle Years at James Martin (A.M.Y.) school. A.M.Y. is located in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and is quite a different neighborhood from Germantown, historically and culturally.
The opportunity to teach and connect with students from diverse cultures would be a new challenge and opportunity for me to grow and learn as a teacher. My excitement in the weeks leading up to September was un-containable. During my first months of teaching at A.M.Y., I enjoyed watching the social interaction of students and multicultural friendships. I can recall one late October afternoon during the occasional school social, a colleague shared the following statement, “I don’t care what happens out in the real world, I like that we have a perfect cultural utopia here at AMY.” That verbal exchange resonated with me and in me for quite a while. I now began to experience a new level of discontentment. Isn’t A.M.Y -the real world? What made A.M.Y. a cultural utopia? Where are the programs and messages that foster that cultural utopia? What did A.M.Y. have that was not present in the outside world-the real world? Does the school staff model this cultural utopia? Was my colleague seeing the whole picture? Am I missing the picture?
As time progressed the observed multicultural friendships were not enough. I questioned, looked deeper and found that the multicultural message of a perfect cultural utopia was somewhat superficial. The only “authentic” effort to learn about the world by seeing, listening, and connecting to others was being driven by the students in the halls, in the schoolyard before school, and during the lunch period. The diverse student population was only the beginning. Were we (the school staff) doing enough? Where was the share fair day at AMY, which started as a cultural exchange celebration? How could we offer our students a place and voice in the school community? Where was my place and role in regard to the students in this perfect cultural utopia? Can a cultural utopia ever exist?
In the past, I believe that designing lessons that featured the backgrounds or highlighted the history of students represented in my classroom was enough to promote student voice in the classroom. It was my way of promoting equity in the classroom to others from different cultures or ethnic backgrounds. However, through my reflection, I learned that I was presenting student identity from my perspective; it was more of my teacher voice and intent. In response to the on-sought and parade of questions, I began to include more even more culturally relevant classes on my roster and provided students with collaborative projects featuring art from many cultures and lands from a first-person perspective. I once again, as I re-framed my practice to help create a sense of “a cultural utopia”; I embarked on a journey of inquiry using visual journal projects. As I tried new things to teach authentically and created more space for students in the classroom, I began to learn the importance of student voice and it’s affect in the classroom and learning.
My Inquiry Questions
“What occurs when visual journals are used as social commentary for expressing student identity within the school?”
- Can the journaling process create a space for student culture and voice inside the classroom?
- How can I promote more authenticity and originality in student response in their journaling?
- Can exploring identity issues through art journals in the classroom lead to increased student engagement and self- esteem?
- Will the inquiry in my class elicit the type of expression needed for me to learn about who my students really are?
- What is my role in fostering a safe environment to create personal art and expression?
As Mark Berger states in the Culture of Quality chapter in Going Public… “…Elements that have nothing to do with curriculum have the most profound effect on the lives of children… These things are every bit as important as the curriculum.” How can we allow our students voices of identity into the school and class dialogue?
Visual Journal Project Overview
Sampling of Visual Journal Lessons:
- I Am, I Am Not T-shirts
- The Power of Words Illustrations
- Self Portrait with I Am Poem
Through the visual journal project, my students addressed themes such as bullying, prejudices, gender roles in their family, in their culture and the United States, along with the other concerns and issues that adolescents face from other parts of the world. The students discussed their journal projects (visual drawings, interviews, photographs, poetry, narrative writing, research information, etc.) and displayed the art in a final project exhibition for the school-wide community to view.
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The purpose of journaling is to record, reflect, or envision, problem-solve, and purge. For years, I have used journals to transition, settle students down, begin a lesson, assess student learning and development, offer an opportunity for students to make mistakes, provide reflection, and deep thought. As years passed, journaling evolved into a larger role in my instruction, teaching, and student learning. I have unexpectedly learned so much about my students’ outside life and thoughts through journals. Often, through student journals that I have had a glimpse into my students’ true identities.
My Conclusions
Students serve as the best authorities on telling their stories. So often, others speak to and for students and make assumptions on what the students’ realities and communities are like to the larger world. As an educator, I learn best from my students firsthand. A cultural utopia meaning that every student has a voice in the classroom, school community, and we all (educators too) can learn about the world by seeing, listening, and connecting to one another, (especially our students). In this cultural utopia, there is respect for learning about the world and one another’s world through inquiry. Seeing our students’ cultural capital allows for valuable learning experiences in the art room and work towards promoting inclusion. This is a way of understanding our students come to our art classrooms with a plethora of valid and valuable experiences, traditions, and knowledge. As every September and February approaches, I once again have recaptured that un-containable excitement knowing that a culturally relevant classroom driven by my diverse student population can move A.M.Y. closer to a cultural utopia.
