By Pat Patterson, K-12 Visual Arts Coordinator

The teachers and staff at ASF have many tools at their disposal. They have excellent facilities, a good working environment, and professional development opportunities. Yet, without our humanity, we cannot educate. We bring our whole selves to work, and we use our creativity every day, to inspire and motivate our students. Some of us have had years of artistic practice and others have just begun to enjoy making art, as a way to relax or reflect.

The process of "thinking like an artist" has been the philosophy behind aesthetic education in the USA since the 1960's, but it has somehow gotten lost with the imposition of standardized testing and checking off boxes. How does an artist think? They start with a spark of inspiration, conduct research, create prototypes, push their personal limitations to the maximum, and conquer their fears to finally bring something original into the world. That sounds like authentic learning to me. Not everyone needs to become an artist, but we can all benefit from thinking like one.

The teachers and staff who have displayed their work for you have many different responsibilities. You see them every day in the hallways, but now you have learned a little bit more about what drives them. Let them know what you think.