Holding on to joy
Last week Julie and I, along with Teaching Artist Nora Montañez, spent three days in community with 20 Special Education and arts educators from Minnesota schools. We were invited by the MN Department of Education to facilitate Upstream Arts’ training series, The Art of Instruction: Accessibility, Inclusion, and Community in the Arts Classroom. We spent our time together reflecting on what we need as educators to be comfortable, to be our best selves as teachers. We investigated what it means to create a sensory-friendly classroom where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and valued. We explored Upstream Arts curriculum activities as a way to discover new ways to connect with our students through an intentional practice of creativity and curiosity. Finally, we delved into how to use a daily practice of consent as a way to enhance a student’s autonomy and self-determination in their own learning.
I left inspired by the educators’ dedication to learning and desire to provide the best for their students. I was also struck by the struggles they expressed in our discussions; a lack of resources and time; not enough support from their schools and districts; under-trained support staff in our Special Education classrooms. Too often in our education system, we sense an uphill journey for our classroom teachers.
The work of Upstream Arts counteracts these realities by bringing play and joy into the equation. Play is not often considered serious work, but in reality it’s where we do our best learning. When we engage in creativity and play we open up our senses to new ideas, new patterns, and new solutions. Even small, brief moments of play create a feeling of joy and connection that linger throughout the day.
At the end of the three days of building community with these educators, the feeling in the room was full of creativity and lightness. We all left with a roadmap to joy, to hope, and to truly inclusive and accessible classroom communities.
If you would like ideas to create small moments of joy through play, check out this link to Upstream Arts’ Studio Access video library.
If you are seeking to authentically invite, engage, and include the disability community in your classrooms, programming, and organizational culture, our professional development opportunities offer a framework for building connections, community, and relationships that move beyond traditional attitudes and ideas about accessibility. More information can be found HERE on our website if you’d like to bring us in for training with your school, your organization, or your community organization. We’d love to work with you!
