Elementary Education Standards Six and Twelve

Standard 6: Elementary teachers have an understanding of the basic concepts of the arts. 

The arts are a very important aspect of education.  Music, dance, theatre, and art are able to convey ideas and emotions in  creative ways and can be an excellent medium for students to express themselves.  I, myself, am a lover of the arts.  I took ballet, tap, and jazz for 16 years and then participated in the Salem College Dance Company.  During my tenure with the Dance Company, we focused on lyrical and modern dance routines.  Throughout my educational journey, I have studied important artists such as Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, and Van Gough, along with many other great artists.  I have a deep appreciation for artists and feel that by studying their paintings, sculptures, and other works, we can gain an understanding of their time period and their way of life. Music is an important aspect of education because it invokes emotions and tells stories.  Excellent examples of figurative language can be found within the lyrics of a song.  Having students read lyrics can help to improve fluency and allowing students to listen to songs or instrumental pieces can help with visualization. Both of these are important parts of being literate.  I am also a strong supporter of theatre. By having students act out plays they express their creativity, make the story their own, and really understand what is taking place.  Below is a video of my 4th grade students acting out a Native American Trickster Tale.

Standard 12: Working alone, or with arts specialist teachers and/or other qualified arts professionals, elementary teachers are able to integrate the arts into the elementary curriculum. 

Art can easily be integrated in english language arts or social studies.  Students can look at artwork or listen to music from the time period in which a novel is set and the same is true for a time period which students are studying in social studies.  This year, I integrated art into my curriculum through the use of the novel From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  The novel tells the story of two children who run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and become involved in a mystery involving a statue that may have been sculpted by Michaelangelo.  Through this novel, students learned about the museum, the Renaissance, and Michaelangelo.  The portfolio assessment attached to this novel and the reflection are below.