advocating for art

MW tharpquote 

School is out for the week for Staff Development and Teachers Convention which ususally means getting to sleep in all week – but not today!  I had a really cool opportunity - I presented an In-Service to a group of teachers from our school system.  Sam's art teacher Melinda recommended me to the Director of Visual Arts, and for the day I was an advocate for visual journaling!  We started with some artful writing exercises, then got messy with paint.  They completed at least a dozen pages and bound them into a journal.  There were about 30 in the morning session, and at least a dozen in the afternoon.  I applaud all of the teachers for playing along with enthusiasm as I witnessed some really cool results.  A *high five* goes out to the non-art teachers who were good sports in the session.  I feel so lucky to have our kids in a school system that appreciates the arts – at all grade levels – and with many elective course available in the high school.  Yay for art!!

Check it out:  Artist in Residence!

MW inservice  

I forgot to take a picture during the morning session, but here are the talented folks who stayed through the afternoon.   I'm not sure what their "take-away" is, as in what they will use or apply in their own classrooms, but it was rewarding to see them having fun making pages.  I think it's really cool that the art teachers got to have a day of play instead of sitting in a lecture about procedure or whatever.  Thanks for facilitating this Melinda, thanks to Joan for hiring me, and thanks to Doty for generously sharing your room and supplies.  So fun to see familiar faces, and to meet more of the staff!

MWPHSinservice

Comments

20 responses to “advocating for art”

  1. serena Pia Avatar

    That is such a cool thing, Michelle. I’m sure they had alot of fun! And if at least some of them take it to their classrooms, who knows, maybe the word will spread and it’ll spur more of the like in the school system. Especially now when, all of a sudden, many possibilities seem open again.

  2. Julie Prichard Avatar

    WOW…what an awesome program! They look like journaling pros!

  3. Megan Warren Avatar
    Megan Warren

    What a wonderful experience for both you and also for the teachers. Well done!

  4. Regina, St. Maarten (DWI) Avatar

    Surely just the fact of having fun, letting it go by being creative, will probably have its effect on the teachers
    Great job, Michelle!

  5. CatHerder Avatar

    That is so cool…i wish we had something like that in our highschool…amazing how times change..when i was in HS we had “gun club” (and a smoking lounge)…same highschool almost 30 years later, and they actually have Jewelry Making!!! Some of the kids are SO talented. I love art, but hated my art class in HS because i feel like we did NOTHING…it has changed alot since then. Congrads again to you, that is SO COOL!

  6. Carin.c Avatar

    So happy to hear that school art departments are interested in continued development of their art teachers! HCIT!

  7. Chris Avatar

    That is tremendously cool! I love that quote by Twyla Tharp, and I love you there on the masthead (is that what it is?)!
    You just keep doin good stuff all the time…!

  8. Barbara Avatar

    What a fun time!!!

  9. Linda Warlyn Avatar
    Linda Warlyn

    Having had you as a workshop teacher, I KNOW you were totally AMAZING and that each and every participant took away plenty. Big kudos all around! xoxo

  10. Sarah Avatar

    wahey! artist in residence, eh? very cool 🙂

  11. susan w Avatar

    Wowie! MUCH better than the in-services we have in our district. Generally people dread in-service days as a large waste of hours. How lucky this staff is!

  12. Jennifer White Avatar
    Jennifer White

    Come on… you don’t even have to ask “how cool is that” with this post sister!!!! UNBELIEVABLE COOL!!!!!
    What an amazing opportunity for you and the district. You are out for total domination and of anyone that I know, you’re the one to make it happen.
    Great quote from Twyla Tharp, by the way… I just picked up her book and need to jump in to that soon!

  13. hedwig Avatar

    Michelle
    WHO could be a better advocate for visual journaling than YOU????? They have no idea how fortunate they were to take a class of you, artist in residence LOL. XO
    Hedwig

  14. Cath Avatar

    Oh man, that is so cool. What a great idea.
    My work training is boring stuff like what to do in a civil emergency as a local government worker. The nearest we get to art supplies is whiteboard markers LOL.

  15. Sam Marshall Avatar

    They were so lucky to have you as a teacher.
    xxx

  16. heather bradley Avatar

    ohhhh, they are so freakin’ lucky! how cool is that!?!
    i tell you, this would be one thing that would come out in my teaching as an opened heart, an opened mind, an opened soul ~ art renews the spirit and i’m sure that the science teacher, the history teacher, the math teacher, whomever, will go back with a renewed sense of love for the job ~ that’s their ‘take-away’, baby! oh, my, goodness…lucky, lucky them! xoxo

  17. suze Avatar

    That! is very COOL!

  18. susanna Avatar

    Hey, that’s great, Michelle. I imagine that all the teachers had an awesome time in your class.

  19. Marilyn Avatar

    This is SOOOOOO cool, Michelle! I can see them using the experience in so many ways. Journaling could help them document/deal with the experience of teaching – the whole year or just a certain topic. They could have their students make small journals about a topic as a class project. I wish we’d been exposed to things like this when I was in high school!
    And how cool is it to get to teach the teachers?!!!!

  20. Elizabeth Avatar

    Oh how lucky are those teachers!!! THey work so very hard to reach down inside to give to our kids every day in so many ways. For them to have the chance to be energized by your many talents is such a gift!!! You Rock!!! thank you so very much for giving to our kids teachers!!!
    I do so wish that more parents and just plain folks would reach out with their many talents and gifts to recharge these folks!!
    Great Job!!!!
    Hugs!
    Elizabeth

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