Envision Equity February 2019 Special Black History Month Edition

Envision Equity February 2019
Why I
Teaching Art
“Maybe you should be an art teacher,” was a statement my group chaperone uttered to me
during an Art Department field trip to New York City during my senior year of high school. In
an effort to add confusion to what seemed, at that point, a life-altering decision, the idea
echoed in my mind. At that time, my love for art resonated in the fact that I was good at it. I
would graffiti the cover of every folder, doodle on every notebook cover, and scribble random
thoughts on the edge of every single paper I touched.
In learning effective and impactful teaching strategies, my theory is that art is a learned
subject,
just as reading and math are. The more effort, focus, and hard work
placed into the subject, the higher the outcome for successfully
learned skills. Beautiful moments arise when students who
witness themselves struggling in core subjects find success
stemming from their natural art skills and capability to
express themselves through forms not related to their math
facts or reading levels. The ultimate payoff as an art
teacher is to see the pride of completing a masterpiece
from students who often thought positive outcomes
were void in their lives; the picture they paint is
priceless.
Photos, Abdul Sharif