Hello! My name is Katie O’Brien and I am currently in my last semester of the Art Ed graduate program at CCNY. Alongside writing my thesis, I am teaching at an elementary charter school in Harlem, New York. This is my second year teaching and this entire school year, 2020-2021, has been virtual teaching. Prior to teaching, I studied photography and printmaking in Boston. After graduating art school, I shifted gears and worked in retail for almost ten years with a focus on technology and operations.
Although I stayed with the same company throughout my ten years in retail, I had worked in two locations, Boston and New York. As you’d imagine, being somewhere for that long for that many hours a week, you become immersed in the culture. The culture at this company valued people, soft skills, and autonomy over prior technical knowledge. When I first took the job, I wasn’t aware of how the skills I acquired at art school would support me in this role. I attribute my growth within the company to my ability to receive feedback, make changes, and remain flexible. All of those skills were things that I developed while creating art and working with others.
When I began teaching, I noticed that some students excelled when they came across a challenge and some shut down. This led to my interest in understanding the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. I believe that if educators better understand how to teach students to have a growth mindset, students will excel in whichever path they choose later in life. They will be able accept change, reflect on their practices, and work with others. Every student can benefit from thinking like an artist even if they do not plan to work in the arts.
Throughout virtual learning, certain students have continued to make art and expand their skills. I am curious what they believe motivates them to continue to create art despite the circumstances. After sending out a general survey to the third and fourth grade students, I selected six students to interview individually. In the pilot study, these students self identified that they create art almost every day and work through challenges rather than give up when things get difficult.
The questions that I asked the students during the interviews were created with a focus around the categories that psychologist Carol Dweck identified in her study about mindset. I am still analyzing the data from these interviews but some patterns have already become apparent. Such as access to technology, support from siblings, and desire to make changes to previous artworks.
I am hopeful that this research will help educators better understand how to create a learning environment that values process and growth mindset. Specifically advocating to keep the arts, even during hard times like virtual learning, in order to emphasize the value of process and not just grades and product. Thank you for reading! Please swing by this site to see some student artwork.
