This is a combination love and appreciation letter to all of the Teaching Artists that I have had the pleasure to know and work with. I have been a teaching artist for all of my adult life. Some of the finest people and greatest friends who have had the greatest influence of my life share this profession. In light of the fact that many organizations that hire us out rarely give any praise , it is imperative that we celebrate ourselves and the multitude of people who have benefited from us sharing our craft.
For those who are unclear about the definition of a great teaching artist I define the artist as a person who is a qualified professional in an artistic endeavor who utilizes that skill to teach understanding of a topic(s) . Examples include a playwright using monologues to teach A.I.D.S prevention, an actor doing role plays with a group of teens to teach conflict resolution,, a storyteller helping children to create and act out their own fables, or muralist painting a wall with handicapped children in an institution. One of the many differences between an actual subject teacher at a school is that the Teaching artist also exits as an artist. Another difference is the amount and variety of settings in which a T.A 's work takes place. I have seen more jails, schools, mental institutions , group homes, hospitals, homeless shelters, and even bombed out theatres in war zones than even the clients or residents of these facilities. I do this challenging work with the joy and satisfaction that comes with seeing that lives have been touched and in some cases transformed.
Although the lack of health insurance, organisational respect, territorial or lackadasial school teachers and incompetent administrations, treks through snowstorms in shady neighborhoods, problems with the I.R.S , seeing some of the worse of the human condition , and constant quibbling over fees can wear out a teaching artist. The good however still far outweighs the bad. I have seen so much positive change come out of brief encounters. My ability to act, write and teach have allowed me to guide people to worlds of information far larger than my talents.
