Smoke and Mirrors: Art Teacher as Magician

Smoke and Mirrors: Art Teacher as Magician

Hathaway, Nan E. Art Education66.3 (May 2013): 9-15.

“Authentic, meaningful learning can occur when art educators rethink the traditional, mimicry-based art lesson model and instead facilitate student-directed learning, encouraging collaboration and exploration of spontaneous creativity.”

I found this article very interesting because it shows the difficult task teachers face to facilitate learning rather than managing projects. This article plays on the theme that art teachers need to promote the child's ability to develop his or her mind by respecting the child as an artist and engage students in authentic, meaningful learning. “Instead of smoke and mirrors, good teaching is more like a dance between teacher and student: a dance in which the child leads.”

The author uses an example of how an art teacher performs a lesion in a magic trick like setting where the teacher lays out the assignment and the example and has all of the media used to make the projects laid out. In the end the author made a point that this isn’t really engaging the students as artist because in the end even though the teacher thinks they are giving the students creative freedom the finished products are often so similar that students cant pick out their art amongst the other students.

I like this article because even though the example used had a classroom of second graders, the idea behind turning the classroom into a studio could be used for all levels of art teaching. This article explains to teachers how to shift creative control from teacher to learner. 

Topics from art history and issues are essential in present-day practice art classroom. They are intertwined together in the studio structure, where students can thrive. Students need to be encouraged to act as problem finders, not just problem solvers, as they identify and evaluate art challenges drawn from interests, and knowledge. “In a studio-learning environment all the components desired and expected in a comprehensive art program skills, techniques, art history, approach to work, aesthetics and conventions, reflection and critique- are integrated in response to student inquiry and creative activity.”

Art education should not be about tricks and deception. Art educators would better serve their students by engaging students in authentic, meaningful learning. “Instead of smoke and mirrors, good teaching is more like a dance between teacher and student: a dance in which the child leads.”