4 Questions: Teaching Artist Journal

4 Questions

Amara G. Hark-Weber

Published online: 03 Apr 2014

Introduction

Most working artists are creative problem solvers. When asked if they can do something, it’s instinct to say yes first, and figure out how second. While this works in many situations, the classroom isn’t always one of them. Really knowing what you do, and how to make a meaningful contribution, is one of the hardest parts of being a teaching artist.

In this issue we focus on two very different types of teaching artist. The first, Heidi Jeub, looks at the character of a school and then figures out how the tools in her toolbox can best fit the school’s needs.

The second, Peyton Scott Russell, brings his medium into schools in an effort to help students learn to see with fresh eyes. Both know themselves and their craft, and how to use their work to contribute to the classroom.

Heidi is an artist working in many mediums. She approaches a school with an open mind, building her relationship with the school by getting to know its needs, student body, and resources and by figuring out its potential. She then creates projects tailored to the classrooms she works in.

She knows what she can do, and how it might be applied in various situations to bring out the best in students, the classroom, and in her....

— Amara G. Hark-Weber