Traditional portraits transform into imaginative compositions inspired by surrealism and contemporary art.

Amanda Tutor

Robert Bresson said, “Make visible what, without you, might never have been seen.” What might have never been seen if you, my dear art teacher, had not made it visible?

Photography was my first love as an artist. Photographs can validate our existence. They convey messages. They tell our stories and show us places, people, moods, and moments. Placing cameras in the hands of children is like giving them a permission slip to choose moments to freeze forever, by their own design. It’s empowering.

I have also observed that photography can bring people together.

How an Idea Was Born
My journey as an art educator began in 2005 in a suburb of Memphis called Bartlett. I served as a middle-school art teacher for eight years, then as an elementary art teacher, and finally made it to high school, where I knew I belonged.

I had a photography club in each of my schools, and when I started out as a high-school art teacher in 2017, I brought the club with me. High-school students flocked to the group, which I intentionally made free and open to everyone. A hundred students showed up, and we had to relocate to the study hall room!

Many of the students who had once been my elementary art students were now in high school, and several enrolled in my classes.

Advocacy in Action
I let student interests lead me, and we went on photo-shoot walks around campus. Students said they wished photography were a class, and a fire ignited in my heart.

Students learned that the best camera is the one you have with you.

What was the best strategy to advocate for this with my principal? Rather than simply telling him it’s what students wanted, I decided to show him by gathering a list of interested students. Armed with ninety-five names, I bravely shared my idea. Based on my enthusiasm, he agreed to give it a try. This was advocacy in action.

The classes were jammed with students. I decided to create “learning experiences” as opposed to traditional lessons. I aligned my instruction with media and visual art standards and quickly realized that the “standards police” werenʼt coming.

Access Over Equipment
My students are not wealthy, and I knew gear and fancy cameras could not be the focus of my program. Most students had smartphones, so I intentionally focused on how to create strong compositions using the devices we already had. Students learned that the best camera is the one you have with you.

Soon, the cafeteria was filled with printed and matted 8 x 10" (20 x 25 cm) student photographs. We went on photo-shoot field trips, participated in contests and exhibitions, and were asked to provide images for a community calendar. These actions may seem like a typical part of the job, but each one was an advocacy opportunity for our students, our program, and our profession.

Giving Back
After a successful first year, students wanted more. We compiled another list, this time of students who were interested in taking Advanced Photography, and our principal agreed.

For the past seven years, I have taught only photography, and the students have been wildly successful. Using mostly smartphone cameras, they have earned 182 Gold Keys in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, including 15 National Medals. Their work has been displayed in our local airport and a local emergency room.

Several students have gone on to become professional photographers, and many return to give presentations to the photography club or serve as jurors in our art exhibitions. By sharing student work and successes with my administrators and the greater community, I continue to advocate for the importance of the arts.

Conclusion
I believe my students’ success comes down to a handful of things. Students regularly see lots of high-quality work in class, both from professional artists and from teens. We frequently reference the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards website as a resource for outstanding student work. If students compared their ideas and abilities only to those of adult professionals, it would be easier for them to give up.

I also share student work on the screen in class using Padlet, a free shared online bulletin board. Students post their images for critiques, contests, and class discussions. In my experience, if students are not seeing high-quality work in your classroom, they are probably not seeing it at all.

Also, if the community asks, we say yes! Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people, because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Most of the opportunities weʼve had require lots of work, but if students can benefit by being published or by earning prizes, scholarships, or recognition, we will do it.

This is the art of advocacy.

Amanda Tutor is an art teacher at Bartlett High School in Memphis, Tennessee. atutor@bartlettschools.org

Advocacy in Focus