Artist-Teacher

I was surfing the web and came across an interesting titled book: Artist-Teacher: A Philosophy of Creating and Teaching.. The title made me think..

The term artist-teacher, teaching artist, and artist-educator have been used in recent years to qualify a commitment to each of these roles (art and education). Emphasizing the word artist in one's title clarifies the importance of creating art. This term is more than just a descriptor but an actual concept for bringing art making philosophies into the classroom. It may be that the best teachers are not pedagogy experts but those who actively embrace their studio thinking processes in the classroom. Every art teacher should teach relevant curriculum that they are excited about! Re-inventing what it means to be an art teacher involves being an artist and applying this passion in the classroom. By viewing the classroom through the discipline of art, this space becomes a canvas in which the artist-teacher manipulates the students and curricula like the elements and principles of design. As a philosophy of teaching, artist-teacher is not considered a dual role but it involves the integration of artistic experiences in the classroom. I feel these two activities - teaching and making art - actually supporting one-another, despite being difficult to balance.

After reading the SYNOPSIS, I was even more intrigued.. I think I will add it to my holiday wish list! Fingers crossed!