All arts teachers want to develop and nurture their students as they help them learn to express their own passion, creativity and individual perspective of the world around them. By encouraging children to participate in the arts in education — be it the play and creativity of drama, dance, art or music — we establish an atmosphere of passion, creativity and wonder.
As a music teacher, I get to see daily how music soothes, excites, moves and transforms my students. My classroom theme this year is, “Sing, say, dance, play in a tuneful, beatful, artful way.” This environment helps to dedicate a certain part of the student’s day to experience something that will move them emotionally. The purpose is to give them the tools to both experience community in a healthy way and develop an individual talent that gives the student a unique way to share who they truly are.
As the arts share the language, expression and legends of various cultures, we become more understanding of the diversity of this world. Exposure to the various forms of dance, drama, music (performing arts) and visual art brings an education of the individual, their history, their story, their personality and their message. Each art form is so unique and exposes a child to a variety of ways to express their message.
One of my favorite quotes is from Yo-Yo Ma, the renowned cellist. I like to replace his use of the singular art of “music” with “the arts”:
“’The arts’ enhance the education of our children by helping them to make connections and broaden the depth with which they think and feel. If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, ‘the arts’ must be a vital part of our children’s education.” - Yo-Yo Ma
