“ART with a PURPOSE”…Document Your Doings and Always Use a bit of CPR with Purpose!

I realized my first year of teaching that I needed to document what I was doing, what my students were learning and reflect on this if I hoped to grow as an educator.  So that first year, I made a scrapbook.  I put photos of students working, mini lesson plans, little notes written from colleagues and students, pictures of my installations and exhibits, etc…  The scrapbook was a work of art in and of itself.  I remember thinking, WOW, I’m pretty good at this teaching thing.  The funny thing is, I now look back at that 1st year scrapbook and think, WOW, did I have a lot to learn!  I have continued to reflect on my teaching successes and my “not-so-successful” teaching moments.  I continue to tweak and rework my lessons and I listen closely to my students as they create to see what inspires them, what engages them and how to keep their creative light shining!

As an elementary art teacher I found that creating yearlong, theme-based curricula worked really well for me.  I could plan my lessons for grades K-5 so that every student understood the ‘why’s’ for creating the art and the best part, the end of the year student art show came together because the curriculum was completely themed!  After documenting 10 years of newly created curricula and presenting these both regionally and nationally, I began to think that perhaps I should share these with a broader audience.  I contacted Arts & Activities magazine and voila, I am now a contributing editor with them!  Each year they publish one of my theme-based curricula both in their magazine and on line (www.artsandactivities.com).  When I document my “doings” I keep my teaching in line and it continues to help me become a better, stronger, smARTer teacher.  I continue to keep a journal type of scrapbook yearly and I even have my student teachers keep one during their experience to use as they go back and reflect on what they have done.  This way we can all make sure that we are always teaching “ART with a PURPOSE”!

I also remind my colleagues and my students that we should all use a little “CPR” in everything we do!  I coined this a few years ago when I was the county teacher of the year.  With that honor, I had a new responsibility to go and speak to many groups through out the county and the state.  I knew the Kiwanis Club members were wondering what in the world an elementary visual art teacher could say at their luncheon that could have an type of impact…thus “CPR” emerged! 
If we are COMMITED, PASSIONATE and REFLECTIVE (CPR) in every thing we do, we will all have a PURPOSE!  With commitment, passion and the ability to reflect, we will be able to resuscitate a love of life into everything we do!  It has worked for me!  It works for the thousands of students I have had the honor of teaching over the past 17 years and I still hear from people who have heard my CPR speech and use it in their lives.  I hope you will too!

So go and “document your doings”, teach “ART with a PURPOSE” and put a little “CPR” into everything you do…and then make sure you write how it’s working for you on this NAEA blogspot!  I can’t wait to hear from you!

View my presentation: "A Passion for Art...A Love of Children! …unlocking a love of learning through the arts"

Debi West, Ed.S, NBCT
North Gwinnett High School
Suwanee, GA
GAEA Past President (2001-2007)
dewestudio@bellsouth.net
http://naea.digication.com/artstuff/Welcome/published