BLACK SUN - A BEAUTIFUL THOUGHT

It was the beginning of my career as a Visual Art Teacher. I was conducting an art class in Grade V. I asked children to draw a scenery by their imagination.

One child named Ameya was completely engrossed in drawing scenery. I was excited to see his work. As I went close by, to my surprise, he had coloured a daytime scenery beautifully in which he had shown a 'Black Sun'.

I was insisting him to give a red or orange colour to the Sun. Though I knew that as a teacher I should give freedom to children to put their thoughts on the paper.

That particular week children's work was going to be observed by the authority of the school. It was the beginning of my career, so I wanted to show my best performance.

I asked Ameya to draw the scenery again and give red or orange colour to the Sun. Then he replied to me very politely that he had drawn a scenery where the sunset was on the other side of the hills and he had shown the backside of the Sun whose head is covered with dark black hair.

I was astonished to hear his reply and I realized that children have a beautiful imagination. We have to give them the freedom to express their thoughts.

It was a lifetime message to me from a learner who was just 10 years old.
I remembered a quote written by author Stephen Covey

“Every human has four endowments- self-awareness, conscience, independent will and creative imagination. These give us the ultimate human freedom… The power to choose, to respond, to change”                                                                 

My Teaching Philosophy as Visual Art Teacher

I believed that education is a necessity and vital to the development of an individual.

While teaching “ Visual Art “subject, I always feel  that I am teaching a language of communication, which is  equally strong  to any other language. It helps students to creatively express their thoughts and feeling through the language of art.

Each student is different, The art of colours helps every thought of each student to be expressed in a right way which in turn, helps them grow mentally and emotionally. It also reduces mental strain and refreshes their experience altogether.

Teacher introduces various techniques / skills, which helps them to understand this subject. Teachers should allow students to think independently so as to strengthen their mental abilities than to be dependent on the teacher. My teaching methods help students to become an independent creative thinker.They are able to use their own observations, skills and knowledge to make their own masterpiece.

As a visual art teacher , I don't expect each and every student to become an artist but I definitely make them view art from different perspectives. I want to take them nearer to the nature and made their world blissful.

Their enhanced observation skills and creative thinking will definitely help them in their higher education.

I am playing a role of a facilitator,friend and guide in their classroom. My  classroom is always a place of experiments and research.

It is also important to discuss with the students about life skills. Teachers are responsible to create a potential future generation with overall development.

Teacher are like bridges over which they invite their students to cross ; then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encourage them to create their own.

Ms Vaishali  Jamkhedkar