The following drawings and written documentation are two forms of representation that when used together develop a dynamic conversation that expands the "thinking" of the artist. This is the work of a graduate student previously enrolled in Level 1: Online.

 

Color key for text:

1. Please read the black first as this is the artist's initial verbal representation of her drawing.

2. The blue marked by "jb:" is a record of my responses to the artist

3. The green text marked "n:" is her response to me, which led her to do some additional drawing.

Representation of the Child, Teacher and Classroom

When I thought of how I could represent these three concepts, I quickly thought of their interrelatedness. I thought of the way children, teachers and the classrooms are connected and the idea of a flowering vine came to mind. I decided to use India ink and a fountain pen to draw as I had never done that before. It was a learning experience to learn how to draw fine lines with a pen and I enjoyed it.

jb: I like the way the vine lets us see the interrelatedness that you explain as significant.

In this graphic, I see the stem of the vine as the teacher. The teacher provides support for the children in an unobtrusive way, not calling attention to herself but adding strength to the children. I saw the children as the leaves and flowers of the vine. The vine carries water from the soil to the leaves. If the vine is damaged, the leaves and flowers might not flourish. The teacher carries something important to the children and if the teacher is overworked or unsupported, the children won't get as much as they might need. I thought of the importance of teachers taking care of themselves in order to be strong and available to children.

jb: It is very interesting how the flowers and leaves become children of diverse natures. It is an important lesson in not categorizing that you incorporate in this image. Imagine how we all "think" of leaves as one general category and flowers as another and yet here you define them as individualized. Nice.

There is no clear separation between the leaves and vine. When I looked at a vine outside my house, I saw no clear line or marker that showed where the leaves began and the vine ended.
When I look at your picture I see lines that do separate the leaves from the vine stem. I understand something in your writing that I don't see in the drawing and I wonder if you can transform your drawing in some way into an image where the separation doesn't exist?

jb: I know it may sound picky to you and it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate your drawing very much, because I do! Instead I am using this a learning experience. OK?
I didn't even realize I did that! I will go back and redraw this. I wonder why I drew lines to separate it.

I see the teacher as also connected strongly to the children with no clear separation between them. The teacher is a co-learner and co-researcher so she is not separate from them in that way. There are differences but also a very important connection in which she is a partner in their learning.

jb: I wonder how you would picture the "process" of co-learning? I think your picture shows the team of co-learners - what do you think when I ask about an image to illustrate the learning process? Is there a way to transform this image to incorporate that idea more fully into it so we can "see" it?

n: (response to jb) I attached an image I drew of “co-learning”. I drew the flowers and leaves cut off the vine, lying separate. Then I drew them all put together on the vine. It symbolizes that we cannot learn in isolation but must be joined together.

The vine has tendrils that come off of it and they help the vine find support by attaching onto fences or trees. I see the teacher as always reaching out for support from colleagues, parents and community members. The teacher is always open to a new connection to strengthen her program.

jb: Again, another transformation could possibly occur? Can you show me how the tendrils attach to supports and "what" the supports are?

n: (response to jb) I have added to the picture to show the tendrils attaching to a fence symbolizing the supports. For me, personally in my program, my supports are my two best friends and colleagues in teaching, the parents in the school, a professor at Michigan State University, a local artist, the director of the MSU Community music school and other program staff. See “support” image.

The children are represented by the flowers and leaves. They are all different. Some leaves are curled over and some are more spiky or straight. Some are more showy, like the flowers. They are all part of the vine and all essential to the health of the plant. Children are all different as well. Leaves receive the sun and cause the photosynthesis which feeds the vine. In the same way, the children are fed by their learning which in turn feeds the teacher as she observes and participates in their learning. The vine would die without leaves. The teacher would be nothing without the food the children give to her through their experiences and learning.

jb: Can you think about describing the photosynthesis process you are describing in words? This is where using symbols can really become a language with verbs that help us to see beyond the "static" image of perceptual understanding.

n: (response to jb) This is a tough one. I see the "photosynthesis" process as the learning process. For the children, they receive nourishment from the richness of materials and the carefully planned environment. They also hear teachers asking open ended questions and guiding their experiences. These nourishments are physically converted in the children's brains to learned knowledge and a disposition towards learning - an interest is cultivated in them and it grows. The teacher is nourished by observing and participating in their learning and it increases her interest in providing more nourishment for them. I drew a new image to go with this – see “Photosynthesis”. I hope this makes sense!

