4 minute read
You Don’t Have to be an Artist to be a Great Art Docent!
BY Laurelle Graves
Issaquah PTSA Council Art Docent Chair
Issaquah is designated as a creative district, so it comes as no surprise that hundreds of parents, caretakers, and community members volunteer thousands of hours every year to teach art education in our elementary schools. The art docent program, which is fully funded by each individual elementary school PTA/ PTSA, ensures that every student receives an art education grounded in the elements of art and principles of design and backed by the National Art Standards.
The art docent program is often the largest volunteer program in each elementary school. It offers the opportunity for families and community members to share their culture. Our school district is a vibrant melting pot of families from all over the world. Often, docents will create a lesson that focuses on artwork specific from their country of origin, even bringing in art from home. Our students benefit from these unique experiences by receiving real-world connections to cultures, customs, and heritages from every corner of the world.
Volunteerism is yet another added value brought to our district by the art docent program. Many parents love to volunteer in their child's school. As kids grow older, the opportunities available dwindle. While some kindergarten classes may have daily volunteer needs, by 5th grade, being an art docent might be the only way to volunteer for the class.
Community engagement increases through the docent program as well. Issaquah Schools Foundation is a long-standing supporter of the arts, and its website hosts a vast array of lessons that docents can use for their entire year of lesson planning. Even volunteers with little to no art experience can feel confident teaching elementary-aged lessons with these carefully selected and well-crafted lessons. Many schools receive grants from the City of Issaquah Arts Commission to help run their programs. Every year, Issaquah PTSA Council Arts Chairs hold an Art Docent Conference that teaches lessons to art docents to take back to their schools. Teachers are local artists and previous docent chairs. The conference is a huge event every year and is generously funded by Wise Camps, an educational STEAM-based camp offering summer camps and educational experiences throughout the year.
The docent program is so vital to our students because most students only engage with art while at school. Many students report that they don't have art supplies at home. Their eyes light up when a paintbrush is put in their tiny hand. The joy that is emitted from the art room fills the air when clay is sculpted into bowls or monsters or wacky birds. The docent program also serves to expose students to new mediums that most probably wouldn’t experience at home, such as glass, clay, metal embossing, sculpture, fiber arts, and much more.
The art docent program in the Issaquah School District is a vibrant community. To find out how you can become involved, contact your local PTA/PTSA or email artdocent@issaquahptsa.org
The Importance of Art Education in Elementary School
Art education is an essential part of elementary school education. It helps children develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills. Art education also helps children learn about different cultures and express themselves.
Creativity
Art education helps children develop their creativity by encouraging them to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. Creative thinking is a skill that is needed in nearly every career. An early education in art helps kids think creatively in other academic subjects as well.
Problem-Solving Skills
Art education helps children develop their problem-solving skills by challenging them to find creative solutions to problems.
Critical Thinking Skills
Art education helps children develop their critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyze and evaluate different works of art.
Cultural Awareness
Art education helps children learn about different cultures by exposing them to art from around the world. This can help children develop a greater understanding of other cultures and to appreciate the diversity of human expression.
Self-Expression
Art education helps children express themselves by providing them with a safe and supportive environment in which to create. This can help children develop a sense of self-confidence and to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a creative way.
Perseverance
Creating art teaches children how to persist in doing something despite the difficulty or delay in achieving success. This is a great example of the Growth Mindset.
