Imagine yourself among over 100 educators from throughout the world whose conversations are focused on innovation! Pinch me—is this real? Over and over that question entered my mind as I traveled to Helsinki, Finland to attend the Innovation Summit planned by HundrED during the first week of November of this year. It was an honor to be invited to participate in the summit. HundrED is a non-profit organization that discovers, researches, and shares inspiring innovations in K12 education, and was born from the notion that in a world becoming increasingly connected and globalized, education can still be very local and isolated in its practices. HundrED has identified 100 innovators for 2019 and highlighted their work so others can learn and apply ideas to their own work. Some of the innovators are working against all odds. But the one thing they have in common is starting with a seed of an idea and figuring out how to impact the learners in their communities.

The High Museum of Art believes in the power of teens’ voices. This past summer, the High had a group of 16 teens from the metro Atlanta area who learned the ins and outs of the museum, and who worked with local artists, dancers, choreographers, and writers to create programs. The Teen Team is a dynamic group of rising juniors and seniors who help create and host public programs at the High, including the teen-only Teen Night and monthly free admission day, Second Sundays. The Teen Team program is a paid, year-round commitment, and the teens are considered Museum employees. They explore the Museum’s collection and special exhibitions, meet museum staff, local artists, and get the inside scoop on museum careers through hands-on experience. This blog is written by Teen Team members and is a reflection of the political and social context in which they are growing up.

I often get questions from up and coming leaders about what it takes to “break in” to the arts education field. I can relate—I love the career path that I’ve taken and yes, arts education can feel like a specific field that no one really envisions themselves doing from a young age. I fell into the profession with no set path but a vision of wanting to do good and contribute to a more just and equitable society. While I have a background in multicultural education, and was able to eventually blend my academic training and my interest in visual arts to impact communities that do not have access to formal and experiential programs in the arts, for many like myself the path is far from being clear cut. 

As the weather here in Boston becomes colder, I find myself wanting to bake more and more often. Bread. Cookies. Chicken casseroles. Homemade granola. Cupcakes. All of these have become recent projects and obsessions. There is something about the cooler days and chilly nights that makes me feel the call of the oven and the desire to bake. The other day, when I was preparing a batch of homemade chocolate almond biscotti, I started to think about baking as a metaphor, and I realized that there is a powerful connection between my experience of the process of baking and my experiences as a leader in arts education. The next time you bake, think about your own leadership in arts education in terms of science, patience, and artistry. How do those three qualities play out in your work? Where could you infuse more artistry? Where and how would you benefit from exercising more patience? How does science help and hinder your leadership?

In 2014 an important document, Arts Education for America’s Students: A Shared Endeavor, was created. Americans for the Arts, along with 15 other arts and educational advocacy organizations, created this valuable document that outlines why the arts are part of a balanced education for all students. It explains that the arts are a core academic subject area with rigorous national standards, and that access to high quality arts education is critical for a well-rounded student. In spite of the fact that each year more data is released demonstrating how students benefit from quality arts education, there are still communities that have little to no access to arts education for their students. A Shared Endeavor helps to put a strong educational concept into a visual and written context that makes clear how the arts enliven and deepen educational experiences and develop the creative problem solvers we need for our world. I highly recommend spending time with A Shared Endeavor and working it into your conversations. It will help build a sense of community around your work. 

As an arts educator, it’s crucial to your students that you’re able to bring your artist self into the room as a living example of how they too can be artists. However, it can be difficult for individuals like myself who work as arts teachers and administrators. So how do you balance the two?  For me, the solution has been to let the two be one. It took me a while to do this intentionally, but I let my creativity influence my approach to administrative solutions and let my task-oriented thinking manage the flow of my class. The key is remaining aware and perceptive of when it’s time to let things be, and when it’s time to stay organized—or as I frequently say, “create structure for the chaos to happen in.”