Tales from the Travelling Art Teacher: A Growing Epidemic
In 2007, I began my teaching career as a travelling art teacher in an elementary K-8 school district in the south suburbs of Chicago. Like any first year teacher, I was excited about developing a curriculum, meeting new faces, and sharing new imaginative project ideas with my students. I am now in my 5th year of teaching, and I learned many tricks of balancing time, materials, storage, and other random mishaps with travelling and being on a cart. I have been blessed with having a room at my home-base school, which I share with two music teachers who travel by cart. Two days out of the week, I travel to other schools, where I am on the cart entering classrooms and using cafeteria space.
Wall Display for Home Base Classroom, 2011
Unfortunately, as much as we all would like to have a nice, spacious room with plenty of storage, the “specials” teachers are the first to lose their space. Some reasons have been growing numbers of attendance, or needs for other services (such as English-Language and Reading programs). I have been attempting to research the effects of classroom management and creativity on being on a cart vs. having a classroom. In my findings, I had found this quote:
“In the U.S., every school district has its own schedule, but generally, art teachers have their students less than one hour per week. A significant number of art teachers do not have an art room with a sink, but have to take a cart from room to room. At least 40% of the elementary school children in the U.S. do not have a specialist art teacher. In many cases, art is taught by the classroom art teacher or a volunteer that often lacks teaching preparation in art education (Bartel, 2008).”
5th grade students displaying their Keith Haring Positive Message Pictures, 2010
Since 2008, that percentage has grown due to economic cuts, and many “specials” teachers who once had rooms are now on carts. In many cases, the arts were cut out of the curriculum because of budget shortages. In these times, we not only have to be the advocate for the arts in our schools, but we must be there for the students to foster their creativity and imagination. Throughout the month, I will be focusing on ways to help balance traveling, classroom, and cart situations. I would like to invite anyone who is in similar situations to share their stories and insight throughout the month. We are here to support each other, and I hope I can help with some tips to help you begin your school year.
~Heidi O'Hanley
Thank you for bringing this issue up! I am also a fifth year traveling teacher and it really hurts both the high school and elementary program that I work in. I'm just divided into so many directions! I've tried to take advantage of my situation and have service learning opportunities for my students. The high school kids came after school and worked with my fifth grade and together they created a school Chihuly installation. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons!
Posted by: Katie Hatch | September 01, 2011 at 05:29 PM
My experience is the reverse. I spent over 12 years on a cart and multiple buildings... the past 12 years with a room in each building and now at one school with a room. Although I certainly would not want to go back to "a la cart", I learned so much that has made me better at what I do... organization, attitude and connecting with classroom teachers.
Posted by: Suzanne Butler Lich | September 01, 2011 at 05:48 PM
I am a doctoral student working on research about the experiences of elementary art-on-a-cart teachers. If any of you art carters would like to share your experiences with me I would love to hear from you!
Contact me at hkl34c@umsl.edu
Posted by: Heidi Lung | September 03, 2011 at 11:03 AM
Heidi,
Great topic! Thanks for starting the conversation! Although no one in my district is on a cart, I know it is a 'plague' moving across the nation. Look forward to reading more!!!
Bob
Posted by: Bob Reeker | September 04, 2011 at 01:42 PM
Thank you for all the wonderful comments! I hope I can assist everyone with extra insight throughout the month, and please post when you have an idea!
Posted by: Heidi O'Hanley | September 05, 2011 at 06:51 PM
Thank you for posting this. I teach at a small private school and never know from year to year if I will be teaching "art on the cart" or in a dedicated art room. It really does impact what I choose to teach. If I travel to a classroom without a sink I am hesitant to do painting projects. I look forward to reading more about this.
Posted by: Janet Reynolds | September 06, 2011 at 07:29 PM
I am on a cart this year due to growth in numbers. I'm trying to adjust and each week, I come up with better ways to roll the wheel.
Posted by: Katy | September 10, 2011 at 11:50 AM