“Come in! Sit down, or stand if you like. Let’s make some stuff together!”
Teaching is my art. When you enter my classroom, you might see a group huddled over a tablet looking up how to build a bridge, another gathering materials to make a sculpture about connections, and a few individuals working with headphones on, using paint or pencils. I am dressed in my lab coat hustling from one group to the next asking questions. In my classroom/studio I work with my co-learners to ask questions and seek answers, to pose problems and find solutions. “Tell me about this… what are you seeing? What is important? Why is it important?” My lab coat is a tool covering my clothes and providing pockets, it is also a message, “we are here to experiment”. The goal of my practice is to help my students to make meaningful connections between themselves and the world. My classroom/studio is a place for growth, collaboration, exploration and discovery. We are centered in what is valuable: what is important to one individual or group may not be to others. We work together to find topics, issues and techniques that spark curiosity. My students are experts in their own experiences and I am learning as much from them as they are from me. I am building an environment where relationships, trust and growth can occur. Creating this kind of space requires a flexible and creative tool kit. We work in themes. I curate my classroom to build context, connections and community. Our work together is as much about valuing each other as it is about making art. My art resides in the gathering of tools, pointing to resources, easing collaborative relations, facilitating critical responses and reflection, and pushing for my student collaborators and myself to grow. Along the learning path, we are collecting evidence of work in portfolios, photographing, documenting and storing, lists, resources, references, sketches and finished work, so when it comes time for reflection we are reflecting on our entire process as students and teachers. While I do make art on my own, I believe that the art classroom is the ideal environment for developing the inquiry based skills necessary for participation in a democratic society. The art classroom is a place where students can connect to their interests and develop critical processes for life-long learning. My teaching is my practice, as a socially engaged artist working for change.
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AuthorEmily Elliott is a driven art educator with twenty years of experience. She has taught all levels, from infant to adult, in subjects ranging from rock climbing to health to fiber art. She considers herself a teacher first and an art specialist second. Emily holds a B.S. in Art Education from Kutztown University. She is in the MFA in Socially Engaged Art program, where she is focusing on teaching as an artistic practice. Archives
October 2020
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