What Motivates Students From An Art Classroom?

The importance of education is seen in the goals of society from the dominance of math and science to launch the space race, to the back-to-basics program in order to improve world education ranking and ensure America as a strong educational nation. As a teacher I hope to enrich the lives of students and educated them to the best of my ability. Furthermore, I hope to set an example for students that is based on respect, truth, honor and fairness. Students come from diverse backgrounds and struggle to reach individual goals. As a teacher, I am obligated to see those challenges and help students set and meet their goals. For students in my classroom, that of an art class, must also deal with expression and individual ideas that will allow students to interpret their surroundings.

If the schools didn’t make AYP for three years in a row, they had to provide free tutoring and supplemental educational service. Everyone involved felt that the NCLB had unsolved issues. (Randolph & Wilson-Younger, 2012). There are teachers that argue that the testing is not fair with the children that are under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Children with individualized education plans are being forced to take standardized test on their grade level and the teachers argue that the tests might be way above where these children are academically. This also includes the children who have English as their second language because they are struggling when they are taking the standardized tests. Additionally, Choi, (Aug. 2012) describes how many schools struggle to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the Act called No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Pressures on the schools to meet the AYP can affect how each school does their testing and teaching policies. While states have been silent, the question has been whether states have a responsibility to intervene.

They will analyze and describe this in the verbal and written communication. They will be able to continue the classroom experience in their own lives through discussions of the value of art that they will share with their families, friends and other acquaintances.

The Washington Post published the story “2015 Superintendent of the Year: High-stakes testing is the ‘fool’s gold’ of accountability” by Valerie Strauss on August 27 about one superintendent’s discontent with constant “high stakes testing”. Strauss was covering the story of man who was named the “2015 American Association of School Administrators National Superintendent of the Year”, Philip D. Lanoue who is the superintendent of the Clarke County School District in Georgia, which is one of the most impecunious districts in the state. Lanoue believes that the constant pattern of standardized testing in schools is completely different from what he refers to as actual “meaningful assessment” and considers the tests to be unbeneficial for students.

Despite the diversity of art concepts taught, it can become quite difficult for one teacher to teach 23 elementary classes and 11 middle school classes. As part of the Miami Dade College community, we can help and stress the

In York, Pennsylvania, it is a well-known fact that the York City School District (YCSD) consistently ranks near the bottom of Pennsylvania’s 496 public school districts, claiming the 490th rank for 2015. The ranking was based on the state-mandated academic achievement test known as the Pennsylvania State Standard Assessment (PSSA) test scores in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science and on the three high-school level Keystone Exams: Literature, Algebra 1 and Biology 1. YCSD is a Title I school district, with 30% ELLs. As shown by PSSA test results, YCSD has a major achievement gap to close between English and non-English speakers. YCSD continues to be under state sanction, due to not having made adequate yearly progress for

The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.

The possibly unreliable test data is used to evaluate the proficiency of schools. Because of this, teachers are greatly affected. AYP scores force teachers to “teach to the test.” If teachers do not go over the material that will be on the test, then students’ scores will drop and the school will pay for it. The problem with this is that teachers rarely have time for creativity in the classroom. Gentry points out that educators are so busy preparing for the tests there is not time for much of anything

A school with chronically poor test scores can are subject to the following conjuncture: school closures, cheating by teachers to achieve testing success, allowing parents the option to send their children to a better-performing school in another district, and more (Adequate yearly progress, 2011). The main goal of AYP is to assist schools in reaching the goals of proficient reading and math testing score levels by the 2014 deadline. However, the pressures that both accountability and the AYP have placed on teachers have caused a multitude of issues for both the teaching profession and the way that students

Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit.” During my past career as an art teacher at Intel Academy, introducing and demonstrating aesthetic techniques and materials have thrilled me as much as completing an art piece. Through workshops and demonstrations, I learned how to communicate and suggest better ways of developing their ideas and expressions. Some children had difficulties encountering art due to their behavioral problems; however, respecting their accomplishments and encouraging their process of following the curriculum became a part of the solution. My decision to apply to masters program in art education was pursued as I faced these

In the classroom teachers feel a pressure to have their students do well on the mandated tests. Not only because they want their students to succeed but also because if their students do poorly they feel that it will reflect negatively on them and their ability as an educator. Teachers also have the responsibility that if their schools receive failing scores that they could possibly loose their jobs. If a school fails to meet the AYP for

Art education has been proven to help with “cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills” as well as “motivation, concentration, confidence, and teamwork” (Smith). Having the ability and patience to sit down and paint a masterpiece or work through a song on the piano requires high focus and dedication. Students willing to do this will in turn have stronger skills to focus and be dedicated in other subjects. The mixture of all these abilities gained from participation in art programs lead to higher test scores and overall better performance in school. Still, these are only a few of the assets provided by art education.

Self-initiated learning is a key aspect of Rogers’ beliefs for a lasting education. He notes that when a student is fully engaged with the subject matter, they are more likely to retain the significant information they have been taught. When developing a curricular activity to represent Rogers’ experiential learning theory, we must remember to assemble a curriculum where the student can reflect on their work. As a secondary school art classroom focuses on work developed by the student, the assignments are often structured with a curriculum created by the educator. Assignments and art pieces are put in place to help the student learn the foundations of art and art history. Although students create the art pieces, they are often confined to the outline created by the teacher.

My philosophy of teaching is deeply rooted in nurturing the potential each and every student in my classes. Providing a creative environment that allows self assessment, growth, group interaction and mentorship are at its very core. Having taught in Higher Education for many years, and as an instructor of Media Arts and Animation, and Game Design, I have had the amazing opportunity to work with some of the brightest and creative young professionals. Teaching has not only broadened my love of art and exploration, but my determination to help students that do not have the confidence to persevere through their education, yet have the passion to follow their dreams.

With the utilization of visual and performing arts, students can begin to enhance their personal growth. By producing original works, enjoying the time spent on the piece of art, and having a sense of pride in one’s accomplishments, an art student will experience an increase in self-esteem and confidence (Importance). A child who receives praise for their art work from parents and teachers will most likely be more positive in their artistic abilities. For example, when a child brings a painting home to his parents and his parents react with smiles, cheers and display the picture on the refrigerator, the student will in turn feel very proud of his accomplishments. This newly found self-esteem and confidence often expands into other subjects at school to the overall benefit of the individual. Participating in art is also a way for students to