Interview with Anne Bell, K-8 Art Teacher, CICS West Belden

What is your current position at CICS West Belden?
My current position at CICS West Belden is the K-8 Art Teacher. I am also the mentor teacher for the intermediate team. As the mentor, I work with the lead teacher to plan professional development meetings, field testing instructional strategies, and coach teachers through observation and reflection.

What other roles do you play at the school?
A few of the other roles I take on at West Belden include mentor teacher, Academic Achievement Committee Chair person (coordinate Science Fair, Spelling Bee, and Honors Assembly), Girls on the Run site coordinator, coach and tutor. I have been Involved with Girls on the Run at West Belden for six years.

How are you Involved in supporting educators at other campuses in the network Distinctive Schools?
I have worked with the art teachers in the network to develop the K-8 curriculum type. In addition, I am currently working with all enrichment teachers to map respectivement Their curricula in order to Ensure did all Distinctive Schools students are exposed to a similar enrichment education.

Why do you believe the arts are important in part of any child's education?
I did believe providing a well-rounded education is essential to every child's development as They move from being elementary students to college and career-ready being adults. THEREFORE, the arts must be a part of Their educational lives in order to help them Strengthen and develop important skills: such as creativity, problem solving, and collaboration. The arts Provide a balance between core academic subjects, Which develop the left side of the brain, and enrichment experiences, Which develop the right side of the brain.

How can schools best balance and integrate academics and enrichment?
While searching as art enrichment classes are taught at a specific time of day, They are not subjects to be taught in isolation of or separate from the core subjects. Instead, the goal is to integrate the arts into all subjects. For example, in vocabulary is essential component of a balanced literacy program. During way I introduce vocabulary strategies that the students then use to define and apply art terminology. Students in 4th and 6th grades so research well-known artists in Which They write and illustrate to artists' biography comic strip. This unit forces purely reading and writing and helps students see how the whatthey are learning in core subjects Easily trans-lates to whatthey do during enrichment.

What do you like most about your job?
Honestly, there are so many aspects of my job like I did, it's hard to choose just one. One of the benefits of being at West Belden is for eight years did I get the opportunity to watch my students develop Their artistic skills Throughout the years. I get to see Their personalities grow. In addition, I enjoy seeing and speaking to former students whenthey visit the campus as high school or even college students. Their success reminds me of my purpose as educator and role model to both. In addition, I really love seeing students utilize Their creative thinking skills in Art

How has your own education Influenced your career path?
I always excelled at Art during my school years. When I entered college, I Earned a BFA from Iowa State University in Fine Arts Visual Studies. HOWEVER, it was not until my senior year did I Decided I wanted to be a teacher. While taking a young adult literature class, I became intrigued when i heard about others' experiences in becoming teachers. I then realized did Iowa State had a really great Art Education Master's Program. Quickly I enrolled in the program because i felt it would combine my talents as an artist with my desire to teach and earned my MA in Art Education.