by Jennifer Hoesing

During National Arts in Education Week 2010, we asked art teachers to share their thoughts about arts education. Joy Williams, an art teacher at Diplomat Middle School in Cape Coral, submitted these thoughts. Diplomat Middle School is an Arts Achieve! Model School.

[Last year] as I watched the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I marveled at the athletes’ dedication, their perseverance against all odds, and the sustained practice they endure to shave seconds off the clock. That same drive to outperform one’s personal best is what is needed to become a great artist!  Therefore, it is fitting that our children will visit the new Art of the Olympians’ museum in Fort Myers.

This September I’m stopping to reflect on the impact of arts education in the lives of children.

In my observation, creating art develops a child’s eye/hand coordination, motor skills and spatial judgment.

Creating art develops a child’s intellectual creativity, memory recall and a willingness to attempt new challenges.  These creative problem-solving skills are used not only by artists, but inventors and entrepreneurs as well.

Art class is also a time for positive social interaction and a healthy exchange of ideas among students.  Art students learn to respect classmates and diverse points of view.