A Farewell Note from My Students in JuneHow did August 17th get here so fast? I cannot believe how quickly this month has flown by. If I were back home, I would be sitting in my classroom and trying to figure out how to transform that white room into an educaitonal wonderland. (Posters help, lamps do wonders and a well-placed lucky bamboo is a sure winner). But this year I am not at home, I am not in my classroom and I am not preparing for the annual onslaught of pre-teens to come barging through my door in two weeks. This year marks the first since I was a puny kindergartner that I will NOT be in a school as either a student OR as a teacher. I thought about all this while making my morning cup of coffee- I started to feel whistful and began to long for my clutch of kiddos and all my teacher colleagues. My mind imagined the excitement and joy of a classroom success, and then my mind remembered the challenges and trials that come along with the profession. It was at that exact moment that I realized something: 'Teaching' and 'Art' are a lot alike.
Aside from the obvious- that both words contain a 't' and an 'a' in them, the actual teaching and artistic professions have a lot in common.
First of all, both teaching and art-ing are messy. Neither teacher nor artist come home at the end of a day of work with spotless clothes- there will always be marker, pen, ink, or clay stains somewhere. I cannot even begin to tell you how many articles of clothing have been ruined either by Expo Marker residue from the classroom or from Cadmium Yellow Light oil paint in the studio. I'm pretty sure that, with the exception from a fancy cocktail dress, all of my clothes are stained from some project at school or the art studio. Teaching and art-making are messy, that's for sure. There's no way around it. You get liquids splashed in your face (in the classroom, it's usually snot from a sneezing student), there're stains on your pants, you have to wash your hands a thousand times, and you ALWAYS have some sort of colorful mess on your face when you look in the mirror.
Another reason they're alike is because both professions require creativity. An artist can stare at a blank canvas and be stuck- with no idea of what to do next. "Landscape? Nope. Already did that". A teacher can blaze through a lesson, be a half-hour ahead of schedule, and stare at a sea of students- stuck- with no idea of what to do next. "Hangman? Nope. Politically incorrect." Both teachers and artists need the ability to think on their feet and to switch plans with ease. A boring artist is one that settles into a mindless little rut of predictability. A boring teacher is one that settles into a mindless little rut of predictability. A boring blog writer is one that settles into a midless rut of predictability. A boring-- you get the idea.
In addition to creativity and mess, teachers and artists have something else in common. Teachers and artists experience an intense feeling of satisfaction when a child (or artistic masterpiece) has a moment of brilliance. When a child finishes their first chapter book, or when the painted tree actually LOOKS kind of like a tree- there is a sense of excitment- and pride. Artists and teacher feel excited when there is something to be excited about, they are passionate and fired-up.
On the flipside, however, when something tragic or disappointing happens, no one feels it more than a teacher or an artist.
Scenario: Mr. Smitzheimer has been working with little Devon on the importance of being honest. For weeks, they practice telling the truth and being honorable in the face of adversity. And then, one day Devon gets accused of stealing a toy car from Joey. Mr. Smitzheimer asks "Devon, did you take Joey's car?" "NOOOOOO! Joey stole it from me!!!!" Then Mr. Smitzheimer sees the toy car wedged in the back pocket of Devon's jeans and also notices that Devon is wearing a gold necklace that the neighboring teacher lost two days ago.
I am willing to bet that Mr. Smitzheimer is going to feel pretty frustrated, discouraged, and even a little peeved that Devon lied and stole at school. In fact, I am willing to bet that, after the kids have gone out for recess, Mr. Smitzheimer wonders "Why am I doing this for a living?" and then wishes he had enough time to head to the local saloon and knock back a few before the kids come back from recess.
Scenario II: Phil McPainter has been working on a painting for days- he's starting to see the shapes, colors, values come to a point where he can see progress. He's excited, thinking "This is good. I am good. Things are working out!". Phil paints while imagining a giant blue ribbon hanging from the frame of his masterpiece- a winner, it's a winner! Visions of fame and success flash into Phil's mind as he gently coaxes his painting from a rough sketch to a resolved masterpiece. Then, after completing the last stroke, Phil puts his paintbrush downs and takes a step back from the easel. There he can see his beautiful painting from a few feet away and... oh no... he didn't realize it, but his scenic landscape painting actually looks like something else. He can't figure it out at first, and then it hits him: the mountains in the background look exactly like a pair of naked-buns.
