Art and the Community

Creating art in our community is a two-edged sword. The community needs art whether they know it or not. But many in the community might feel it is a waste of resources depending on the community. I also believe that the community can be unified and divided at the same time. It is difficult to please everyone so that can promote division. However, those that are involved will feel like a closer community as most community efforts do. Developing an appreciation for art takes time....that effort is, however, rewarded by an understanding of of symbolism and critically thinking about the world around us. Visual art is a language and any language takes time to learn.

Disabilities

At first I wasn't sure how much I had been around kids with disabilities but after awhile quite a few came to mind. At first recollection I was thinking of my friends and thought there were none but then slowly they came back to me. First it was, "oh yeah, he had a prosthetic foot" but we still had races, rode bikes and played football... I guess he had a disability but I never thought of him like that. Another had epilepsy, another was in special ed classes for reading, another guy's left arm was "disabled" but he still could play catch one-handed even with a mit. He could slip it on and off very fast for catching then throwing. One after another came back to me but I never really thought of any of them as disabled. We would play pretty much all the same games. I guess I had quite a few friends that technically had disabilities while I was growing-up but I wouldn't have called them disabled.

I think maybe that is the lesson that will help me the most. People with disabilities are no more "different" then we all are. Some of us are better at some things then others but we all have our strengths and weaknesses. We help each other overcome our weaknesses and find our strengths. I understand some disabilities are very restrictive but I think we need to look for ways to help students use their strengths. If we focus on our strengths then our weaknesses won't seem so bad.

Bizarro Alter Ego (Anti-me)

Nit-pick, "nit" and "pick" nit-pick. I love that word. I nit-pick over details. I love to find a single word that someone says and twist it around and make them feel foolish. I don't care what you intend to say I care about how you say it. Give me a quick, open and honest revelation and watch the fun begin... I can take your very own words and deliberately find the darkest interpretation and berate you with them. Students will despair when they get into my class. I intend to have weak repetitive lessons that require no thought, no inspiration and no fun. My own family can't even stand me but I can't help it if I intimidate them with my perfection. I care for myself. No one else is worth a first thought let alone a second. Honestly, I'm in teaching for the money, the fame and the glory. Students really are a bother. I hate to work. If you take the students out of my classroom it would be a perfect job.

Safe environment

It is important for students to know that your classroom is a place where they can explore any ideas and address many of the questions that arise in life. It is difficult for many students to feel this way but that should not preclude us from putting every effort into ensuring that they can bring any problems or concerns to us by continually asserting that fact. Demonstrating it at every opportunity that presents itself.
Currently, there is an element of "cool" to being gay or bi. Many kids are proclaiming it because of all the emphasis that the media and Hollywood is putting on individuals that are coming out and the efforts toward gay marriage. The shock effect is also a component that teens find enticing. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_percent_of_the_world_is_gay provides references that support the actual percentage of people that are gay is somewhere between 0.6 - 5%. http://gaylife.about.com/od/comingout/a/population.htm believes 5% is an accurate figure. While most other sites I found hold around 1%.
If a child tells us they are gay then my concern is that we don't push them into making a declaration to the world based upon what may be a curiosity or worse a childish act for attention. I think it is important for them to research and discuss this with family and counselors. So my advice to them would be to start there when they are ready.
As teachers, we are there to teach children how to cope with issues by using their minds to think things through. Learning from both history and the ability to envision the results and consequences of their actions. Ultimately, the important thing is the child feels and is safe in their classroom environment. We need to let them know we care about them no matter who they are or what they do. We need to believe in them and support them and they will reciprocate. We are their training wheels. Whatever the choices they make in life are inevitably up to them.

Discriminating taste

I can't recall being directly discriminated against but I can recall feeling like an outsider because of my race. In my previous job there was a lot of diversity. It seemed like folks still grouped outside and to some extent inside of work by race. I had a close friend of mine that was celebrating a promotion so I went to his promotion party. I was one of the few causcasians at the party. I was told I was their "token white-guy". It didn't really offend me but I couldn't help but wonder if the roles had been reversed would another person have taken offense. I find it ironic that we want to take any reference to race as an offense if it is a caucasian saying it. At the same time it is perfectly acceptable for race to be used as an excuse for actions that would be inappropriate otherwise if you are not a caucasian. Ofili is a prime example of this. He puts out an overtly offensive work and calls it art. He even makes attempts to justify this as an exploration of his African heritage. I also find it ironic that he wants total acceptance of his work because he is black stating that his work is about black exploitation. Simultaneously he tries to gain fame through that very same venue thereby being a perpetrator of exploitation himself.

Scoping an Audience - Crafting Pleasure

Relating to the Audience : Pleasure - I plan on having my students paint a landscape that represents their idea of pleasure. I believe that every artist wants their work to convey meaning and feeling to their audience in some regard. Whether that feeling be positive or negative. I think pleasure is a good place to start. By learning what gives a viewer a sense of pleasure you also learn what makes them uncomfortable through the converse. If there is an artist that can cause any emotional reaction to you as a viewer then you have an opportunity to learn from them. That is why I choose to study Thomas Kinkaide. I believe that he has polarized the art community and the general public more than any other artist today. One group tends to love his work the other loathe it. This is not a scientific fact but a general observation. I find it interesting that he can draw-out both reactions simultaneously. I want my students to learn why. As a secondary interdisciplinary connection the students can also learn how far an artist can take commercialization of their work. I am sure that my choice will not be a popular one but I believe that we need to have an open mind if we expect an open mind from others. Critical thinking and understanding are far more important for students then having exposure solely to artists whose work may be in fashion now simply because they are not main-stream but who's to say that won't change tomorrow.

ATC cards