Feature Stories
Steps to Professional Development
By Mary Highfill Miller
2008 NAEA Middle Level Art Educator of the Year
Art Educator
Coopersville Middle School
Coopersville, Michigan
In art education, it is essential to continually participate in professional development opportunities that relate to our field. In most school districts across the nation, required professional development days almost never relate directly to what really matters to the "whole child." Most districts run professional development opportunities that are focused on "teaching to the test" in the "core" subjects. In addition, professional development funds for opportunities outside of the district have been cut significantly. Many districts do provide quality professional development opportunities, but rarely do they include the arts. Therefore we as art educators need to be creative in order to participate in opportunities that are more relevant to our field.
The first step to professional development in art education is to become a member of both your state art organization as well as the National Art Education Association (NAEA). Networking is vital to professional development, and these organizations can provide phenomenal networking opportunities. They also host conferences, and in most states, summer professional development opportunities are also available. Visit the Web site of NAEA at: http://www.naea-reston.org for a list of the benefits of membership, as well as links to state organization Web sites.
The second step to your own professional development goes beyond membership in an art organization-volunteering within your organization to help in any capacity. This could be simply helping to hang a regional or state exhibition, or presenting your best practice as a workshop at a conference, or even becoming a member of the board of the organization. The more involved you become, the more you will grow professionally.
The third step is to seek out professional development opportunities, whether your school supports you financially or with release time, or not. It is well worth the investment of your time, money, and effort to use personal days, pay for your own substitute, etc. in order to participate in art conferences. If there are no opportunities in your area, create them! We all know that the best way to learn is to teach, so start some workshops through a local art museum or library, or in your own school district. The best way to advocate for the arts and interdisciplinary connections is to offer workshops within your school district for colleagues and administrators in the "core" subjects.
In addition to participating in formal professional development opportunities, we need to be practicing artists in order to continue to grow professionally. There seems to not be enough hours in the day to fit everything we have to do, but it is essential to keep that creative spark within ourselves if we are going to be the best art educators that we can be. Whether you are taking classes for a degree or just for fun, or working in your own studio, or even working in your classroom, it is crucial to find time to create.
Membership in state and national art education associations, becoming more involved in these organizations, sharing your knowledge with other educators, and making time to be a practicing artist are all essential in order to grow professionally.