Intuitive Pedagogy and Artistic Practice: The Subtleties of Practitioner Voice

• In Event: Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Embracing the Arts Through the Art of Teaching

Abstract

This paper looks critically at the subtle, often silent pedagogical choices that support the artistic learning of young children. Asserting that children’s artistic learning is integrated into daily life (Dewey, 1934), this paper addresses the ways in which the teacher engages in a nuanced process of support and challenge in artistic development. In particular, the narrative data in this study address the quiet, intuitive moves of the teacher, lifting them out of obscurity to illustrate their critical nature. From engaging bodily in play dynamics to remaining silent as small dancers solve creative problems, this paper delves into the everyday moves of critical pedagogy in the early childhood classroom, and the ensuing implications for the artistic development of young children.

Author

• Dana Frantz Bentley, Buckingham, Browne, and Nichols School