By Lynette Doreen Brown
Art Teacher, Philadelphia School District
M.ED, N.B.C.T.,
Equity, P.A.E.A. Diversity, and Inclusion Committee, Chairperson
Creating a Staff Mural & Building Morale
This blog post is contributed by Jes Noel. Jes
As art educators we create art with our students however have you ever considered creating art with your peers? And I am not talking fellow art teachers I am talking about the other educators in your building that DON’T teach art! Well, I am here to tell you it is possible!
This past 2018 – 2019 school year I created a staff mural with my fellow 70 educators, paraprofessionals, administration, secretaries and custodians. With the help of my building principal, we found time in six-morning meetings throughout the year to create our mural with was unveiled in April during our annual Celebrate the Arts Night. Our inspiration came from the street artist Kelsey Montague and her #WhatLiftsYouSchools movement.
First Morning Meeting:
I prepared a PowerPoint to explain to staff what our initiative for the year exactly was. Our Goal: create a staff mural to gift to our students in April inspired by Montague’s wings which also tied into our new social media initiative. #ironkidssoar
Second Morning Meeting:
Staff painted two pieces of paper with acrylic paint which would ultimately be turned into 4 feathers per staff member. Staff was limited to red, orange, yellow, blue, green or purple paint.
Third Morning Meeting:
Staff were introduced to the Zentangle Method and practiced Zentangle on a 3×3 square.
Fourth Through Sixth Morning Meeting:
Staff Zentangled two of their four feathers for the mural. Feather stencils were provided for continuity along with multiple handouts and examples. The other two feathers remained blank.
Upon completion of all the feathers after the sixth-morning meeting, I and a fellow first-grade teacher began the process of laying and gluing all 280+ feathers onto plywood that we had cut into the shape of wings.
After many, many, MANY coats of Mod Podge, the wings were ready to hang! The staff had voted to entitle our group mural “At DPS, Our Dreams Take Flight.” With the help of our maintenance department, we hung our wings in the main hallway for prime viewing and interaction.
“Make It Work, Artists!” : Mini Design Challenges for the Art Room
Sunnylee Mowery, PAEA Secretary and art teacher extraordinaire at Greenfield Elementary in Philadelphia, shares her ideas on using mini “Design Challenges” to encourage collaboration and increase spontaneity between traditional lessons. Great for half days and early dismissals! Sunny shares with members her experience and provides readers with a few easy, no mess, minimal prep ideas.
The digital clock counts down! Sweat drips for the contestants’ foreheads! Expert judges lined up at a table to offer cut-throat feedback! By this point we’re all familiar with reality competition TV shows and most recently, I’m sure you’ve noticed the evolving trend of our kids creating their own idiosyncratic challenges. Epically perfect water bottle flip onto table edge, anyone? In an effort to harness the energy behind our human desire to compete, I started implementing “Mini Design Challenges” into my art curriculum and my students have responded with rave reviews!
So what is it? A design challenge is a brief, yet intriguing art prompt that students work to complete as a team. Design challenges are great for encouraging collaboration and increasing spontaneity between traditional lessons. They are a great fit for all grade levels, and demonstrate that the work of an artist isn’t just about making a masterpiece with strong elements and principles.
What I love most is that the design challenge format flips the traditional art room modus operandi on it’s head. Instead of coming to art and embarking on a personal journey of completing project objectives, I design my challenges to get kids up out of their seat and collaborating. Disclaimer: A successful design challenge may result in a room that’s louder and messier than normal! It also requires a fair share of masking tape. But for most design challenges, all you need are some recycled materials which is great for ye old budget and a boatload of fun.
I try to announce the prompt, material guidelines, and rules in less than one minute (time is of the essence!) and I make sure to provide a visual of all the parameters on the board for those that have any questions. And then boom, it’s on your mark, get set, let’s go!
Below is a list to my go-to art design challenges:
· Build a shoe out of newspaper!
· Build a table out of recycled materials that can support the weight of a dictionary.
· Create a kinetic sculpture out of 20 blank index cards.
· Create the longest line you can using only three sheets of paper and tape.
· Create a hat you would wear if you were a style icon.
· Work as a team to use each material in the “Mystery Bag” at your table to create one, complete masterpiece!
· Marshmallow Spaghetti Challenge: Using only tape and 20 piece of spaghetti, build a sculpture that support the weight of a marshmallow.
Kiddos usually get 20 minutes to complete each challenge. this chance to work as a team encourages peer to peer dialogue. Kids are forced to negotiate group troubleshooting and solve problems together on the spot. These kind of artistic endeavors help them build social skills in a low-stakes, fun oriented environment.
My favorite part of each day is the big reveal and the debrief! It’s important at the end of each design challenge to take a moment and let the students observe the way other teams solved the problem. There are so many gorgeous moments of delight and exclamations of reverie.
