Larry Lee, blogger and education activist in Alabama, posted this moving account by a teacher of the difference that art makes in the life of a child.
This is a story told by veteran elementary educator Wendy Lang about one of her students.
It begins like this:
He was small for his age. He was immature and yet showed signs of struggles of which only adults are aware. Skinny with two constantly skinned knees, academics didn’t come easy to him; neither did the ability to sit still. His pale complexion only accented the dirt crusted on his face and hands each day. He often wore shorts in the dead of winter and his shirts were always torn and tattered. He was in desperate need of a ‘touch,’ yet I was unaware of just what I could do to give him the encouragement that he needed to establish the self-confidence necessary to find one brief, rare ray of light in the darkened tunnel of his life.
At five, he appeared to have already given up. There were times when I felt the same.
He couldn’t write his first name, couldn’t count to ten or recognize the letters of the alphabet. A severe speech impediment kept him from being easily understood. Lunch was the only subject where he seemed to excel but that was because he appeared hungry and I wonder if it ever crossed his mind just where his next meal might come from.
He did enjoy his art class when it was available. Our school shared an art teacher with two other schools and he looked forward to his time with Mrs. Young. During the spring, students were chosen to participate in an art contest at the Carnegie Visual Art Center. Every school in Decatur and Morgan County was represented by their stellar art students.
It was quite the honor.
But his mother didn’t want to go to the art show where the child’s work would be featured. She didn’t think it was all that important.
Read on to see what happened next.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
What an inspiring story! Young people need to attend comprehensive schools, not one size fits all schools. As an ESL teacher, I can recall similar moments from my students that when they arrived, they seemed to be in a shell and quite beaten down. Many of my students had been traumatized from their war torn countries. When students find themselves, it is a powerful moment. A well rounded education can tap into a student’s talent or interest, which may or may not be academic. It has transformative power, and the relationship the young person has with a teacher can guide a student to self discovery.
Thank you, Diane, for this story. Why do the deformers want to make widgets out of our young? Could it be that then our young will NEVER question authority or anything else?
Again, thank you. I needed this.
“The stories that data never tell”
The stories that data never tell
Are known to the teachers very well
The pride in art
The joy of song
A brand new start
In something long
The growth that’s gauged
By smiles and laughs
And not encaged
By tests and graphs
One of your best, Poet.
Truly.
Thanks but when you have a great title and a great story to base it on, it basically writes itself.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING. I just shared it on my FB too.
The arts have academic content, but they should never be treated as merely academic.
Studies, events, activities in the arts are far more worthy of attention in and beyond our schools than many people recognize.
I’d like to draw attention to two national programs in arts education for young people. Both programs are in addition to all of the exhibitions and performances in schools and at the district and state levels level. Some of these events are co-sponsored by arts councils and civic groups.
The first program is the most prestigious and the broadest in scope. At one time it was compared to the Presidential awards for young scientists.
You can see why it is amazing if you take a moment to view the video at this website. It will brighten your day. In this program, really amazing high school students have been selected for intensive mentoring by professionals in the visual, literary, and performing arts. http://www.youngarts.org/programs-for-winners
The second program, sponsored by Scholastic, has been around since 1929, Students in grades 7-12 are invited by their teachers to submit original visual art or writing for a juried program of awards. At the state and national levels students may receive scholarships. I participated in this program in 1949. That helped my family and teachers open other doors for an art-centric life. http://www.artandwriting.org/what-we-do/
This is a national program for the visual arts, open to all ages, with only a few components juried by adults. It is customary for students to select their best work. Teachers may focus on that selection process in class, as an occasion to think about the meanings of “best.” http://councilforarteducation.org/About/
As a final example, this program is an invitation for Ohio teachers and students to honor skills and insights not tied to ability to creating art, but to thinking and writing about it. Teachers help students learn to perceive, describe, and interpret artworks, moving beyond “I like it,” “I don’t.” Older students learn to consider varied criteria for judging art. Some study genres of art journalism and art criticism. A few hone these skills in advanced placement courses in art history. http://www.oaea.org/jerry-tollifson-art-criticism-open – JTACO2017
Many marginalized students who do not find themselves represented in academic curricula do see themselves represented in the arts. Art invites them to express their own reality and join in with the national conversation. Art brings voice and, like sports, for many it brings college scholarships and possible careers.
“The Value of Art”
To celebrate uniqueness,
The highly sentimental —
What often is a weakness —
In art is fundamental
where is the like button 🙂
And this is why I miss the kids…when the light shines in their eager eyes, it is brighter than any fireworks display could ever be.
I hope that only good things happened for this child, and that he grows/grew up to have a wonderful life.
Here is a recent performance of “A Little Help from My Friends,” by a group called “Artists for the Arts.” You will LOVE it!
I have been advocating for increased spending and emphasis on the arts in K-12 public schools for many years. In Japan, students take courses in calligraphy, interpretive dance, drama, etc. Our nation should emulate this fine tradition.
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it” Bertolt Brecht.