Editor's Note

Editor, Pat George

An old friend

contacted me the other day—not such a hard thing to do now, with MySpace, Facebook, Classmates.com, and Yahoo People search. We hadn't talked since high school graduation, and of course our reminiscing brought back a flood of memories about former classmates and teachers.

We were a relatively close group who stayed connected from the beginning of elementary school until we all scattered to pursue our different interests in college or the workplace. I have not been very good about staying in touch with childhood friends, and as it turned out, neither has she, so we could only speculate about who was doing what where. One person I was interested in hearing about was Chip, an incredibly talented artist and thespian who could turn any class—including typing (yes, on typewriters)—into an art extravaganza.

Although art integration across the curriculum was not yet standard practice 30 plus years ago, Chip managed to do it. He'd sing his dialogue in French, turn numbers on his Algebra 2 test into calligraphic masterpieces, revel in our dramatic interpretations of Romeo and Juliet in English Literature class, and manage to incorporate some kind of appropriate dance routine into his grand entrance into history class.

I envy the students in today's middle level classrooms, where teachers recognize the importance not only of bringing the arts into the classroom for art's sake, but the importance of bringing out creativity in the students and helping them gain a deeper understanding of content through the arts.

Every student has some hidden talent, some passion for creativity, whether it's drawing comic book characters, singing, painting, or even weaving! (I still have the pot holders I made in middle school.) Effective teachers help these students channel that passion and creativity by giving them the opportunity to put more of themselves into their learning through art.

Sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz said, "Art does not solve problems but makes us aware of their existence. It opens our eyes to see and our brain to imagine." As you learn how your colleagues are bringing art into their classrooms in this month's issue, imagine the many ways you can make art an integral part of your students' everyday learning.