To prompt reflection-related dialogue, I usually wrap up with three simple questions:
· What was the easiest part of this challenge?
· What challenges did you encounter? How did you solve these?
· How did you break up the job with your teammates?
My students have come to expect four design team challenges each year. I like to throw them in on half days when classes are condensed to 30 minutes. I keep the stakes low, no one is voted off the island and no one is asked to pack their knives and go. Sometimes there are obvious “winners” and sometimes none of the teams complete the challenge prompt completely. Both results are okay. If I did a good job as a teacher, my students walk away knowing the joy of just engaging in the design process.
Balancing the Teacher and Artist in Me, By Jackie Thomas
Balancing the Teacher and Artist in Me
As a Fibers Artist, time has always been a challenge for me. Just plain living takes so much time, and when a teaching career is added, there is little left for the creative process and studio work. I thought I was not really productive in the studio while I was going through challenges of balancing home and school. But in retrospect, I realize I really was productive by channeling my creative energies in a number of ways:
As a brand new teacher, fresh out of college, and having already decided to specialize in Fibers. I packed up a project bag with a pre-woven rya rug backing (on which I drew a simple design), some yarns, a measuring tool, and a large tapestry needle. I kept the bag at school, available for the snippets of time available to work on the rya rug during faculty meetings and in the faculty room (I was told that teachers thought I was stuck up if I never left my classroom, so I scheduled a couple of periods a week to talk with teachers in the faculty room and did my planning at 5:30 in the morning and at home). It was a bulky bag that I lugged around, but I learned about trying to fit into the building and being a member of the larger school community. I believe it took all year to finish that Rya Rug.
Time to balance teaching and art making didn’t shift any over the years, and I decided that I wanted to complete more than just one artifact in a school year. I looked for projects that would not require much of an investment in time. I tried jewelry making for a couple of years. A new bag of materials accompanied me to meetings and on car trips when someone else was driving.
Feltmaking jewelry:
Waxed linen coiling/twining jewelry:
But I eventually decided I didn’t really find jewelry satisfying – too much assembly. And, fibers jewelry making was not really transferable and informative to teaching my students.
Quite by accident I began to make miniature dolls as fetishes and found that quite satisfying for more than ten years. My sister and I attended the American Crafts Council Baltimore Winter Market every year, and I bought one tiny wearable fetish animal doll from An African doll maker each year.
African Animal Fetishes:
“A fetish is an object of magical powers. It is a guardian chosen by you. Once you have chosen your fetish you must promise to faithfully care for it. You must keep it in a warm, dry place and feed it one grain of corn or rice or bean each year. In return, it will insure you good health, clear sight, protection against injury, success in hunting and trading, and abundant love.”
After the fetish artist moved back to Africa, I went through fetish withdrawal, and I began to design and make my own little fetish dolls. I have worn a fetish every day over the past 40+ years.
I usually worked on a series of fetishes of one color/fabric but each with it’s own look/design (one to keep and the others to share). I tried to complete one step in each sitting (i.e. trace the pattern onto the cloth and cut them out; sew the fetish shape with right sides of the cloth together & leaving an opening along one leg; turn the cloth fetishes right side out, stuff them and stitching them closed; embroider the faces; add hair; clothe one fetish at a time).
Some of my Fetishes:
An AHA! Moment occurred when I realized I had boxes and bags of process and project samples for feltmaking (and other fibers processes). They were already of my own hand and design. I pulled them out and began to assemble them into larger sculptures (a technique I then used with students as well). I also challenged myself to create one-a day miniature artifacts to be assembled later into larger pieces.
“Pulls”
“It’s An Octopus!”
The challenge is the time. I dedicate time (usually weekend or evening) to get a project concept defined in my sketchbook and to organize materials. I look at my schedule to see where I might capture unscheduled time. And I always have a bag or a box loaded and ready when time suddenly and unexpectedly becomes available. I have rules:
- Never let my own art work interfere with planning for my classes and experimenting with materials and techniques before teaching them. Planning is important.
- Never work on my own art during teaching time.
- Request someone else drive whenever possible so I can work on a project during the trip.
- Always have a journal or paper to write down ideas, things to remember, and to record discoveries and things I learned.
- Collect materials and experiences on every walk, vacation, and opportunity.
- Never throw away project failures or demonstration projects. They may serve another purpose later. At the very least, failures help me remember how NOT to do it (because otherwise I will usually do it the unsuccessful way over and over again).
- Teaching others is a prime way to learn and improve my own skills.
- There is always something to be learned, even in the most repetitive experience.
- ALWAYS be ready to work on a project…. i.e. ball gown components created while sitting at Little League games.
If nothing else inspires, I can always redesign/embellish wearables from my closet.!
C’est Finis!
Spring Symposium at Moore College of Art and Design with School District of Philadelphia Art Teachers!
