My thoughts haven’t changed very much on the inclusion of art in the curriculum.

I have

always thought that art should be included in the curriculum because it gives students a way to

express themselves. Students enjoy having art as part of a lesson because it allows them to learn

and demonstrate the lesson in a creative way. By using art as a way of learning “it demonstrates

that everyone’s ideas are important and encourages students to take pride in what they are

learning” (Donahue and Stuart, 2010, p.57). Art is a great way for students to demonstrate their

learning in a creative way.

I do feel that including creative projects in the curriculum can benefit students because it

allows them to be more engaged in the lesson. A creative project is a lot more enjoyable than just

doing a worksheet. Students will remember these projects that they did throughout the years and

might refer back to them later in life. It also creates a classroom environment of hands-on

learning. Students use these creative projects to learn the important materials that are being

taught and get to express themselves through these projects.

As I am moving toward my career as a teacher, I’m looking forward to building

relationships with each of my students. I want to get to know each of my students and build

relationships of trust so they will feel comfortable in my classroom and be willing to learn. My

goal is to help each student to succeed in school and with their personal goals. I’m looking

forward to connecting with my students and hopefully be an inspiration in their life.

I feel that my definition of art has not changed but added on too. I still believe that art is a

way for people to express themselves and show emotion. It is a way for people to show feelings

through creativity. Art is more than just what is seen with the eye, there is a deeper meaning

behind it. It is a way to show meaning without the use of words; “it is through such creative

processes that we discover and reflect the outward some aspects of ourselves, our community,
and our relationship with the world” (Donahue and Stuart, 2010, p. 21). Art expresses who

people are and their feelings about the world around them. One thing that has been added to my

definition of art is how it can also be used as an expression of dance and music. People express

themselves through dancing without using words to describe emotions. Art just doesn’t have to

be a painting or drawing; it can be movement. To me, art is a way of expressing who a person is

and the emotion behind it.

References

Donahue, David and Stuart, Jennifer. (2010). Artful Teaching. New York, NY: Teachers College

Press.