A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children!
…unlocking a love of learning through the arts…
Presented by:
Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT
GAEA Professional Learning Fall Conference 2005
Lake Lanier, Georgia
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
The KEY to good pedagogy must begin
with what I like to call:
C P R…
Commitment, Passion and the Power to
Reflect. If teachers are to truly be the best
they can be for our children, our future, they
must be willing to resuscitate the life back
into their teaching on a daily basis!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Key #1:
Commitment
Teachers must be involved with their professional
organizations, their communities and to being lifelong learners. We must remember to practice what
we daily preach! Students are watching and
learning from us!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Key #2:
Passion
Teachers MUST be passionate about children and for the
discipline that they teach. We don’t merely teach visual
art, we TEACH children through the vehicle of the visual
arts!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Theme-based teaching is what works for me!
It is the KEY to my student’s successes!
Developing a yearlong, theme-based
curriculum yearly, aids my students in better
understanding the art that documents our
world and the art they create, making them
critical thinkers as well as problem solvers!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Several successful theme based curricula I
have created over the years include:
The History of Art Through the Eyes of our Future!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Museum Mania…Where Yesterday Meets
Today, Enhancing Tomorrow!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Visualizing Virtue…
Character Education through the ARTS
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Art Detectives…Through Time!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Key #3:
Reflection
One of the most difficult aspects in teaching is the
ability to be able to reflect on what you teach and how
you teach it. More importantly, assessing if it indeed
was worth teaching and most importantly, thinking
about ways in which you can teach it better in the
future!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Upon reflecting on my own teaching, I often use art room materials to help me
keep it all in perspective! I make meaning out of every medium in the art
room…
Clay- molds the minds of our future
Pencils- valuing student’s thoughts; reminding
myself to stick to the point
Erasers- knowing that one can erase
and redo teaching that may need to be
rethought
Sharpies- staying sharp and up to date on
current events and teaching strategies
Markers- every mark a child makes is their
mark on our world.
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Glue- Good teaching is the cohesive ingredient
that builds successful citizens, we must make
the learning stick!
Paint- can be mixed together to make new
colors, much like good teaching
involves several disciplines to make it truly
rich.
Scissors- cutting out the unnecessary extras and
staying on course.
Oil Pastels-blending together and networking
with others in the school to make the
most beautiful teaching environment.
Camera- staying focused on the teaching objectives.
Crayons- layering art history, art criticism, aesthetics
and production for a textured art learning
experience.
Our student’s minds are like sponges and canvases…absorbing the
information we give them to become masterpieces!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Teachers are like great artists who know exactly
what and how much to put in the mix to make a
successful masterpiece. When teachers are truly
good at what they do, they know that it takes time
and effort and hard work to create a masterpiece
but they don’t give up, for they know that this art
will be viewed by many. We must never give up
on our youth, they deserve the very best so that
they may grow up to create masterpieces of their
own and continue to make this world a better
place. Teachers teach the future!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
I believe that the KEY to good teaching comes in the form
of CPR! When we are following these simple rules, we
are, in essence beginning to resuscitate the love of learning
back into our children, our most priceless asset! Imagine a
world full of children who believe in their abilities because
an art teacher taught them to see the beauty in learning,
and in life…through art!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Now, go back to your school and breathe
life into your discipline! Be PROUD to call
yourself an educator!
…and watch your
children soar!
A Passion for Art…
A Love of Children
Thank You!
For more information please contact
Debi West at:
dewestudio@bellsouth.net