Summary of Main Points of Chapter 1: What Will I Teach?

Chapter 1 What Will I Teach? Summary

In our text, The Teaching Artist, I found the following observations to be significant:

One approach is to work with our students as fellow artists; we approach the task of being a teaching artist from our own well of artistic skill and understanding. The authors state that having a solid knowledge of one’s own craft gives the teaching artist confidence in what to teach. The teaching artist can then break down the processes in order to provide some framework from which to approach the business of teaching. Furthermore, the curriculum becomes emergent as the students and the teacher work in a studio atmosphere.

One problem that teaching artists face is that “they are often asked to set aside their artist identity when entering into a teaching situation.” p. 11

The author further says that “No one needs a teaching artist around to make art. But a teaching artist can help people make their own art and make it better, deeper, more interesting and original.” p. 12

Race and ethnic issues are addressed in several parts of the book. In Chapter 1, the author is concerned that in trying to relate to specific ethnic groups, teachers sometimes provide only art projects that they think would relate to their specific race, thus overcompensating, and denying the students of a broader education..

One of the main concepts of this chapter is this:

“When you are clear and concrete about what you want to teach, it will also be much easier to discover connections to other disciplines, both in the arts and in other areas, and to collaborate with other artists and teachers in ways that support your teaching goals in your medium rather than dilute them.” p. 30

Another concept is that thinking about how to integrate with other subject areas outside of the art discipline.