The document discusses several issues facing schools including high dropout rates, new teacher retention, and the importance of making students feel respected and that lessons are relevant to their lives. It then outlines benefits of incorporating arts in schools such as promoting self-esteem, active citizenship, higher-order thinking, risk-taking, collaboration, and building student identity and engagement. Strong teachers tap into student strengths and interests to motivate learning. The arts can strengthen learning when schools consider how to implement them effectively.

1. The Third Space The Third Space

3. Schools must make students believe and feel that they are respected and that they belong, that they can learn what they are required to learn, And that the lessons of the school ‘make sense’ within The context of their own lives. Deborah Stipek, et al., Engaging Schools: Fostering High School Students’ Motivation to Learn

4. The arts don’t teach self esteem and confidence; They demand self esteem and confidence. Drama teacher at Hand Middle School, SC.

5. The arts require “active citizenship,” democratic behavior Measured in obligations, duties, and commitment to the common good.

6. Self-efficacy: The belief that one’s actions can make a difference.

7. You feel like you’re doing something amazing and incredible. Student, Central Falls High School, RI

8. ART in schools: Students AND Teachers! A complex, intellectual enterprise A respectful and responsive common language Reflecting, analyzing, making meaning (higher order thinking) “ Flexible purposing” Imagination and innovation Critical thinking Interpretation Discovering different perspectives Connecting old with new ideas… Considering possibilities Solve problems Revision is encouraged Risk free experimentation. Builds trust and safety Empathy and tolerance. Embraces linguistic and cultural diversity Disabilities and behavioral problems are minimized, indeed, embraced Ownership and self directed learning Internal vs external standards “ Hard fun” Student engagement (active participation) supports cognitive development Collaborative Student backgrounds are essential.. Student is essential! Helps build complex identities Community building: even parents! Success in school builds learning. Learning then matters!

9. Powerful teachers are strengths-based and student-centered. They use students’ own experiences, strengths, interests, goals, and dreams as a beginning point for learning, competence, and accomplishment. Thus they tap students’ intrinsic motivation, their existing, innate drive for learning. Bonnie Benard Resilience: What We Have Learned

10. Can you strengthen learning by adding the arts? You know the WHY. Time to consider the HOW!

11. Imagination: To envision things as they might be otherwise. Maxine Greene