Ken Robinson begins stating that “Children have tremendous talents, but we squander them.” I can’t speak of other schools, but I work at Perley Fine Arts Academy, and the teachers and employees do the opposite: talents are nurtured and developed, and the results keep blowing me away. I am so encouraged by the talents and ambitions of these instrumentalists, singers, actresses, dancers, and artists. Uncovering these talents is what makes my job rewarding. My hope is that other teachers will continue to encourage these aspiring young artists once they leave Perley for middle school.
Ken Robinson talks about a girl drawing a picture, and says the drawing captured her attention. At Perley we have a “picture writing” program where a student paints pictures, and then writes about the pictures. This program increases engagement and increases vocabulary and writing skills. Here’s the Perley website: http://sbcsc.schoolwires.com/perley/site/default.asp.
Robinson talks about students being artists, but by the time they become adults, they are no longer artists. Adults are no longer prepared to be wrong. I agree with the feeling that once students grow up and become adults, some are more afraid to take risks, and as a number of people become older, some of their dreams fade. Maybe some were not encouraged along their journey?
I like your perspectives. I believe that schools do offer creative outlets. I do wonder that perhaps this fear of being wrong as adults is partially societal. For example the consequeces of having a bad idea in the work place can generate disasterous results.
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