art advocacy

There are many ways I will be an advocate for the arts in my future school district and involve my students in the process. One way I will be an advocate is to display student work in public places. Luckily my parents are very involved in my hometown community and I will have access to churches, banks, dentist offices, the orphanage, YMCAs, hospitals, etc. in addition to the school buildings themselves. And even if I didn't have access to these places, I would just have to ask for permission - it doesn't hurt, and makes the business look like they are supporting their community too - a good marketing strategy! My high school photography teacher required every AP Portfolio student to donate/make a piece to be hung in the high school. The only reason it would ever be removed is if it was damaged somehow. This same teacher was also in charge of the Art Club, and something we did that promoted art was to host a dance at the high school for the 6th grade middle schoolers, since only the 7th and 8th graders were allowed to attend middle school dances. They loved the graffiti "club underground" themed decorations and I think the event probably resulted in a lot more of the 6th graders registering for art classes when their freshman year rolled around. Another way I will be an advocate is to start/help with after school and summer art classes for elementary school students, and an Art Club for secondary students. I don't know if my first teaching job will be art or Spanish or both, but either way I want to take students on trips abroad during the summer, winter, or spring breaks. Another way I would be an advocate would be to invite non-art students if I had arranged for a guest speaker to present to my classes/club.
There are risks involved in advocating for the arts by displaying secondary student work of course, especially since students are discovering feelings about controversial topics such as religion, sexuality, war, abortion, gun control, etc. at this age and often want to express these developing views in their pieces. (I don't think this is as much of an issue with elementary school students) I don't really know what I would do if a student wanted to hang something up that was "offensive" because they have the freedom of speech/expression but at the same time I wouldn't want to loose my job if it came down to it. Another risk is student work being vandalized (especially if it is "offensive") if it isn't displayed in a glass case or another inaccessible location. And of course there are risks that come with advocating for the arts by taking students on field trips, especially study abroad trips - safety, etc.
I don't think balancing my need to be an advocate but still "going with the flow" in my future district will be much of an issue my first year of teaching, because realistically I'll probably just be struggling to keep my own head above the water, let alone have much time to advocate. But after that first tough year I think balance can be achieved by keeping in mind to look at things from other peoples' perspectives. A negative situation can be turned into a positive one if you try to learn from another teacher who's theories of teaching do not coincide with your own instead of writing them off completely.

disabilities

The majority of my experiences with people with disabilities took place in elementary school. In 1st grade I had a friend with Spina Bifida. Her back had a large hump on it and the many surgeries she had never fixed it, but they did make her taller. I remember my classmates thinking she was "weird" for eating a cold, uncooked hot dog and drinking strawberry milk every day for lunch in the school cafeteria. She may have been different, but she sure did have a positive attitude, and she was known for her great sense of humor! For her birthday party at her house we swam in the pool and she had to float in an inner tube - I remember being sad that she couldn't swim around freely like the rest of us. For my birthday she got me my very first diary, which I still have. She sparked an interest in writing in me, and I have close to 20 full journals now from when I was growing up. We slowly grew apart. In high school I remember she had to pull an oxygen tank around with her wherever she went. Sadly, she did not live long enough to graduate, but her family thought it was a miracle that she made it that long since doctors thought she was going to die as a baby.

In 5th grade there was a boy in my class who had autism or Asberger's (?) that lived in my neighborhood. One day after school I got off the bus and walked to his house to see if he wanted to come over and play, so he did. He was obsessed with insects so I think we watched A Bug's Life. When I walked him home his mom answered the door and started crying from happiness because no one had ever invited her son over to play before. It made me sad too - I couldn't even count all the times neighborhood kids came over asking to play with my brother and I, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

In high school my boyfriend had ADD and took Adderall or Ritalin for it, which made him a completely different person when he was drugged unfortunately. It made him really quiet, took away his appetite, and made him seem tired and sad. He was just not himself when he took his medicine - no fun.

I don't know if the above experiences changed my perspective on teaching or not, but they definitely make me grateful for each day, and reinforced the lessons my parents taught me about including others, "the more the merrier," and the Golden Rule.