In what ways do the roles of art teacher and art education advocate overlap? In what ways can advocacy be used as a communication tool? What is your view of the importance of teachers’ relationships with their school community, parents/guardians, and the larger community – include in your discussion the role of professional ethics and school or community projects in which you were involved.

I see many ways in which my role as an art teacher and art education advocate overlap. In an elementary setting, the advocacy starts in the school. Communicating with homeroom teachers to create art lessons that incorporate the material that students are covering is a great start. Lessons that include homeroom material excites students because they can connect and really use the knowledge that they have acquired in a fun and creative way. This is an affective strategy to get people close to you, your fellow teachers, to appreciate the value of art education.

Any time that art teachers put a student exhibition together for the public to see, there is a great opportunity to advocate for the arts. Meeting people and speaking to the benefits at shows or posting literature or brochures that explain the benefits of art education are ways that we can make that information known to the public.

Conferences are another great opportunity pass this information along. While art teachers generally have lower traffic during conferences, at least in my limited experience, we can always send home newsletters and emails that discuss projects, important upcoming dates, and events, all while advocating for art education.

It is extremely important to maintain a professional appearance and demeanor anytime that we deal with parents and the larger community. Anytime we advocate for the art education, we must set a good example and act as responsible role models. Having an unprofessional appearance or behaving inappropriately will instantly strip teachers of their credibility and could create a distraction in the classroom.