week 2: Dangerously Irrelevant

I tend not to shy away from politics in my classroom. I know to most this can seem taboo. However, for an art room, this can be a great resource for students to express themselves. I am glad this blog was included on the list because this author feels the same. Education has become a place of compliance, do not rock the boat so to speak. The art world would cringe if it saw how the k-12 curriculum was trying to be stifled right now. Yes, we educators need to leave their biases out of the instruction. But students should be free to express their political views however they please.  I am excited to follow this blog, with history being made daily right now, and my students actively engaged in the conversations and creating work. 

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 14, 2021 at 11:02 PM

    I completely agree with you Tara! We have gotten to this place in education where teachers can become fired for really any little comment that they made in class (even if it wasn't politically charged and someone interpreted it that way). I feel really fortunate to work at a charter school where they sent out a statement after the events in DC last Wednesday, and encouraged us to take time in our classes to also discuss it. I know this is not the case at all schools and that is really frustrating. I also think that we, as educators, could benefit from more training on how to bring up politics and "taboo" topics in a constructive way in the classroom. I'm also interested to see how the blog suggests integrating politics and other current events into the art classroom, and am hoping to use some strategies on my own.

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  2. Dr. ThomasJanuary 18, 2021 at 12:05 PM

    I am glad you found a blog you like. Paulo Friere stated in his 1968 book Pedagogy of the Oppressed: “all education is political; teaching is never a neutral act” (p. 19).

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    Replies
    1. Tara ThompsonJanuary 18, 2021 at 3:00 PM

      Thank you. It is hard sometimes here in Texas. I feel like I am fighting an uphill battle, and have had to fight my Administration over student's projects before entering them into contests. But I will continue doing what I know is best for my students.

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