Response to: Naomi Pile's Art Experiences for Young Children

My mother, who is an extremely creative woman, has always talked badly about her visual artistic abilities. Come to think of it, she generally does not use confident speech when referencing any art form, regardless of how good she might actually be. As a child I remember her writing funny and interesting plays, her voice is lyrical and inspiring, her letters are enlighteningly poetic, and dancing is contagious. Her drawing, on the other hand, is quite simple, but has a lot of character, and I would probably have a higher opinion of it is she herself had not talked it down so much as I was growing up.

My current assumption, after class discussion and having read more about appropriate teacher practices in the art classroom, is that no one championed her art. Perhaps a student and/or teacher told her a drawing she did was too simple, or unrealistic, or there was too much comparison in class. Regardless of what actually happened, my mother had either a single or multiple negative and discouraging art experiences as a young girl, and it’s unfortunate how frequently this happens in art classrooms and how the effects can be long lasting.

I feel that the Pile reading is a very important reading for all teachers, regardless of the subject they teach, to be familiar with. Some of the most important points I gained from the reading are that teachers should stimulate learning and provide the means and space for their students to create. There are so many components that go into this idea from how the classroom is set up, to what artwork is displayed, to the directions given, to the teacher’s feedback regarding student art, to the materials provided, to how the art is treated after it’s created, and much more.

Each child needs to be regarded as an individual. “As certainly as nature has made unique individuals, so individuals make unique art.” (Pile, 1973) Each student’s ideas need to be respected, just as we as teachers desire respect from our students. For example, although some ‘clean and realistic’ art may be aesthetically pleasing to have on display, but that does not champion the art of the students. While there is a chance the art could lead to inspiration, it could also make a child feel inadequate in their developing artistic abilities. Displaying the art created by students, democratically, could lead to a sense of pride.

In conclusion, it is important for adults, whether teachers or parents, to ‘lead’ the way as opposed to only ‘showing’ the way all the time. This style of education will adhere to the child’s need to express themselves in their own way. “How important it is to help him sustain this joyful discovery, to let it emerge from him naturally, without demand or explicit direction.” (Pile, 1973) Art is very scientific; styles and forms need to be observed and tested. Let children get dirty so they can have ownership and confidence in their discoveries as opposed to having to memorize art facts and only replicate other people’s inspirations.