Aesthetic Education: Its Place in Teacher Training

Overview & Synopsis

While it would be egregious not to acknowledge the dire state and looming removal of art and music programs in many schools today, it is equally important to recognize that individual classroom atmosphere ultimately begins with and emanates from the primary/elementary teacher. Teaching of young children is a soulful experience; it comes from the heart. Likewise, real transactions with the arts emerge from within; a place entrenched deeply within one's mind, body, and spirit. Although we often consider teaching and learning as being located at two opposite ends of the education spectrum, they frequently occur in conjunction, especially in regard to teacher training and aesthetic education. This article discusses EDUC 222 Aesthetic Education, a teacher training course designed for early childhood and elementary education majors, which is based on the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education model for aesthetic education.