The Classroom Teacher and Art
By: Cindy Hermus

Terrified. This is how we elementary teachers felt when directed to teach art in the classroom. Most of us knew nothing about art or teaching art, but, with training, it became a valuable focus of our integrated curriculum. We were surprised at its effect on the learning of our students.

Here are some tips for other classroom teachers who have been given the responsibility of teaching art:

1. Don't be afraid of art. No one knows everything about all works of art. There are many ways to approach the creation and study of art. Keep that in mind when critiquing your students' art and when considering their responses to the artworks you are presenting to them

2. Teaching art is not teaching crafts. It is about examining and creating works of art that express a meaning or intent.

3. Start with baby steps. Hang some works of art around your classroom. Present basic information such as the artist, title, year and location of creation.

4. Refer to a work of art during lessons looking for nouns, verbs, feelings, comparing/contrasting, sequencing and main idea.

5. There is help available. If an art specialist is not on campus, seek online teacher resources or contact the nearest art museum. Most museums have an education department that offers workshops; many offer art images and lesson plans at no charge or on a loan basis.

6. Have fun! It is a learning process for both the teacher and students. Let the learning involve both the teacher and students' previous art experiences and knowledge.

When an art print and subsequent art activity were presented in the classroom, our students' reactions were animated and very positive. Students were enabled to freely express their opinions and creativity while using higher-order thinking skills. They learned that they could appreciate a work of art even if they didn't like it or understand it. Many teachers came to realize that math, science, reading, writing and art co-exist at a fundamental level in everyday life and these subjects became more meaningful when taught through works of art.

Cindy Hermus is an art specialist, along with classroom teacher Laurie Bargsley, at Shady Brook Elementary in Bedford, Texas. This information was coordinated through Blick Art Materials, www.dickblick.com.