Rocket Rundown
March 30, 2020
Theme of the Week: The "Art" of Education
In the on-going debate about whether educating kids is an art or a science, I have always leaned a bit toward the art side (I can hear Mrs. Starbard rejoicing!). I understand there are elements of both, and I certainly mean no offense to our science department, but I have always believed strongly that an artist's vision and touch is required in educating kids the right way.
Certainly, some policy makers and other powers-that-be whose decisions affect us would like to try to fit what we do into a neat little box. But, like square peg meeting round hole, try as they might, our profession just can’t be completely boxed in. The best educators are artists through and through, different from painters, sculptors, musicians and actors only in the medium through which they display their talent.
You might not have noticed, but music has been an important part of my life since I acquired, by default, my sister’s grainy collection of vinyl albums in or around 1978. I still recall the revelation of listening to Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Stones, the Beatles, Springsteen, a young Billy Joel, a young Elton John and even Meatloaf’s legendary “Bat out of Hell” album. Full disclosure, there might have been a Village People LP in there, too, which I didn’t totally hate. I have always seen a parallel between the best artists and the best educators. To illustrate, I cite the words of E Street Band pianist, Roy “The Professor” Bittan, who once said of the artistry of Bruce Springsteen:
“Bruce writes a bunch of lyrics and music and, when he has enough for an album, he calls the band and tells us to report to the studio. Once we’re there, he doesn’t just hand us a sheet of paper and tell us to play it exactly as written. He gives us a great idea and inspires us to use our artistic instincts and abilities to help him tell a story far better that the one he could tell by himself.”
As an educational leader, I’ve always wanted my staff to “use their artistic instincts and abilities” as opposed to just teaching completely inside the confinement of a box. With what we are dealing with now, I want that more than ever. You know the framework that confines us – specific curriculum, timelines, etc. Within that framework, however, we can be as creative as we want to be. And right now one of the only good things about what's happening is that we have a little more creative freedom than usual.
So this week, let’s let out artist flags fly! Even as we adjust course and begin to formalize our remote learning process, let’s think differently about what might fire up our students' imaginations. If we do it well, like a great band, perhaps we can help our students "begin to tell a story they could never tell as successfully without us."
Bruce Springsteen "Trapped" Live - Near the top of any quarantine play list!
Bruce with Melissa Etheridge - Great story / Great Song
AMS Video...
Let's do this - Daytime Emmy Awards, all the way!
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Remote Learning
I look forward to discussing with department heads and district administrators tomorrow and finalizing a plan to take what we're doing to the next level. I will keep you updated.