“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” Albert Einstein
On Valentine’s Day 2017, I drew this Pinterest-inspired art in a 4″ x 6″ journal I was given at an art museum. I posted it on Instagram, and to my delight, people liked it. I decided I would draw and post a heart a day for a year.
A year later, with four journals, and 365-plus heart drawings, my Heart-a-Day Project is complete. “Heart Work” is phase two of my Heart-a-Day Project. Using the drawings from my Heart-a-Day Project as inspiration, I’ll share what I’ve learned about teaching creatively across the curriculum. My 17 years as a kindergarten teacher has shown me that the heart of a lesson comes from the creativity that can be infused into it. Each day I’ll offer a tip or technique I use to teach creatively. I may repeat myself as I get the hang of this, so please bear with me. All ideas and suggestions may not be original to me. I may also miss a day or two on occasion. Yet, I’ll do my best to persevere and make this fun and interesting.
I’m excited to start this journey. Thank you for joining me.
Let’s start with a few books that have inspired me as a teacher:
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron – At some point in our lives we forget that we are creative beings. Through inspiring stories and creative excercises, The Artist Way allowed me to rediscover my inner-artist.
- Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire by Rafe Esquith – There are rewards and power in completing a task over time.
- Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess – Each day, give your students a reason for them to want to be in your classroom.
My artistic inspiration comes in many genres. Here are a few of mine:
The artist Keith Haring, the world of musical theater, pop/jazz/classical/opera music, mosaic, collage, sculpture, assemblage, outside artist, and children’s’ artwork (just to name a few…)
(Access to these photographs does not constitute a transfer of copyright or a license for commercial use. The images are for personal use only. No portion of the images can be used without the expressed written permission of Michael B. Stanley, Jr.)