I am willing to bet that Phil McPainter is feeling frustrated, discouraged, and even a little peeved that what he thought was a masterpiece now looks like a piece of tasteless trash. There's no way the judges at the Oil Painters of America National Art Show are going to let that one in the exhibition.
I also bet that Phil McPainter thinks "Why do I even bother!?!?" and then heads to the local saloon to wash a few worries down the drain.
See? Teachers and artists: two peas in a small little pod.
There are plenty of similarities between these two professions, and there are definitely too many for me to mention. But the last one I will discuss today is the fact that both teaching and art-making makes you a target for criticism and critique.
Teachers are almost always under attack from select parents, local business owners, and hoitey-toitey politicians. Parents complain that their child isn't getitng enough attention in class, business owners complain that teachers aren't teaching the skills necessary for highschool graduates to be good employees, and politicians run around saying that the Chinese kids are reading The Iliad while our kids aren't can't even read the back of a cereal box! Well, that might be true. But I would like to see those people try to manage a room of 20 hormonal pre-teens, get them to sit down, mind their manners, and listen long enough to even BEGIN teaching a lesson. Getting them to say 'May I...." versus "Can I..." can take a whole semester, and convincing a second grader to wash their hands after they go Number Two can take a whole year. Teachers face criticism- and if it weren't for their unending love of children, they would have gone to work somewhere else a loooooong time ago.
Artists face criticism too- especially in the United States where 'artist'='no good bum' in a lot of people's minds. Artists get about as much respect as teachers do... actually, probably less. It takes guts to teach and it takes guts as an artist to hang out artwork out for others to see- and to face their comments and, often, cutting remarks.
"I don't like that."
"What is it?"
"My kid could draw that"
"That doesn't LOOK like a tree".
"Why is it so expensive?"
These things hurt. As an artist, you bare a part of your soul when you show other people your artwork. And as a teacher, you bare part of your soul when you share your wisdom and knowledge with children. And, I believe, not many people take time to realize this before they cast out a thoughtless remark.
Aside from the obvious- that both words contain a 't' and an 'a' in them, the actual teaching and artistic professions have a lot in common.
First of all, both teaching and art-ing are messy. Neither teacher nor artist come home at the end of a day of work with spotless clothes- there will always be marker, pen, ink, or clay stains somewhere. I cannot even begin to tell you how many articles of clothing have been ruined either by Expo Marker residue from the classroom or from Cadmium Yellow Light oil paint in the studio. I'm pretty sure that, with the exception from a fancy cocktail dress, all of my clothes are stained from some project at school or the art studio. Teaching and art-making are messy, that's for sure. There's no way around it. You get liquids splashed in your face (in the classroom, it's usually snot from a sneezing student), there're stains on your pants, you have to wash your hands a thousand times, and you ALWAYS have some sort of colorful mess on your face when you look in the mirror.
Another reason they're alike is because both professions require creativity. An artist can stare at a blank canvas and be stuck- with no idea of what to do next. "Landscape? Nope. Already did that". A teacher can blaze through a lesson, be a half-hour ahead of schedule, and stare at a sea of students- stuck- with no idea of what to do next. "Hangman? Nope. Politically incorrect." Both teachers and artists need the ability to think on their feet and to switch plans with ease. A boring artist is one that settles into a mindless little rut of predictability. A boring teacher is one that settles into a mindless little rut of predictability. A boring blog writer is one that settles into a midless rut of predictability. A boring-- you get the idea.
In addition to creativity and mess, teachers and artists have something else in common. Teachers and artists experience an intense feeling of satisfaction when a child (or artistic masterpiece) has a moment of brilliance. When a child finishes their first chapter book, or when the painted tree actually LOOKS kind of like a tree- there is a sense of excitment- and pride. Artists and teacher feel excited when there is something to be excited about, they are passionate and fired-up.
On the flipside, however, when something tragic or disappointing happens, no one feels it more than a teacher or an artist.
Scenario: Mr. Smitzheimer has been working with little Devon on the importance of being honest. For weeks, they practice telling the truth and being honorable in the face of adversity. And then, one day Devon gets accused of stealing a toy car from Joey. Mr. Smitzheimer asks "Devon, did you take Joey's car?" "NOOOOOO! Joey stole it from me!!!!" Then Mr. Smitzheimer sees the toy car wedged in the back pocket of Devon's jeans and also notices that Devon is wearing a gold necklace that the neighboring teacher lost two days ago.
