Above All Else: Empathy  

 

     Simply put: The world needs more empathy.

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     When I think about the impact that I make on my students, I want to know that I have helped them develop kindness. As important as it is to uplift students as artists, it is just as important to uplift them as genuinely good human beings.  

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     My studio is built on empathy above all else. I set an example for my students by showing them kindness and treating them like real people. When I ask them about their lives, I listen and speak as a trusted equal, not as a judgmental teacher. It is my goal that my students trust me and know that I care about them.

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     I have a zero-tolerance policy for any hatred or judgment. At the beginning of the semester, I ask students to fill out a questionnaire. The first question that I ask is about their name and their pronouns. I make a point to read through students’ answers so that I can uphold their identities and allow the studio to be a safe space for everyone. When students are working in the studio, they know that they may not speak ill of anyone inside or outside of the room. If I hear something, I do something.

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     By setting these standards for the studio, I am showing students that it is much easier to work within kindness than judgement.  

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Art is an Avenue to Meaning

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     Artists are given the privilege of embodying their work with their mind, heart, and soul. When you go to the root of this experience, you will find meaning. It is the same driving force that encourages students to seek out answers in their core classes. It is the same driving force that moved me to become a teacher. Meaning delivers the gifts of individuality, purpose, and motivation.

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     Through my studies and my work with students, I have found that meaning can be a pivotal concept when it comes to promoting academic drive and accountability. When you give students the responsibility of creating the meaning behind a piece, suddenly they are no longer students, they are artists. When young people are encouraged to enter a room and fully embody the role of a scholar in their field, they are empowered to seek out their own information and develop their own understandings.

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     Meaning alone can transform a classroom of students completing assignments for art class into a studio of talented young artists designing their next masterpiece. Meaning alone can influence students to begin seeing old historical artists as likeminded individuals to be studied and appreciated.

 

Art Changes History

 

     Studying Art History along with Studio Art during my undergraduate gave me the privilege of learning about both sides of the art world. Through my course work, I came to understand how beneficial it can be to learn about the historical background behind an art movement, medium, or technique. When I introduce a new project, it is always within the context of the work that students will be doing, as well as the historical significance of the studied art form.

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     As a teacher, it is my responsibility to ensure that the history that we are studying is delivered in a way that is relatable and interesting to the age of the class. Students deserve to learn how fun it can be to learn new historical information about the work that they are doing. People, young and old, crave the ability to make their own connections to information. By providing research that is accessible, beneficial, and applicable, the young artists are more likely to find reasons to engage and challenge themselves.

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Teaching & Learning Through Dialogue

 

     When planning a new unit, it is essential to incorporate opportunities for discussion. This could be a big event, such as a Harkness discussion, or something as simple as a class critique of a historical work of art. Without these opportunities, students are learning less, as they are not being given the chance to process and share with their peers.

 

     Dialogue is the historical backbone of the dissemination of information. Much can be learned when we come to the table to express our individual experience with information. 

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     No matter the context, it is imperative that I establish a safe space for students allows them to be honest, open, and to uncover new knowledge within our discussions. Without this trust, students will never feel empowered to fully express their ideas in the studio.