The quote “discipline and student engagement” initiates an image of autocratic approaches to teaching. However, upon examination, one sees that it primarily refers to the facilitation of student education by teachers in active and meaningful. Every individual in class engaged in the practice of education, teacher or student, brings a particular cultural perspective and unique personal history of experiences in the classroom, an understanding which I have developed through years of experience in the in the classroom, first as an educator, teacher professional developer/consultant and now finally as a policy developer.
Viewing education through this lens of personal experiences of teachers and students, one finds the relation between necessity of “proper order and discipline” and “original thinking, inquiry and freedom of speech” in the classroom.
I firmly believe that by actively engaging students in learning through arts, they be motivated to develop the crucial ability to be persistent in tasks; through their successes, they develop self-confidence which has a vital impact on their capacity to focus and desire to learn in class. In addition, participation in arts provides students with opportunities to develop social skills including conflict resolution, self-control, and collaboration, as well as social tolerance and empathy which are strong components of the policy development of the arts curriculum.
As a leader of the curriculum development project, I am aware of the importance of student awareness and also need to consider diverse perspectives on issues related to “character development” and “safe schools” initiatives. As such, using arts experiences that are focused, strategies and conventions can be devised to develop understanding for art forms including, dance, drama, music, or visual art works. Identification of common values in various works of arts, both aesthetic and human, can be used to encourage students to be responsible and critically literate members of society. Through arts, students can learn to approach issues and present ideas and viewpoints in new ways and to challenge perceptions, understand the perspectives of others while engaging their audience.
Teachers have the responsibility to set the stage for a structured but reassuring learning environment in which students feel free to explore open-ended problems and experiment with new or alternative approaches and ideas. Arts education provides teachers with opportunities to differentiate between instructional learning environments through carefully planned activities which involve exploration of personally relevant ideas. This approach results in classrooms that encourage students deliver optimal quality work which affirms the worth of all students, and helps them strengthen their sense of identity resulting in the development of a positive self-image.
Additionally, staff and students are encouraged to value and respect diversity in school and the wider society within which they function. Arts can be therefore become an integral part of school strategy to support enhanced student attendance, student motivation, improved multicultural understanding, and school retention.
Teachers are no longer autocrats, but rather are co-learners and facilitators, and should always aim to provide students with learning experiences that interest them. Such experiences include learning through inquiry, through initiating their own projects, and through engaging in arts projects with other students to develop a sense of community through teamwork. A well-planned curriculum should be at the students’ level, but should also push them a little further beyond their comfort level, while maintaining the “zone of proximal development.” Students learn to assume personal responsibilities for their own learning, which increases as they progress through elementary and secondary school.
With appropriate instruction and varied experiences, students realize the importance of effort and hard work in enhancing their learning and improving their academic achievements. As they mature and develop their persistence ability and begin to manage their own impulses, they learn to assume responsible risks and become attentive listeners while being engaged with their own learning. Since learning to assume personal responsibility for progress and achievement is an important aspect of student development in education, participation in arts is necessary, not only because it enhances the lives and learning of students but because it necessitates intense engagement in addition to development of confidence, and motivates the use of creative and dynamic thinking among students.