AARTI MISTRY

Being an educator is one of the most rewarding career paths. There is a great sense of
satisfaction when it comes to knowing that as an educator, you will go in to a school every day
and be able to make connections, interactions and have many valuable experiences with a school
full of students. These experiences are not only the highlight of a career in teaching for me, but
they also provide me with the motivation I need to be the best teacher I can for my students.
As an arts educator, I feel it is my responsibility to provide a new canvas or an empty
stage for every student who walks into my classroom. In fact, their minds are the most important
canvas or stage when creating any form of art. In Enlightened Cherishing: An Essay in Aesthetic
Education, Harry Broudy expressed his belief of imagery being a vital part of a childs ability to
develop concepts, values and language skills. Images from daily life experiences provide
children with more opportunities to imagine and convey these imaginations in various ways,
such as through dance, drama, music and/or visual arts. It is important to facilitate them in
acquiring the fundamental knowledge and skills they will require to succeed and allowing for
various learning methods so that each student is comfortable with the overall learning
environment. As a teacher, I need to create that safe space and positive learning environment
along with preparing lessons, facilitating classroom activities and assessing student work which
will benefit the students in the long run. It is also my duty as a teacher to inspire and motivate
my students to learn and build a passion for learning.
Within a classroom, a teacher should provide for and meet the requirements of various
learners in his/her class. Howard Gardners theory of Multiple Intelligences speaks the diversity
of learners that are present in a classroom. Aiming to deliver lessons in a way in which a
multitude of learners can process information is only one of many things that defines good
teaching strategies. Not only does a classroom consist of students learning in various methods,
but depending on the location, there may be a diverse group of students of different cultural
backgrounds and ethnicity. Creating an inclusive classroom for this reason is extremely
important. Students are diverse in respect to gender, race, class, sexual orientation, cultural
background, language etc. and as a teacher, I must be the one to modify and accommodate
lessons to the needs of my students. Some students who may be visual-spatial learners require
math manipulatives when solving mathematical questions or those who may be bodilykinesthetic learners need to be moving in order to learn efficiently. Everyone learns differently
and that must be kept in mind when facilitating classroom activities.

Apart from the learning that occurs in a classroom, students often come to school with
many things on their mind. Family issues, health conditions, social relations at school and its
difficult for us to be the judge of each students personal life. Which is why I would have to do
my utmost best in being considerate and understanding of each students situation. Having a
classroom where my students are engaged in what they are learning about is one of many ways I
could indirectly help them with any personal issues they may be having temporarily. When
students get engrossed in an activity or assignment that they enjoy, they often forget about the
world around them. This allows them to have a safe comfort zone in which they are not only
learning but also doing something that excites them. According to Cassandra Whyte, having
artistic experiences helps with gaining an independent thought process and also contributes to
problem solving and decision making skills. Art education is more than just being creative. It
allows students to gain confidence in activities within the classroom as well as daily life
activities. A teachers goal is for a student to wake up every morning and feel excited to come to
school and learn, which is why each lesson should be geared towards that goal and arts
integration is a great way for students to remain engaged and build their self-esteem and
confidence.
Creating lessons that explore the different arts; dance, drama, music and visual arts can
make learning a creative and engaging experience and facilitate students to build on their
performance and presentation skills. Although many of the students may not choose to pursue a
career in arts, some may start having a passion for the arts and use it as a tool to further their
education in the path they choose to travel. As an arts educator, it is my responsibility to expose
students to the arts and demonstrate ways in which it can help them learn in other subject areas
and how they can connect the arts to math and language especially.
Although I hold a Bachelor of Education degree along with my Bachelor of Fine Arts
degree, my learning does not end here. The most valuable thing about being a teacher is that
every time I enter a classroom full of students, I learn with and from them just as they learn with
and from me. I may have the degree at hand but the beauty of education is the ongoing process
and self-development even for educators. As a teacher, I have a set of expectations for my
students so that they have something to work towards, but the expectations I set for myself are
higher since it truly is an ongoing learning process for me as well. As Lee Iacocca says, in a
completely rational society, the best of us would be teachers and the rest of us would have to
settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next
ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have. And this is why
I believe that a career in teaching is truly the most rewarding experience.