Gail Cawley Showalter
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The Art of Education  
as it appeared in The Beaumont Enterprise, April 8, 2002

   Before I became a teacher of the visually impaired, I was an art teacher. After 10 years in regular classrooms followed by eight years as an itinerant teacher, I am convinced that art is one of the best teaching tools available and should be made accessible to all students.

I studied long hours in preparation for becoming a teacher of the visually impaired. What I learned from the university courses, however, cannot compare with what I learned from the students that I taught. My students enriched my life.

When I left the employment of the schools, I began to share art more with students who have visual impairments in my home and at camps. They created fascinating pieces using clay, cloth, wire, foil, paper and paint. Their enthusiastic reactions inspired me. In the process they learned concepts that I had not even considered while planning the activity. I certainly encourage art for its own sake, but I also advocate the use of art in correlation with other lessons.

Studies show that participating in the arts benefits all students. The Association for the Advancement of Arts Education in Ohio commissioned a review of the research in which 350 universities and independent researchers, 2 million students, 35,000 teachers, tens of thousands of artists, and 20 international business leaders expressed the belief that "the arts are a necessary part of an education that will help our children become successful adults."

I have seen so much change and confusion in education in my lifetime. The saddest of all for me has been the advancement of science and technology at the expense of the arts. It should never be either one or the other.

Art provides thinking activities that carry over to the analytical activities required in the sciences. Art requires sequential planning. It insists on organization. It provides an outlet for stress. It can unleash the inner turmoil in a child and provide an outlet for anger in a constructive way. It gives the student a sense of self that is essential for building confidence.

When I present for educators, as I have in six states, I emphasize the importance of allowing the process of creativity. There is nothing that can be substituted for it because we are creative beings. One of the greatest benefits art provides for a student with a disability is that it levels the playing field. All art is not, and should never be, created equal. It is the process of the creation that counts and each child should have that experience since it offers the essentials on which young souls thrive.

####

“All material herein is exclusively the property of the author and is not to be used without written permission from the author.”

Gail Showalter - Seeing U Through - SMORE for Women - All rights reserved. (c) 2009

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(c) 2017 Gail C. Showalter. All rights reserved
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  • Home
  • About
    • Publications >
      • ABCs of Wisdom
      • Seeing the world through blind eyes
      • Published Stories >
        • Baby Steps
        • The Christmas Elf
        • Gift Shop Miracle
        • Editorials >
          • Teach Responsibility
          • Single Moms Need Our Help to Achieve
          • Single Moms Can Soar
          • A father's presence, simple gesture goes a long way
          • Education is Key for Single Moms
          • Here's why you shouldn't call single moms selfish or stupid
          • Buckner Helps Single Moms
          • Child's love is greatest gift for any mom
          • Love, family and single moms
          • Make a single mom happy on Valentine's Day
          • Single mothers deserve praise for tough job, not disrespect
          • New Year's Message for Absent Dads
          • Honoring Mom
          • The Art of Education
        • Home
        • Snow Tide
        • These boots were made for...
      • Books
      • 101 Ways to Create a New Life
      • Grace of Aloneness is Amazing
      • Single Matters 10 Ways to Create Christmas
      • Single Matters-Single Moms on Valentine's Day
      • Single Matters-3 Steps to Wait Well & Build a Future
      • Single Matters-Why Families Need to Have Fun
      • Single Matters-5 Tips for Finding Your True North
      • Single Matters-Are You Raising a Narcissist?
      • Single Matters-3 Keys to a Successful Single Mom Life
      • Single Matters-3 Keys to Turn Your Life Around
      • Single Matters-Are You Lonely or Just Alone?
      • Single Matters 3 Things Single Moms Need in New Year
    • Speaking
    • Photos
    • Media Kit
  • Store
  • Connect
    • Join Email List
  • Gail's Blog
  • Radio Spots