Personally, when I see a child learning and enjoying it, I am renewed in my love for teaching. Today, I sat with a boy at school who had not used pencil and paper at all last year. He has suddenly become interested and it was wonderful sitting with him and reflecting back to him about his drawings. He was drawing trains with sun, clouds, moon and stars above them because the trains traveled all around the world, day and night.

I also thought of the sun and how it helps the vine and its leaves and flowers to grow. It is completely separate from the vine but it is essential to its health. Maybe the community and parents are like the sun. They also offer essential life giving help to the school. They are intimately connected to the life of the school. The sun sometimes is hidden or the clouds cover it. Even though they are not always physically present, the influence of the community and the parents is important.

jb: Again, think of marks as verbs - action images - to visually describe what you are thinking about the sun's influence on the vine.

n: (response to jb) As the sun shines on the vine, it creates a stored food in the plant that the plant draws on for food. This stored food sustains the plant when there are cloudy days. The food is created in the leaves and is used by the whole plant, vine and roots. The plant is reaching up toward the sun’s rays. I added the sun and its rays in the drawing.

The influence of parents and community is similar. Their words of encouragement, their acts of help (weeding the garden, painting the walls) and their physical presence in the school act as food for the school. When times are hard, this "food" has been stored and can be called upon for strength. For example, our school secretary was just laid off and she was the absolute perfect secretary for the job. I have been heartbroken. But today at school, the parents were there and began offering to assume tasks she usually did and some even just assumed parts of her job today. A professor dropped in and her presence reminded me that I was not in this alone.

The classroom is the earth from which the vine grows. The earth must be fertile and watered so the vine can grow. The classroom environment is essential to the growing of children. It must have certain components in order for the teacher (the vine) to grow. Each vine grows best in different conditions. Some vines need more water than others, some need less. Each teacher grows in different conditions. Some need more feedback than others. Some need more materials or financial resources. The vine needs just the right place to grow. If it doesn't get what it needs, it might still grow but it might be stunted or weak. If teachers don't get what they need, they might still be able to work but over time, they might be burnt out or tired.

jb: I really wanna see your "earth" - your classroom!! An idea from my sketchbook practice. When I have an image that I want to add to and I don't have room I just glue it onto another larger drawing surface. As a professional artist I use archival glue so that the drawing will last and, my inclination with archival quality often carries over to my work with children. Just a thought.

n: (response to jb) See the “earth” image. I added the richness of the earth to symbolize the richness of the environment. There are worms aerating the soil, bugs, rocks, and a rabbit in a hole. I added elements of history such as an old key and tin can. The environment has life, history, solid rocks and rich earth.

This is the image to show how photosynthesis works. It shows the sun shining on the leaves to make food which travels down the vine to the roots.

This is the last image in which I show the earth under the vine and all that is under the earth. I added the richness of the earth to symbolize the richness of the environment. There are worms aerating the soil, bugs, rocks, and a rabbit in a hole. I added elements of history such as an old key and tin can. The environment has life, history, solid rocks and rich earth.

response from co-learner in the course:

I love the idea of the environment as a "rich" place with history. We make our classrooms rich by adding materials, and they are also made rich by unseen elements (our conversations, attitudes, beliefs, etc.)

I have never thought about a classroom having a history, but it is so true. The materials, memories, traditions, and customs of the school and classroom all shape the past, present, and future of our environments.

 

Please send your responses to janeb@innovativece.com and I will post them as a continuing part of this dialogue.