I recently read the article A Middle School Curriculum From Rhetoric To Reality by James Bean. In this article Bean discusses a new way of thinking in art education which focuses on the social values and concerns that face us everyday, specifically early adolescents. When I read this I thought it was a great idea to build the lessons that we art educators make around the concerns of our students.
Middle school students are at a climactic stage in their development, they are mid way between childhood and being an adult. Have you ever heard of the phrase " we don't live in a vaccum", well we don't and early adolescents don't. The world around these students influence their lives and develop some deep concerns. When they go to school they can't just leave these concerns at the door, they are with them wherever they go. Having a curriculum that integrates the students concerns whether they be social or personal, can be an outlet of sorts for them.
Through the use of connecting themes students can focus in on some major skills like reflective thinking, valuing, self- esteem, and social advocacy. One may ask how do we find these connecting themes that would interest these early adolescents? One way is to discuss with the students what issues they are dealing with currently that they would like to concentrate on. Thinking about this idea of asking the students what topics they are interested in is awesome, I honestly wish my teachers did that when I was in middle school.
A found that reading this article helped me understand what I need to bring to the table when I become a teacher. I need to be the teacher that is connected with their students, the current teacher, the one that is tapped into the world and the popular culture that makes it buzz.
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