SUBSCRIBE FOR ONLY $16.99!

From Concepts to Kicks: Bringing Art to Life

Advertisement

Originally published in TEACH Magazine, November/December 2021 Issue

By Ben Salus

As an elementary school art teacher, it is my job to engage my students and get them thinking critically about what and how they create. I believe that students’ ideas and explorations with art-making are more important than their current technical skills. Because of this, I’ve often felt the art room to be an inappropriate place for competitions, which typically reward kids with artistic backgrounds and discourage others.

However, one of my strongest personal artistic influences is hip hop, which actively embraces competition. It’s arguably the most important contemporary arts movement, and I love the idea and spirit of battling. No violence, no contact, yet it’s personal and confrontational. Competitors become both adversaries and allies as they improve each other through challenges and pressure.

Competition in the Classroom

Jesse White Learning Academy, the school where I work in Hazel Crest, IL, has had plenty of its own challenges this past year. After fluctuating between remote and in-person learning over the first several months, we finally settled into a hybrid approach, with half my students in the classroom and half attending remotely. Somehow I was supposed to teach them as if they were a unified class.

Subscribe to Keep Reading

🔑 You’re one step away from unlocking premium content.
Subscribe now for just $15.99/year and get full access!
If you’re already subscribed, please .
Avatar photo

Ben Salus is a teaching artist and author working and living in the south side of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. His work and curricula focus on exploration, meaning-making, and reflective consciousness.

Education News

Talking Educational Equity with Bush Fellow Marvis Kilgore

A dedicated teacher and educational equity strategist, Marvis Kilgore is passionate about increasing Black male representation in teaching. In our conversation, he shares his vision for transforming education.

Student Sleep Health Week Highlights the Powerful Connection Between Sleep and Well-Being

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is hosting its sixth annual Student Sleep Health Week from September 15–19, bringing together families, educators, and community groups to highlight the importance of healthy sleep for students of all ages.

Supporting the Next Generation of AI-Native Learners

The question is no longer should students use AI, but rather: What skills do we equip students with to prepare them for a future where AI is a part of their life?

New Book Offers the First Comprehensive History of Sex Ed in America

Sex ed in schools is about much more than just health. It’s about reproductive justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equity—and it matters now more than ever.

Join Our Newsletter

Join now for a chance to win 1 of 2 $25 Indigo e-gift cards this month!

Ben Salus
Ben Salus
Ben Salus is a teaching artist and author working and living in the south side of the Chicago Metropolitan Area. His work and curricula focus on exploration, meaning-making, and reflective consciousness.

Advertisement

Read More

The Value of Accessing Professional Development in Your First Years of Teaching

After my first week of being in a long-term occasional role, it became very clear to me that learning about being in the classroom is not the same as actually being in the classroom.

Talking Educational Equity with Bush Fellow Marvis Kilgore

A dedicated teacher and educational equity strategist, Marvis Kilgore is passionate about increasing Black male representation in teaching. In our conversation, he shares his vision for transforming education.

Student Sleep Health Week Highlights the Powerful Connection Between Sleep and Well-Being

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine is hosting its sixth annual Student Sleep Health Week from September 15–19, bringing together families, educators, and community groups to highlight the importance of healthy sleep for students of all ages.

Supporting the Next Generation of AI-Native Learners

The question is no longer should students use AI, but rather: What skills do we equip students with to prepare them for a future where AI is a part of their life?

Break the Ice: The Ultimate Back-to-School Toolkit

Here are six simple icebreaker activities, as recommended by K–12 educators, that are sure to help make this back-to-school season your best one yet.

How to Tame a Chaotic School Cafeteria: 7 Tips for Managing Lunchroom Behavior

Let’s face it—most staff don’t willingly volunteer for cafeteria duty. But with a few thoughtful tweaks, lunch doesn’t have to be the noisiest, most dreaded 30 minutes of the day.
hasta cuando se puede ganar dinero en tiktok | montecarlo casino | ruleta dividida en 10 partes | ganabet | ruleta de colores numeros | casino jalapeño | casino español | ruleta dias de la semana pdf | app de casino para ganar dinero real | luckydays casino | playdoit casino bono | roma casino | liga mx torneo clausura 2023 | ruleta kit kat | campobet | https bet caliente mx | casino dubai palace | novibet casino | casino amigos con energia | live poker casino online | parx casino online login | ruleta que diga sí o no | troya tragamonedas | mejores juegos casino online | casino de mexicali restaurant | ganar dinero con juegos android | slot bet | online casino real money | manos poker | casino los fresnos | crupier de casino | maquinitas progresivas | jugar ruleta electronica gratis | casino online gratis | the cromwell las vegas hotel & casino | huawei ruleta méxico | detroit casino online | jugar ruleta electronica gratis | caliente mx deportes | soporte caliente | spin bet casino | juegos de casino online gratis sin descargar | casino del diablo | pin up casino | calientesports.mx nfl app | big bola casinos querétaro | casino online ruleta paraguay | casino casino | rosenborg slot | casino en linea gratis | hotel casino de la selva | maquina tragamonedas como funciona | casino crown city | novibet mx | apuestas online | casino pachuca | canada live casino online | caesars slots | casino foliatti guadalupe | grand lisboa casino | main street station hotel casino and brewery | casino online 365 net |