I am willing to bet that Mr. Smitzheimer is going to feel pretty frustrated, discouraged, and even a little peeved that Devon lied and stole at school. In fact, I am willing to bet that, after the kids have gone out for recess, Mr. Smitzheimer wonders "Why am I doing this for a living?" and then wishes he had enough time to head to the local saloon and knock back a few before the kids come back from recess.
Scenario II: Phil McPainter has been working on a painting for days- he's starting to see the shapes, colors, values come to a point where he can see progress. He's excited, thinking "This is good. I am good. Things are working out!". Phil paints while imagining a giant blue ribbon hanging from the frame of his masterpiece- a winner, it's a winner! Visions of fame and success flash into Phil's mind as he gently coaxes his painting from a rough sketch to a resolved masterpiece. Then, after completing the last stroke, Phil puts his paintbrush downs and takes a step back from the easel. There he can see his beautiful painting from a few feet away and... oh no... he didn't realize it, but his scenic landscape painting actually looks like something else. He can't figure it out at first, and then it hits him: the mountains in the background look exactly like a pair of naked-buns.
I am willing to bet that Phil McPainter is feeling frustrated, discouraged, and even a little peeved that what he thought was a masterpiece now looks like a piece of tasteless trash. There's no way the judges at the Oil Painters of America National Art Show are going to let that one in the exhibition.
I also bet that Phil McPainter thinks "Why do I even bother!?!?" and then heads to the local saloon to wash a few worries down the drain.
See? Teachers and artists: two peas in a small little pod.
There are plenty of similarities between these two professions, and there are definitely too many for me to mention. But the last one I will discuss today is the fact that both teaching and art-making makes you a target for criticism and critique.
Teachers are almost always under attack from select parents, local business owners, and hoitey-toitey politicians. Parents complain that their child isn't getitng enough attention in class, business owners complain that teachers aren't teaching the skills necessary for highschool graduates to be good employees, and politicians run around saying that the Chinese kids are reading The Iliad while our kids aren't can't even read the back of a cereal box! Well, that might be true. But I would like to see those people try to manage a room of 20 hormonal pre-teens, get them to sit down, mind their manners, and listen long enough to even BEGIN teaching a lesson. Getting them to say 'May I...." versus "Can I..." can take a whole semester, and convincing a second grader to wash their hands after they go Number Two can take a whole year. Teachers face criticism- and if it weren't for their unending love of children, they would have gone to work somewhere else a loooooong time ago.
Artists face criticism too- especially in the United States where 'artist'='no good bum' in a lot of people's minds. Artists get about as much respect as teachers do... actually, probably less. It takes guts to teach and it takes guts as an artist to hang out artwork out for others to see- and to face their comments and, often, cutting remarks.
"I don't like that."
"What is it?"
"My kid could draw that"
"That doesn't LOOK like a tree".
"Why is it so expensive?"
These things hurt. As an artist, you bare a part of your soul when you show other people your artwork. And as a teacher, you bare part of your soul when you share your wisdom and knowledge with children. And, I believe, not many people take time to realize this before they cast out a thoughtless remark.
The nice thing about being a teacher is that one person's positive comment can go a long way. A single person's kind word can turn a teacher's rotten day into a beautiful one. The same goes for art. Genuine compliments from people have carried me through some of my darkest artistic moments. Teachers and artists live off of the positive feedback they receive from others.
As you begin trading swimsuits for backpacks, take a moment to thank a teacher for the time and effort they put into the education of children. While you're at it, stop by a gallery or art exhibit and- before you make a remark- find something to appreciate about what you see. In the meantime, I will be here being creative, messy, and putting myself out there to face both criticism and praise, just like all the teachers back home.
Personal Note:
Here's to all the staff at Curlew. I love and miss you guys.
As you begin trading swimsuits for backpacks, take a moment to thank a teacher for the time and effort they put into the education of children. While you're at it, stop by a gallery or art exhibit and- before you make a remark- find something to appreciate about what you see. In the meantime, I will be here being creative, messy, and putting myself out there to face both criticism and praise, just like all the teachers back home.
Personal Note:
Here's to all the staff at Curlew. I love and miss you guys.
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