How Principals Can Support the Arts and Arts Integration in Schools
There’s no doubt that principals have a big job to do when it comes to running an entire school. Between the teachers and students, there are many programs, services, curriculum, tests, and the like that they oversee. One of the most overlooked areas, though, is arts and arts integration in schools. So the question then becomes, “How can principals support the arts and integration in their school?” Keep reading to find out my top suggestions.
How Principals Can Support the Arts and Arts Integration in Schools
One of the top concerns for principals is having a young staff who doesn’t have much professional development in art instruction, let alone art integration. So figuring out a place to start can be difficult. While our school district has an art teacher in every school, that is not always the norm. However, this doesn’t mean that arts and arts integration does not have to be alive and well in your school.
Be open-minded.
Understanding and navigating arts integration can come with many learning curves, especially when it seems much different than what we are taught about what education looks like. When supporting your school in adopting arts integration, keep an open mind and be willing to learn how education is viewed through this teaching style and method.
Communicate with your teachers.
If you have teachers in the process of adding arts integration in their classrooms, communicate with them and learn what that looks like for them. You can set up meetings for in-depth discussions or just have casual conversations to help you stay in the know of what’s going on and concepts are being taught.
Bring in arts integration professionals.
When incorporating arts integration in your school, don’t hesitate to call in professionals. There are others like myself who are always willing and ready to come in, train teachers, and offer assistance with implementing this strategy. There are a wealth of growing resources in this area just waiting to be tapped into.
Make sure your teachers have the resources and supplies to teach arts integration properly.
This is one area that often gets left in the shadows. While other programs and services are being funded, art is often left off the table. Becauase of this, teachers can be ill-equipped to do the lessons and activities they’d like to do with their students.
Funding supplies doesn’t even have to be all that expensive. In fact, you can most likely get donations of supplies from local businesses and/or state funding. Check to see if there are any grants available for your area.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve decided to make arts integration a part of your school, there are many resources available to help you get started. In addition to the resources I provide, you can use my tips and suggestions mentioned above to start offering new learning experiences for your students.
Click here to listen to my guest podcast episode about how principals can support arts and arts integration in schools.