Guest post by:
NAEA Special Needs in Art Education President-Elect
On May 18th, 2018 Moore College of Art & Design’s MA in Art Education with an Emphasis in Special Populations program hosted its annual Art Education Symposium titled “Creating Multiple Modalities of Language in and Through the Arts”
We were honored to have this event sponsored by A.C. Moore!
The symposium featured regional Art and English Language Learner instructors Angela Renish, Lori Logan and Erica Mandell who shared their personal stories, knowledge, and skills on developing inclusive practices for English Language Learners in and through the arts. The afternoon included lightning round, hands-on workshops that offered attendees easy takeaways to incorporate into their teaching methods.
Session A with Angela Renish: Visual Tools and Strategies for Making Art Lessons Accessible for English Language Learners.
Session B with Lori Logan: Visual Structures for Engaging English Language Learners in All Educational Settings.
Session C with Erica Mandell: Art Lessons with an Emphasis on Social Justice for English Language Learners.
Save the date for our Fall 2018 Symposium
Saturday, November 3rd ““Understanding Our Humanity Through the Arts”
Learn new skills and strategies that address our diversity, identity, and different abilities through the arts. Featuring keynote speaker Justin Brown and session leaders Sika Wheeler, Christina Lukac and Amanda Thoma.
Photos by Riley Evan Lloyd
“Do we love our kids? Do they matter to us?”
There’s a lot going on in the world right now that affects many of our students’ lives, opinions, and environment as as well as our own. So when we are teaching or talking to our kiddos, how do we take everything into consideration? Are you wrestling with how to approach these issues in your art room?? I know I am. How do we make our art room the safe and nurturing environment it should be so that students can express themselves and grow emotionally?
This article was sent to me, and it resonates loudly. Click the text link below, and give it a gander:
“Part of our job as educators and caring adults is to make school a place where all students can find productive outlets for their emotions in response to the adversity and trauma they experience. But educators do not bear the sole responsibility for helping communities recover or changing systems that perpetuate injustice. ”
The article mentions that as educators we must be connected with our communities to help support our students and help them get through what the world is throwing in their faces. This, obviously is where we must go above and beyond our call of duty. This is our before and after school time, where we give ourselves selflessly to our profession without consideration of being compensated for that time. There are of course teachers who only work the contract, and I understand. BUT, if we truly want to affect change and to make a difference in our children’s lives and communities, then we have to give a little more of ourselves. I believe it to be our call of duty as educators. One does not get into this profession for the pay, nor do should they come into the classroom thinking their job starts and stops at the school doors. Being and educator in today’s world is demanding, and no one should have a veil over their eyes on that.
The article continues to give some advice on how we can help support our students, and as art teachers I believe we are the perfect conduit to follow through on those points. We see our students year after year- we are a constant in their life. We are the ones that can develop long and lasting relationships where students can come to trust us. Often, the art room is the place where they can fully express their dreams, hopes, rage, and personality and we need to remember to embrace that. Art educators need to give students that room for choice and expression so that they can fully realize their potential.
Naturally this article made me think about teaching from a trauma informed or trauma sensitive background. And during a summer where I am reevaluating and reconsidering my approach to classroom management, this article enforces my belief that we must be the calm and centered educator they need. If they lash out, don’t lash back. If they say hateful things, don’t take it personally. Always remain calm, and tell them you love them. And keep striving to make schools a better place, and the world a better place.
“So as we work to prepare our kids for the world they live in today, we will not stop fighting to create the world we want for them.”
BTW- This year’s theme for the PAEA is “social justice” and I hope that you consider how you approach these issues in your art room this year.
Thanks for letting me bend your ear.
Sneak Peek: Rande Blank’s Presentations
Rande Blank has been the Director of the MAT in Visual Arts Education program since 2012 and a faculty member with UARTS – Art + Design Education department since 2003, teaching graduate courses, and mentoring students in their practicum experiences. Most recently she has been selected to be on the Advisory Council for the Design-Ed organization and the Director of the Higher Education Division for the Pennsylvania Art Education Association. (Text borrowed from http://www.uarts.edu/users/rblank )
Rande will be delivering not one, but two presentations!
Support Your NAEA Student Chapter Through Fundraising Events: University Student Panel Discussion
Friday at 2:00 – 2:50 PM
University faculty and students discuss advocating for professional association participation, fundraising activities, conference proposal writing, and art education studio workshop opportunities. Experience pride and success with your university chapter.
Design Thinking as a Problem Solving Process: 5 hands-on participatory activities
Sunday at 9:00 – 10:50 AM.
Teach students to become independent, innovative and thoughtful decision-makers. Apply the design thinking cycle where problems are identified, solutions proposed, produced and evaluated. Participate in design activities to explore process.
D5 Creation