Art Education in Contemporary Classrooms

'We can note in the literature claims that art will increase creativity, enhance personality development, improve school attendance, enhance reading skills, and stimulate the right side of the brain". This chapter points to the importance of the aspects of art making, art criticism, reading and writing about art, art context and the questioning of art in the elementary art program. To have a program of this scope and richness it requires sufficient time, supplies, expertise by the teacher and cooperation of all aspects of the school community. This kind of program gives students the ability and outlet for higher thinking. It takes them out of memorization, recitation and regurgitation mode. This chapter urges to include aspects of art that show observation as well as imagination, symbolic representation and emotional expression, emphasis on building artistic literacy and knowledge of many forms of artistic representation, understanding how the different artists were motivated to create what they did, and understand that art encompasses many different forms and expressions. Some challenges that teachers may come across in their classroom include different levels of learners in one classroom, the skills of her teaching, and mainstreaming of students. Using techniques like the organizational efficiency of the classroom, clarity of teaching materials, having experts in the arts help in the classroom, and diversifying art projects from their stereotypical holiday crafts. It seems that sensitivity is the common thread that runs through the many problems schools encounter with art programs. Having art programs in schools as a core subject is crucial to the development and satisfaction of students in their learning.