Delilah Akers

When teaching about art, one needs to look at their past experiences to see how they can help children get the best motivation possible. Teaching art is not teaching to the book, but to the person; listening to their inner emotions as well and nurturing them. I believe that a teacher should let each student explore a variety of materials at any age so they can experiment and push materials.

The most important aspect is teaching to the "whole" of a person. By this, I mean the teacher needs to be aware of the students and needs to engage or interact with them so they will feel comfortable. I believe that if a teacher does this, they will set an atmosphere in their room that encourages their students to leap boundaries they have set forth in front of themselves.

Art is a way of expressing the self. Without it, no one can truly show who they are. At any age, we all need to be reminded who we are deep down and we need to be able to show that. By having someone who sees this and nurtures the needs of students, the students will feel free to express themselves, feel less self-conscious, and be more comfortable with showing the world who they are inside.