Teaching artists typically work as solo agents, without the comradery of a like-minded community. After a year of focus groups, teaching observations, and conversations with school and arts administrators, we identified a need for experienced teaching artists to have a chance to reflect upon, renew, and reconsider their teaching practices with…

It is definitely easier to write about work when things are going well, but it is even more important to write about what happens when things get challenging. The act of writing about the challenging times can be challenging in itself but can also provide invaluable insights into the process of teaching: important for the writer and just as…

Most students attend summer school not because it's their idea of a good time, but because they need to in order to advance to the next grade. To many students--and even some teachers--summer school feels more like punishment than an opportunity to learn and explore. In July 2010, working with a nonprofit organization called Big Thought, officials…

This article presents an interview with four seasoned Teaching Artists: Keith Terry, Kimberly de Caires, Ruth Bossieux, and Jeff Raz. The TAs reflect on the importance and complexity of intellectual property issues. They also shed new light on the views and experiences of TAs around this issue and encourages a broader dialog in the TA community.

The report describes an Illinois State University project for special education teachers and art teachers, which focused on arts programs for handicapped children. Project goals were to familiarize participants with basic characteristics of children with different handicaps, to facilitate communication between art and special education teachers,…

African-American women have played a major role in the history of the arts. This history, which is filled with discrimination, is traced for music, dance, drama, and the visual arts. Those who have overcome these obstacles can be effective teachers for future audiences, artists, and decision makers. (SLD)

An examination of 25 art programs funded at least partly by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare funds throughout the United States is presented. Programs were nominated by professional organizations and 25 sites were selected and visited by project members. The document is presented in four chapters. Chapter I discusses some major…