Special thanks to Kerry Shadbolt for being a guest author this year on our MAEA Blog. Now that we've settled into the new year I'm hoping to get back to weekly blog posts.
My Advice to Young Art Teachers: How I Survived and Thrived
By
Kerry Shadbolt
I feel bad because over the last
year, Betsy has been asking me for an article. It is only until now that there
has been time. This is my first school
year that I am not working full time in a high school. I just moved to rural northern Wisconsin with
my husband, and there was not a job opening.
Last term I taught a couple classes at the local college, and this term
I am assisting in the Ceramics I class.
My first thought of not being fully
unemployed was, “scary”, and now it has become fine (thanks to my supportive
spouse). Because I am not full-throttle into my new school year, I am able to
write this for you. Partially, I am able
find the peace and quiet to do this because I fell asleep at 8 pm and now I am
wide awake at 6 am. This brings me to my
first piece of advice…
1) Sleep.
Make time for sleep. NPR had this
great article explaining how brain cells clean themselves when in sleep
mode. Easier said than done, right? This is not to say that I sleep well all the
time, but I’ve found things that work for me.
If I wake up with something on my mind, I type it up in the notes section
of my iPhone so I don’t forget. When I
was running the state conference in 2013-2014, I found sleep was dire, and my
body and brain didn’t function as well if I didn’t sleep. Being a shepherd of my sleep means no
caffeine after 3 pm. I have a sleep
routine that helps (on my night stand):
eye mask, sound machine, Tums (incase my spicy dinner takes vengeance), hand
lotion, lip balm, and Vicks (allergy season)… do what helps YOU. With 8 hours of sleep, the alarm clock is not
such an adversary.
If you aren’t into
reading or listening to articles, check out the new Billy Nye Saves the
World. He talks about sleep in season 2
and eating right in season 1, which leads me to the next point:
2) Eat a good breakfast. Eat lunch.
Drink water. In my twenties I
did not eat well, and it wrecked my gut.
My meals were either too light (no veggies or protein) or heavy and too
sporadic. Eating a breakfast with lots of protein means I’m not “hangry”
by third hour. Lunch is usually lighter
for me. When I eat, I try to remember to
drink water. Having a glass of water and
a square of dark chocolate after school can give me another wave of alertness. By the way, I recommend sitting with
co-workers for lunch. You need to make
friends at work. These folks help you
with social situations, help with understanding school culture, and comfort you
on long days. Be a team player! It is easy to feel like an island alone as a
“specials / elective” teacher.
3) Be curious. Keep a log or note (phone) of things that
spark your interests. If you go places
take pictures. If a name comes up in
conversation (artists), write it down.
Seeking out new people and researching new topics will only enrich your
practice. Then, when I sit at FB or
other social media, I’ll try to connect with those people. Usually
people will recommend you to like-minded community members who will inspire and
make your life better. Some of these
people (recommended by others) have become some of my favorite people!
4) Don’t overdo it your first years. Ha! I
am laughing at this advice because sometime I don’t always heed it. If you are new to teaching, don’t expect to
do it all. I didn’t take on conference co-chair
my first year of teaching or my third, but I did help on the committee. The only reason why I was ready to tackle a
conference at fifteen years was because I didn’t have kids (yet) and my
marriage was happy and my work was stable.
DO got to meetings and get to know people.
5) Volunteer in increments. This is what
I did:
a.
Years 1-5:
Think locally – Establish
your community. Get to know friends and
mentors in your school. Purge friends
from your past who do not support you or your need for stability. Network.
Go to shows, be in shows, and put your students in shows. Become a region liaison for MAEA. Meet the experts in your city. Let them get to know you. Make art.
Maybe start an art club. Go to
your state conference in the fall to feed your spirit.
b.
Years 5-10:
Expand your reach – Get to
know cities around you that are hubs of creativity. Find out when super art shows are going on
and plan a visit. If you are looking to
connect with a wider pool, volunteer when the state art teacher conference is
in your region by being on a conference committee. You can take on one small task, do that task
to the best of your ability, and you will be a big help!! Start providing workshops at a state
conference. Once I gave my first
workshop, I saw the conference differently.
It is SOOO rewarding. Conversely,
if you are there and someone needs help, ask if you can be of assistance! Helping people break down and set up events
introduced me to a great new group of people.
Hopefully at school you’ve been experimenting with adding new media, new
inspiration, writing grants, and taking field trips with your students.
c.
Years 10-15:
Thing big! By now, you know your field well. You probably are no longer freaking out about
content. The nuts and bolts of teaching
should be the fun part of your world.
You may want to try AP or IB trainings or even instructing for
dual-enroll programs. Participation in
shows is a must for high school teachers.
Go to a national or regional conference if you (or your district) can
afford it.
6) Be Brave and Make Friends: Despite what it may seem, I am not very bold
at talking to others. I need to psych
myself up. My art professor, Charles
Steele (MSU) gave us good advice before our first art teacher conference. He said to talk to people between
sessions. This was so true! I know people who landed their first teaching
position by talking to people between sessions.
My second conference, I met many of the MAEA board by helping people
break down and set up their sessions.
Giving a hand helped people to remember me. These folks became life-long friends. Then, the next time I went to a meeting, they
smiled and said, “hi.” Even those of us
who have been around a few years are exhausted and could use friendly
conversation. Nothing makes me prouder
than to meet talented young people who are doing great things in art education
and inspiring their students. I remember
my favorite professional development experiences not only because of the
content, but also because of the stellar people who surrounded me. When I am having a tough teacher day, I like
to log-in Facebook and see that there are many wonderful teachers in the same
boat, fighting the same fight. We are
all in this together!
7) Be an Artist: I said it once, and I’ll say it again. Make some work. We all have seasons of production or
non-production. You need to come back to
it. Yes, decorate your home. Yes, go to see other artists. If
you aren’t bringing a piece of art to completion once in a while, and showing
that work, you really aren’t an artist.
Start with something small and post it on social media. This is an
important process. Try to remember to
carry your sketchbook around for when inspiration strikes. The more you produce, the more you / your
colleagues / your students / your community will see you as an artist and
understand the connection (and significance) of art production to the “real
world”. This is who you are. Staying
connected to the creative process will make you more empathetic to your
students’ struggles. When they hit a wall,
you will be better at coming up with solutions for those “happy
accidents.” For motivation and support, I
recommend reading: Art & Fear:
Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles,
Ted Orland. The
struggle is real!
Good Luck! If you need support, join me on Facebook on
the Michigan Art Education Association group or in the “Art Teachers”
group.
Artfully Yours,
Kerry Shadbolt
2016 MAEA TOY
