Art Ed Metaphor:

So, as I said in class, this was the first version of the metaphor I came up with:

Art Education is like the human body. Just as there are many various body systems that must continually work together to keep us as humans ticking, there are many different parts of an art classroom that must work together in unison for it to become a place where students can flourish in their artistic endeavors. I have thus linked each major body system to an important facet of what I see to be as the exemplary art classroom. 

The skeletal system represents curriculum. In the human body the skeleton is what supports the rest of the body. In the art classroom, the curriculum should support student learning. A strong curriculum is a necessity.

The Digestive system represents an evolving atmosphere. The art classroom should act like the digestive system in that it should foster continually changing, moving, and evolving ideas within the students.

The Respiratory system represents the freedom to breathe. The art classroom should be a place where students feel like they have room to breathe. It should harvest a relaxed atmosphere so students can openly create without fear of judgment.

The Reproductive system represents inspiration. The art classroom must be a place of inspiration where new ideas are constantly created and cultivated.

The Circulatory system represents Peer Review and critiques. It is important for conversation and ideas to always be “flowing” in an art classroom, and it is up to the teacher to form a classroom atmosphere which will allow for acceptance and appreciation of all the students and their artistic ideas.

The Nervous system represents the teacher in an art classroom. The art teacher should act like the nervous system does in a human body, constantly feeling for what students may need and then sparking all of their students to create to their full potential.