A combination of reading about how Granite Falls Middle School is pushing for STEAM courses (“It’s full STEAM ahead for Granite Falls Middle School,” The Herald, June 9) and the year ending at my high school, Lake Stevens High School, has pushed me to make a plea to teachers in Snohomish County.
The longer I’ve been in high school, the more my classes have seemed to shift. Everything is now about meeting requirements and testing well. Instead of learning how to learn, students are pushed to learn how to test. The standardization of learning is causing students to miss out on a topic that adds depth to our learning: art.
Focus is mainly directed on the “important” topics: math, science, English and history. But who’s to say art isn’t important? Without literature, visual arts and performing arts, how could we ever bring meaning and purpose into the world? Art brings people deeper so that they can see both the big picture and the little details. It teaches symbolism and realism, teaches how to channel emotions. By bringing more artistic elements into education, we can instill a creative approach into the minds of the next generation.
Research shows that our country is hovering at average for science and reading and falling behind average in math. We need a new strategy. We need to approach this stagnant educational growth creatively. We need art. Not just more art education, but an incorporation of artistic approaches into the education we already have. This is up to the teachers. Rather than only teaching art in a single class, we could try using music, visual arts and other activities in core classes. Music could teach math, drawing could teach science. Giving students the freedom to learn creatively will help them on a more personal level.
Not every student is the same. By approaching teaching with new creative approaches, we can better address the individual student. Different types of art can appeal to different learning styles. Music can help auditory learners, dance can help kinesthetic (tactile) learners, and visual learners can be taught through drawing, painting, etc. Teachers, by recognizing what works for your students as individuals, engagement in learning will follow. You would earn my deepest respect if you would please consider mixing up your teaching style for next year.
Mackenzie S.
(Last name withheld by request)
Lake Stevens
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