Paige Harrison

Presentation for Arts Educators- Transcript

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Contemporary arts is a dramatic area of teaching and learning, in which the skills required are unique and highly valuable. In order to be an effective arts teacher, one must first understand what it means to be an arts educator.

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Having completed drama in high school, I was passionate to advance my knowledge within this field. This lead to studying secondary education, majoring in drama. In order to teach an arts subject, one must have knowledge of relevant skills. It was through my high school and university studies that I developed the skills required to go on and teach others. These skills include and are not limited to mastering costumes, set design, acting, directing and script writing. If I did not personally have the skills to complete such tasks, I would not be able to adequately teach others.

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Contemporary arts teachers must also have knowledge of the Australian Curriculum. While it is important to understand the Australian Curriculum, it is just as important to have knowledge of pedagogies which will help effectively teach the curriculum. There are numerous ways in which the curriculum can be taught, however it is the teacher’s role to identify the best way to teach the students within the class. This requires knowledge of the students and their ways of working.  

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Developing the students’ skills and talents required to achieve excellence within the arts is a result of creating a climate that reflects a safe, challenging, and encouraging atmosphere.  There are many factors which influence the learning conditions of students including their schedule, the classroom, the curriculum, the expectations, and many more.  While all of these could play an important role in establishing the ideal learning conditions, there is one area we know will have an immediate impact on the classroom or rehearsal room setting: it is the attitude of the teacher. Often the collective attitude of the students is a reflection of the attitude of the teacher. That being the case, we can alter the classroom atmosphere by shifting our own approach, our demeanor, and our attitude.

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Ethical behaviour, is essential to professional dealings and relationships with students, families, caregivers, colleagues and the wider community. There are six core values which underpin professional ethics for arts teachers. These include integrity, dignity, responsibility, respect, justice and care. In order to demonstrate integrity, one must create and maintain appropriate professional relationships and act with impartiality, truthfulness and honesty. Dignity entails valuing diversity, treating students equitably with care and compassion while respecting the uniqueness of individuals and family backgrounds. Teachers must be responsible, prioritising the education and welfare of all students, working with colleagues to achieve this. Respect includes creating relationships with students and their families based on mutual respects, trust and confidentiality. Justice entails being fair and reasonable within all aspects of teaching. Finally care is having empathy for all individuals and committing to the students wellbeing and learning through professional judgement.

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Arts subjects are so important as they provide students with endless learning experience beyond the surface of the curriculum. The arts provide everyone with an opportunity to succeed. When a student participates in the arts, whether it be music, art, dance or drama, it requires practice, patience and persistence. These are positive behaviours which are necessary for success in any field of endeavour. The arts require students to be creative, a vital skill to have in a rapidly changing world. This in turn provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate individuality; enabling them to express who they are as human beings. The arts improve teamwork, enhance mathematical skills and improve language and communication. Evidently the arts help to expand on and enrich learning in almost all other subjects. Teaching the arts increases the likelihood of student success. Arts teachers have the opportunity to not only provided curriculum based learning experiences, but to enrich students’ lives and help them examine what it means to be human.

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Engaging in ongoing professional development and learning helps to improve teaching and learning experiences. In a rapidly changing world, it is important that contemporary arts teachers are continuously participating in professional learning to ensure they are up to date with the latest information and ways to teach it. Being an arts teacher is about enriching students’ lives and participating in ongoing learning to enable this.