The Artist Within: Celebrating Art Teachers' Creative Practices
The Artist Within: Celebrating Art Teachers' Creative Practices
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Research statement
Background Art teachers occupy a unique educational position requiring both pedagogical expertise and active creative practice. The 2010 Teacher as Practitioner (TAP) project by Melbourne and Edith Cowan Universities established that art educators must "practice what they preach" to maintain teaching authenticity. London's TATE Gallery research further identified connections between artistic inquiry and dialogic learning. However, secondary art teachers face distinctive pressures: staying current with evolving practices, managing institutional constraints, and guiding student creativity while often depleting their own artistic energy in the process. Contribution This project contributed empirical evidence for professional development models integrating creative practice with teaching responsibilities. Through year-long workshops and critical discussions among six teacher-artists, it documented how sustained artistic engagement prevents creative energy depletion, challenges factory-model education, and enhances pedagogical authenticity. The research demonstrates that teachers maintaining active art practices bring deeper process understanding and greater empathy to student relationships, providing concrete alternatives to mechanistic art education approaches while supporting educator wellbeing and sustainability. Significance The research significance of the project includes the curatedexhibition of 6 art teachers work, and how Shelley worked with teachers during the year leading up to it. It project addressed critical gaps in art education research and practice, building upon established academic foundations, particularly the 2010 Teacher as Practitioner (TAP) research collaboration between Melbourne University and Edith Cowan University, and insights from London's TATE Gallery study. These recognise the unique position visual art teachers occupy in education - they must not only teach but actively practice their discipline to maintain authenticity and pedagogical effectiveness.Publisher
Self published catalogue for exhibitionPlace of publication
The Gordon Gallery, GeelongUsage metrics
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