For preservice teachers, the idea of advocacy can be terrifying. You are beginning your career at a time when the arts often feel undervalued and underrepresented. I am here to let you know you are not alone. Finding your voice and speaking up for yourself, your students, and art education is a process that often takes slow, small steps. We all possess the skills and capabilities to be an advocate for the arts, and understanding that is necessary both in preservice and active teaching.
Art teachers advocate for their programs, their students, and themselves. Young students foster positivity and intergenerational connection through mandala displays, elementary students collaborate with a local artist to problem-solve and construct papier-mâché houses, middle-school students create illustrated dictionary pages to share with the community, high-school photography club students use their voices to advocate for a full class, and more.
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