In my hopes of becoming an art teacher in the future, I'm faced with questions that every art teacher is faced with. How can I teach (what society sees as) "controversial" topics, which can include feminism or discrimination, in my art classroom in the most effective way? Now, I do not know what grade level I will be teaching in the future, but I would like to know some tips that would be helpful in the elementary, middle or high school classrooms when I begin to think about building lessons around these topics. After meeting with the artist Nancy Youdelman yesterday in class, I have this new found interest in feminist art. The history of women's struggles in obtaining rights and overcoming stereotypes is just as important as any other topic when discussing history through art. Do I see myself as a feminist? I'm not sure to be honest, but I am very interested in the projects and installations that we discussed in the archives (including Womanhouse and The Kentucky Project). I would love to incorporate either of these works of art into my classroom, but how?
AN INVITATION TO SOCIAL CHANGE: Fifteen Principles for Teaching Art by Carrie Nordlund, Peg Speirs, and Marilyn Stewart, shows that there is hope for my questions. I am not going to regurgitate what this article says, but I will pick out a few details that I found important and where I connected to this article the most. One way to address complex issues discussed in art is to develop metaphors. I believe that looking at art and trying to pinpoint the underlying message is only achieved through looking at comparisons, symbols and igniting discussion about the art in a comfortable way for both teacher and student. As Nancy Youdelman discussed in the archives, knowing people in the community and knowing various resources in the community was extremely helpful during the construction of Womanhouse. I find the connection of community in the article, as well, as the article states, "We suggest teachers consider local, regional and artworld communities for resources to enliven exploration and deepen understanding." In my opinion, taking students to a museum/gallery, inviting an artist to speak in the classroom or encouraging students to visit museums on their own, are important experiences for students and teachers to engage in! The article also discussed establishing a 'safe place' in the classroom for students to truthfully and honestly discuss their opinions and ideas about art. For certain "controversial" issues, it may be uncomfortable for students to honestly discuss their true feelings about a piece of art. This is where the art teacher needs to work their magic by encouraging discussion and openness to multiple points of view.
I look at our current Art ED 211 class for inspiration in this article. Being that a majority of students in the class are not art education majors or even art majors in general, I find that certain topics that we discuss in class are sometimes overlooked or seen as unimportant by a few of the students. Discussion, metaphors and community are all being utilized in class to encourage learning and to motivate students around the topics and themes we discuss.
I am somewhat sad because, until now, I had no idea that Penn State was already so involved and present in the developments of Judy Chicago and feminism curriculum! I have included the Penn State Judy Chicago Art Education Collection website for those of you who are like me and did not realize that our university was so involved! It feels comforting to know that we go to a school that recognizes the importance of this type of art and incorporating these topics into the classroom.
http://judychicago.arted.psu.edu/
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