How does one begin to tell a story? Does it start with a memory, a recent experience, or perhaps an essential question that sparks an idea? Through the stories we share, we can transport our students on a journey via our words, images, and excitement. Our stories are as unique as the students we teach.
Frank provides feedback to art students during a ceramic project. Photo courtesy of the Sheboygan Area School District.
The Art of Storytelling
There is no set way to approach the art of storytelling. In my experience, sharing a story authentically in my own words is a great way to start a conversation that can lead to connections along the way. I have seen students go from staring blankly to nodding their heads in a matter of minutes. Through these observations, I can take this story to the next chapter.
We live in a time where it is okay to be vulnerable. I believe this vulnerability leads to powerful stories. If we, as art educators, show our true colors of who we are as humans, the possibilities of how we impact our students’ lives become endless.
In This Issue
There are so many innovative ways to tell our stories through art—from traditional and nontraditional media to digital applications, each method lending itself to new ways of self-expression from the perspective of our students.
In the elementary lesson “Kolam-Inspired Art” (p. 36), Meera Ramanathan shares the history of kolam. Through this Indian art form, intricate and symmetrical designs are created on the ground using white rice flour. Students are introduced to this temporal art form through its history, collaboration, and community.
Jane Montero’s middle-school lesson “The All About Me Design Challenge” (p. 38) explores the use of digital design programs to create symbolism that illustrates who students are, what they like, and who they want to become in life.
At the high-school level, Andrea Worthey interviews one of her AP Studio Art students to find out when his interest in art began, learn about his creative process, and discover how his upbringing, culture, and the concept of storytelling influence his artwork (p. 20).
Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to develop and communicate original ideas, empower student voices, increase understanding, build empathy, and learn life lessons. In what way will you guide your students so that they can narrate their best story?
Art teachers provide a variety of lessons for students to communicate their unique stories and ideas. Young students identify starting-place symbols in various texts before designing their own personalized letter designs; elementary students create a mural based on local food systems after learning about where their food comes from during farmer visits; middle-school students create nine-panel digital collages with symbols representing their likes and interests; and high-school students learn how cellphones and comic books can be powerful tools for visual communication.
