- What events/moments/personal experiences change or refine my past perspective to look at art teaching and learning now?
- What current learning or art education theories do I learn related to this change or revision?
- How does my art piece (or the process of making this art piece) represent this change or revision?
- How does my current understanding influence my path of becoming an artist and educator?
In the past, such as elementary school, I depended on the boundaries set before me, as I considered them 'for my good.' Around fourth grade, I recognized that recess time was overrated however, and realized that if I didn't do my homework, they would take away recess time, which wasn't a punishment to me. I got F's in a lot of classes in fourth grade. It just goes to show that the correct punishment should be devised for students and people in order to ask them to comply to an expectation or rule.
Students and people can get upset at the rule or expectation as well if they don't fully understand it. For instance, currently, the public is divided on why people are asked to wear masks / gloves in public, and rather than educating each other on proper use, people criticize the idea that gloves and masks can help if used properly. People think it's easier to not wear masks than educate each other on how to use masks. People don't understand how masks are not for their own well-being but in order for others to not get the virus on them if that person is sick but asymptomatic. In the classroom, there are many techniques to encourage compliance to a rule, but of them all, love and logic says that the punishment should relate to the behavior. Perhaps, when I was in fourth grade, I should have been forced to stay inside and work on homework during recess rather than just sit at the fence post watching other children enjoy recess.
My art piece, Social Distancing, has many layers of meaning underneath the minimalist sculpture. Each metal envelope seal is taken from a student who was moving out of the residence halls that I work at. The students all received an envelope to put their keys in upon moveout. The desk didn't need these envelopes, so we shredded each one - but the metal clips could not be put through the shredder, and as such we had to discard each one. Therefore, each metal clip signifies a person directly affected by COVID-19, something that could have conceivably been halted if more was done sooner. All of the prongs for the clips are folded in a manner one's arms are folded whilst washing hands, something that is another recommendation. Each prong is six inches apart to demonstrate the ideal public right now. Unfortunately, people need services in order to survive, and as such, it is nearly impossible for this ideal scenario of everyone staying home washing hands. Perhaps if the public were better educated about the proper use of the rule, or the punishment for not following the rule could somehow be related to the problem (Forced labor of making masks? Just kidding) we could solve the issue.
Currently, I imagine being an art educator will be is going to be interesting to say the least. This moment will not be forgotten for years to come. Students might feel very differently about school for fifteen years until it is a time where students have no more memories of it directly impacting them. I have already spoken about my integration of love an logic in the classroom, but I feel as though the punishment relating to the behavior is important for the students to understand the implications of their actions. I also will integrate the explanations of rules as part of the rules somehow, as I need my students to understand why the rules are in place. They will also be much more likely to comply if they understand the reasoning.