EDITOR'S LETTER: SUMMER 2022

The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.
—Anatole France

Curiosity drives Nancy’s travels as she wants to see everything with her own eyes. This shot was taken some time ago at Arches National Park in Utah. Photo by Jonathan Reynolds.

Have you ever noticed how many artists work and live into their nineties? Georgia O’Keeffe (99), Beatrice Wood (105), Michelangelo (89), Louise Nevelson (89), I.M. Pei (102), and Wayne Thiebaud (101), to name a few. I think it is because they remain curious about the world and their work. That curiosity gives them a reason to get up and welcome every day.

Curiosity and art go hand and hand. According to the artist John Andro Avendaño, “You can’t make art without being curious. . . . You have to be curious. About art, life, people. There’s just no way around it.”

Curiosity, the theme of this issue, was suggested by the members of the NAEA Research Commission, who volunteered to contribute relevant articles. Special thanks to Amy Pfeiler-Wunder and Sara Wilson McKay for their many contributions to this issue. SchoolArts is always delighted to discover new authors and ideas.

In This Issue
In “Sparking Curiosity with Young Learners,” Jacquetta Harvey shares many ways to invite and involve young learners through sensory experiences and adapting instruction.

In “The Flipped Classroom,” Alyssa Krepps explains how this pedagogical model driven by physics professor Eric Mazurʼs Peer Instruction model builds student ownership and independence.

Through “Cultivating Inquiry,” middle-school teacher Jennifer Bockerman details how she tasks her students to match unconventional materials with conceptual ideas, driven by their own interests and curiosities.

In “Exploring Oneself through Art Making,” high-school teacher Ben Hoffman describes how he worked alongside students as they used visual journaling to make connections to the world around them.

In “Collaborative Public Art Design,” Michael L. Miller coordinates meaningful public art experiences for youth groups and local residents, involving them in the design process to inspire feelings of pride and ownership in their neighborhoods.

Curiosity took Alice down the rabbit-hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Where will curiosity take you and your students?