Blog 1 - Interviews

I once had a college peer (a few years ago) ask me why I was an Early Childhood major. She said, “…you seem so smart. I would have guessed that a better fit [for you] would be with high school students. What will you do with little kids?” Although her comment was meant as a compliment, I was actually discouraged by her lack of understanding on the importance of the growth and development of young children. She is a good example of the struggles and challenges early childhood educators face and why there is a need for advocates within this realm. There are many adults that do not understand the needs of young developing children.

With this said I reflected on my most personal afflictions and discovered that arts within the curriculum are often overlooked for their value and purpose within the classroom. My host classroom is a diverse 1^st grade class that contains 17 students which include seven ELL students, two IEP students, four above grade level and the rest considered within grade or general education. So I wanted to advocate the need of enriching the curriculum which reaches out to each student based on their individuality and unique needs. To dig deeper, I reached out and interviewed my host classroom teacher, the school’s art teacher and the music teacher.

Interview 1 (Host Teacher)

My classroom teacher noted that the first issue she sees as a challenge included budget cuts. Stating, “Unfortunately many schools do not have money and when they are looking to make cuts they look towards the arts.” She continued by saying, “My biggest challenge is having enough time with my students. Our day is only so long and we have so many things to fit in. We are also being told specifically how to do certain things. There are new initiatives always coming up. Right now things are changing due to CCSS (Common Core State Standards).” Therefore, she feels the arts do not ‘fit’ into her daily routines.

I found this interesting because she also stated that songs were good for reading and math concepts, music can be used to incorporate cultural aspects, art projects express emotion and creativity. She resumed, “I think that the arts are very important in early childhood development. Art gives students a creative outlet. It gives them different ways to express themselves. Art is important but it is not a core subject. My students go to art class one day a week. I do not have any formal instruction in my classroom. I have my students do art projects and crafts at various times throughout the year or as a treat. My students do a lot of drawing in connection with their writing.  It helps them with details and descriptive writing.” Therefore, I found it perplexing that she justified arts within the curriculum but did not see the need to spend the time incorporating it on a regular basis. This made me wonder if it is a lack of training and understanding on how to complete such a task or if there was another reason.

Interview 2 (Art Instructor)

I went on to interview the art teacher of the school who gave me more direct insight to what she believes the underlying issues are: “I believe that one of the current issues related to this topic would be that standardized testing may be stifling the creativity of our students because it can lead them to feel that there is only one right answer to the questions. Also, as the public educational system of our country pushes for more and more focus on the academics we are making less time for the arts and doing less to cultivate the level of creativity that we will need to be successful and competitive in our global community.”

She passionately stated, “…for those students who dislike an academic subject in its purest context approaching that subject through the lens of art may help to motivate that student to want to learn….[art] may help to make that subject less intimidating for the student.” More specifically, art is especially important to ELL and special needs students. Sometimes art is all they have to fully communicate and share personal thoughts, ideas and understanding. Furthermore we discussed how art is everywhere and in everything: illustrations in a story, culture, technology, on and on. It is universal and nonjudgmental toward the creator.

Lastly, she wanted me to be aware of the foundation art puts forth toward other learning. In order for a child to reach their fullest potential they must have access to create. It is the least restrictive environment but the most enriched way to experiment: a place of no wrong or right answer.

Interview 3 (Music Instructor)

To finish my interviews, I briefly discussed music with the school’s music teacher. She asked me to observe a class before the interview. She later explained she wanted me to see firsthand what she does with the students so I would have a clearer understanding of what music does for students. It was an intriguing approach toward the subject at hand…and it worked. I saw engaged students who sang with their voices high and bodies in motion. As the teacher worked from different notes from her recorder (instrument), she would ask the students to mimic the note with their voices. She advised that this technique helps them hit parts of their speech that are not fully developed yet. Furthermore, music incorporates body language which is social expression. ELL students are involved and following along with English words – this directly helps with language development. The rhythms of beats relate to patterns and academics: patterns are found in math, language, grammar, literacy (poetry, rhymes, etc), science and more. Music directly and indirectly relates to cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.

I gained multiple insights toward my advocacy efforts. There is a clear need of arts within early childhood development and it appears there may be a lack of understanding of those needs. The interviews influenced my decision to work on arts within the curriculum and stay focused on how various domains are affected and how we can incorporate it within our daily classroom academic routines. The area which my topic will be focused on is: arts within the classroom curriculum to include: literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional growth.

Questions for colleagues:

·         Reflecting back on your personal life, how have the arts (music, art, drama, etc) influenced your learning as a student?

·         Based on your current educational knowledge toward children’s development, how vital are the arts toward growth and development, and how do you incorporate them into your daily routine?

·         Lastly, how do you justify the arts worth to those outside the classroom that do not believe in the quality it offers in educating our youth?