The Past Molding the Future

It does not happen as much as we would like it to. It certainly helps to change the perspective of a day when it does.

A short while ago I received an e-mail from a former student. He wanted to share a number of things with me. First was the address to his web site he had developed during his post high school education. It is an impressive location showing his photographic, digital, and animation work. A glance at the site made me very pleased and proud.

Second, he wanted to let me know that the first step in fulfilling his dream had materialized. He has been hired in the film industry in Southern California and would begin working for one of the major names in animation and special effects. The small films and digital creations he had made in high school, firmly rooted in a quality K-12 art education curriculum had given him the basis to succeed in “the real world.”

And thirdly he wanted to let me know how much his art classes had molded who he was and who he is in the process of becoming. Indeed it was one of those proud moments that we all have the rare opportunity of experiencing. What we have done in the classroom has had a positive effect on molding the lives of our students. And more importantly, in today's era of high stakes testing, accountability, and numerous other focuses on education, we in the art education field are leaving no students behind in empowering them to be critical and creative thinkers and problem solvers.

What we do in the classrooms of the commonwealth has an influence, much of it unseen or untold, on the lives of the young people we are teaching. Our actions, planning, convictions, and beliefs have impact. During this Youth Art Month where we celebrate Arts in Education in the Commonwealth take some time to reflect on these thoughts. As you are hanging your YAM exhibit, how is it impacting students? Will your annual open house and art show demonstrate the quality of instruction that is occurring within your classroom everyday? Can you articulately speak to parents, administrators, and members of your community about the impact of the art standards on the youth within your school system? What we do on a daily basis will have a molding effect on our youth. Why not make it the best effect that can possibly occur? How does art education improve PSSA scores in Language Arts and Mathematics? How does your art education program improve these scores? Have you met with colleagues in these areas to see what parallel teaching you are doing in these areas? And have you answered the essential question…Why are art education and art skills essential in student learning?

Take some time this month out of your busy schedule and go beyond the normal routine in your life. Make Youth Art Month a deliberate celebration in your life and the lives of your students. Regardless of your teaching level – It does not matter if you are teaching K or Collegiate Juniors invite in an administrator to see what is occurring in your classroom environment. Show them some real learning. While you are at it, invite some parents and members of the community. Partnerships help everyone excel. Participate in Youth Art Month Activities. Contact your local legislator during Arts in Education Day in Harrisburg . Have students articulate what their art education means to them and how it has effected their life. Be like a trumpet and share to your world the impact of quality art education on all of our lives.

In our daily lives we can easily lose track of former students, colleagues who have had an impact on us, or those valuable mentors who saw us through some of the rough times in our pre-professional and professional lives. Take some time and tell someone who helped mold you what it has meant in your life.ß

It’s all about instruction and learning.

Tom Kelchner