Opinion
Curriculum Opinion

Understanding the Mind of a Young Artist

By Jeff Dekal — December 02, 2014 1 min read
BRIC ARCHIVE
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Q. Can you describe what’s happening in your illustration?

Jeff Dekal: This illustration is an interpretation of my earliest memories of drawing as a child. Instead of doing what most of the other kids were doing after school or on the weekends, my friends and I would pick themes and draw them. That’s how we got our kicks.

Q. What was your motivation as a young artist?

Dekal: I don’t think I needed much motivation. Drawing was just what I loved to do. As a child, my life really was that simple. I think motivation becomes necessary when we start to experience the portions of life that can get us down, like having to do whatever it takes to pay the bills, or the experience of loss that can lead to depression. Then, it becomes necessary to seek out some kind of stimulus to bring us back to a place where we are mentally ready to create.

BRIC ARCHIVE

Education Week Commentary asked leading educators and advocates to discuss the arts in K-12 education. Some of the contributors assert that the arts are a bridge between traditional academic subjects and the creative skills necessary to thrive in a global, 21st-century economy. Others argue for the critical part the arts play in child development.

Regular contributing artists illustrate the package, which continues online with a video that explores the role of the arts in classroom engagement.

This special section is supported by a grant from The Wallace Foundation. Education Week retained sole editorial control over the content of this package; the opinions expressed are the authors’ own, however.

Read more from the package.

Q. You’ve mentioned to us in an earlier conversation that you felt “different” as a young artist. What did you mean by that?

Dekal: It’s just more of a feeling. I would watch my peers and notice what they did with their time. I tried to do those things, but most of them just never clicked with me. I could still participate and enjoy the activities to an extent, like joining sports teams. But the feelings I experienced didn’t seem the same as the feelings that most of the other kids experienced. They seemed to enjoy them a lot more than I did.

Q. What helpful advice can you offer educators for working with young students who show artistic promise?

Dekal: Find a balance of encouragement and push. You want to push them past their limits, but children can be sensitive. You want to make sure you give them enough praise so they can understand that you’re only trying to make them better at what they’re doing.

Coverage of leadership, expanded learning time, and arts learning is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.
A version of this article appeared in the December 03, 2014 edition of Education Week as A Brief Portrait of a Young Artist

Events

Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Privacy & Security Webinar
Navigating Cybersecurity: Securing District Documents and Data
Learn how K-12 districts are addressing the challenges of maintaining a secure tech environment, managing documents and data, automating critical processes, and doing it all with limited resources.
Content provided by Softdocs

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Curriculum History Group Finds Little Evidence of K-12 'Indoctrination'
Most social science educators say they keep politics out of the classroom, but need help identifying good curriculum resources
6 min read
Photo of U.S. flag in classroom.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum How an International Baccalaureate Education Cuts Through the ‘Noise’ on Banned Topics
IB programs offer students college credit in high school and advanced learning environments.
9 min read
James Minor teaches his IB Language and Literature class at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Fla., on Jan. 23, 2024.
James Minor teaches his IB Language and Literature class at Riverview High School in Sarasota, Fla., on Jan. 23, 2024.
Zack Wittman for Education Week
Curriculum Explainer Social Studies and Science Get Short Shrift in Elementary Schools. Why That Matters
Learn why the subjects play a key role in elementary classrooms—and how new policy debates may shift the status quo.
10 min read
Science teacher assists elementary school student in the classroom
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Curriculum Letter to the Editor Finance Education in Schools Must Be More Than Personal
Schools need to teach students to see how their spending impacts others, writes the executive director of the Institute for Humane Education.
1 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week