Reflecting on the Arts

Tonight I had the pleasure of watching my daughter participate in our district's celebration of art, music, and drama, MusArt. She was a second chair flutist, back up vocalist, and stage hand in a gym adorned with the artistic creations of her talented classmates. She made me proud of the way she committed to her roles. The event provides an excellent occasion to reflect on the many benefits of art, music, and drama in our schools. Here is an inadequate list of a few things the arts promote:

-discipline

-intellect

-creativity

-community

-mentoring relationships

-culture

-fun

As an educator and as a parent I'm thankful when I see these values instilled in kids, especially mine. We have plenty of reasons to support art, music, and drama programs, as well as the talented folks that lead them.

Thoughts on Student Travel After Sponsoring a Senior Trip

This spring I had the good fortune to accompany a fantastic group of students on their senior class trip. If my high school ever sponsored senior trips, they did away with the practice long before I collected my diploma. As a relative newcomer to the district the concept of the class trip intrigued me, and when I was asked to consider sponsoring the class an adventurous spirit led me to agree. What an adventure it was!

The fundraising alone was an adventure, but I saw so many lessons being learned, watching the students plan, prioritize, problem solve, and cooperate their way through a year's worth of athletic concessions and sales drives. Real leadership was developed and real world skills were polished. What do you do when your concession stand runs out of quarters during half time? How do you go about telling your sponsor that he burned off most of one eyebrow in a grease fire, grilling hamburgers?

Finally the trip arrived. We spent five nights in Florida and the kids had so many experiences. They navigated airports and public transportation.  They heard families communicate with each other in foreign languages and watched a NASA rocket launch. They visited theme parks and the beach. They rented a surf board.  Some of the students had more experience traveling than others, but there were many firsts on the trip. It was a great trip, and the kids represented their school, community, and families in outstanding fashion.

With so many demands competing for time and resources, it's understandable that many schools have done away with class trips. But there are many reasons why it's worth it for schools to provide students the opportunity to travel outside their communities.  Schools have the ability to provide travel opportunities that are safe, educational, and equitable.

I don't know when, or if, I'll get another chance to lead a student trip, but I'm glad I took advantage of this one.  It was a treat to watch the students explore, make memories, and learn in the midst of a new experience: all marks of authentic education.