HAPPY NEW YEAR! With a new year upon us i’ve been reflecting on the past few years as an educator. Especially regarding my work with the young people I teach at Detroit Achievement Academy. The 2020/2021 School year was one of the most challenging for me & my students… As they were figuring out how to adapt to learning hybrid (At home & in school) amidst a global pandemic I was figuring out how to best teach K-4 art at home… ON A CART… without a classroom… while also juggling teaching hybrid (Kids at home virtually & in-person students at the same time) Here are 4 things I discovered to help my students stay engaged… and fueled my passion for teaching even in incredibly challenging circumstances.
1. CREATE A TEACHER YOUTUBE!
It was transformational to have been able to create videos to share with my students this year. It made instructions so much easier for me & more equitable for the kids… especially that they were able to access the links and pause, rewind or rewatch anything that they missed!
2. SOURCE LOCAL & DONATED SUPPLIES FOR KIDS!
Since many of my students were learning at home with varying circumstances & access to materials I connected with local organizations like Arts & Scraps & Brilliant Detroit to source recycled & donated materials for my students. Also delivering materials to make sure ALL students have access to what they need.
3. SHARE ABOUT LOCAL & GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS
Share stories about diverse artists around the globe with your students and find diverse voices in your own community to share with students. We are so lucky here in Detroit to have an abundance of talented artists to learn from and an especially talented group of Black contemporary artists who are willing to share their knowledge directly with students. Taking the time to introduce students to their careers, struggles, and successes is what will make lasting impacts on their own aspirations as young artists. Find global connections to help students understand our role as artists & activists in this world.
4. COMMUNICATE WITH STUDENTS & FAMILIES OFTEN
It is always important to stay connected with my young artists & their families in my career but during the pandemic it became especially important to do more frequent check-ins to make sure they were alright. Checking in with them frequently through sending quick texts, delivering materials or just sending pictures of their artwork to our school community to celebrate their successes was a great way to keep parents involved in their students' learning. I also began inviting families to join their students in creative community wide art challenges to connect and heal through the art making process and to join us during our virtual lessons. This engagement and access to materials and information was uplifting for our entire school community.
