ARED 2110: Culturally Responsive Teaching and Identity Politics
- Morgan Boswell
- Oct 6, 2017
- 2 min read
May I start off by arguing that teaching diversity and individuality while extremely relevant to art education and art curriculum, should not be limited to only the art classroom. The arts, visual arts in particular, seem to have push from seemingly every subject and scholar to address issues of LGBT and race so they are in a way forced to address it more than other subjects may have to. In no way am I meaning to sound like teaching diversity is a burden. But why is it not as heavily suggested for social studies classes, where past racisms are studied constantly, to address ideas of how we can avoid repeating the same horrors of the past. In fact I begin to wonder that while teachers without a doubt have an impact on students, if the parents that raise them do not have a larger impact on the way children are taught to view the world and its differing citizens.
Because of the individuality of art, it does seem to go hand in hand to also focus on the individuality of the maker. Which is why I think the art classroom is a place so commonly suggested to dive into subjects like diversity and individuality.
Nicholas Addison argues in Identity Politics and the Queering of Art Education (2007) that, "initial instruction to explore identity is often framed by a multicultural subtext in which students are encouraged to focus on visual signs of difference." (p. 13). So a self portrait is a common starting point when addressing individuality. Even at the clubhouse the 5th grade girls said that they were doing self portraits in their art classes and then being asked to write about what they saw.
In many ways I think the best way to teach diversity in the classroom is through kindness and self exploration instead of posters saying 'different on the outside, same within" lets encourage our students to not settle for being the same that greatness isn't measured by skin color, religion, or sexuality but instead knowledge,compassion,and patience. Instead of expecting our students of color to fail, encouraging them give it all they have. According to Juana Lee (2012), "by 2042 minorities in the United States will become the majority" (p. 49). So perhaps instead of tiptoeing around students in minorities hoping not offend them we should embrace our differences and know that as a whole we are stronger because them. A world in which everyone was identical and had identical feelings would not be a world worth living in. As I enter the classroom I want to encourage all of my students to be explore themselves and be who they want to be
References:
Addison, Nicholas. (2007). Identity Politics and the Queering of Art Education: Inclusion and the Confessional Route to Salvation. The Author. (10-20)
Lee, Juana. (2012). Culturally Responsive Teaching. Art Education Magazine. (48-53)
The images I found on Pinterest of how art teachers have displayed the self portraits of their students.
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