Pedagogies against the state

I have been reading chapters 1 & 7 from Dennis Atkinson’s book ‘Art, Equality and Learning: Pedagogies Against the State’ (2011) and reflecting on the extent to which my intellectual and professional frameworks have expanded in recent times and especially since I began the Artist Teacher programme.

Similar to Danny Murphy (Atkinson, 2011, p. 126), I feel I have begun a process of continual ‘unfolding’ of my understanding and identity as both an artist and a teacher through participation in the artist teacher scheme. I have gained the confidence and freedom to pick up and develop my own art practice again, the requirement for this necessitating that neither excuses nor obligations get in the way. The focus on contemporary art practice has opened up my thoughts about the nature and function of art and loosened my grip on the traditional view of art that is so often perpetuated through the school system. It has given me the confidence, knowledge base, enthusiasm and incentive to explore different pedagogies and approaches through my practice in the classroom.

“Teaching (learning), art practice and their respective objects are never fully known, they are always incomplete and open to change and renewal” (p. 119) and “pedagogy itself must pass beyond assimilated knowledge and practice in order to open up new pedagogies and new learning communities” (p. 15). In particular, I feel my understanding of learning within the arts has been expanded to encompass thinking or artwork which is outwith my current framework of knowledge and cultural norms. Rather then dismiss or be afraid of these I am beginning to use them as opportunities to widen my horizons and make way for new learning that develops my understanding and practice, and allows me to “appreciate a variety of ways of interpreting and responding” (pp. 2-3). Also, my understanding of the actual nature of learning has changed in that I appreciate more fully the fact that real learning requires a move forward or “changed ontological state” (pp. 5-6) in some way.

The result of these expansions in my understanding has directly impacted my practice in that I am looking for ways to foster and support these processes and types of learning in the classroom. As such I am encouraging a “space of potential” (p. 14) by placing increased importance on exploration and allowing pupils more freedom to try things out with the understanding that there is no one right answer. Rather, I am actively seeking to anticipate unpredictability and build on points of discovery in the learning process which will lead the next steps of that process.

Atkinson, D., 2011. Art, Equality and Learning: Pedagogies against the State. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.