As a class assignment we were encouraged to find 1 inch of beauty and bring it to class. My object came immediately to mind when we were given the assignment. My great great grandmother's engagement ring is one of a kind and over 120 years old. My great grandma, the daughter of my great great grandma, passed it down to me as a Christmas gift about 6 years ago. I wear it frequently because it is so precious to me and I love sharing its beauty with people.
When everyone arrived to class, we were instructed to bring our object to the front table to share with the class. As we all placed our valuable items on the table there was a certain silence that took over the room. It was as if we were all being vulnerable and brave as we placed our item on the table. Everyone gathered around the table and stared at the objects. Was my object beautiful in the eyes of others, I wondered. Then, we began to discuss our objects: what it is, what it means to us, and the story behind it. My classmates were sharing some of the most brilliant stories. At one point I think we were all in tears. I didn't share about my object but I know that all of my peers and I had great attachment and love for our objects. Something so small, just 1 inch, can mean so much to a person. Beauty is relevant and beauty is about how it makes you feel. I looked at the objects in front of me and once I heard their stories their beauty began to shine. As teachers, we are conditioned to believe that every task needs to have an ultimate clear objective but in art the line becomes blurred. Students need to be creative to understand all areas we teach in whether that be science, social studies, reading, etc... and in a world where everything we do serves a purpose we need to be making sure we give students a chance to connect with their inner self and be creative. Art is a great way to do that and integrating the arts is a lot simpler than you think. Check out my blog about integrating the arts that's coming in the near future. In the meanwhile, I encourage you to watch this short video called Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder (click here). We all see things differently. We even see ourselves differently from how others see us.
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