Commencement Address
Tufts University
I was voted by my classmates to speak at the Tufts University Education Department's commencement this year on May 19, 2013. The following is the text from the speech I gave, reflecting on Art Education:
This year has been a testament to the power of the arts in education. I have seen that as art educators we are not only teaching art in the classroom. Critical inquiry and the search for deeper meaning are at the center of what we teach as art educators and are applicable to any situation. Cultivating visual literacy so that students deconstruct what they see and understand what is around them also engages students in important discussions in our classrooms. We help students recognize their interests and their strengths, giving them the tools to go forward in the world to make an impact.
As we teach our students, hoping to make an impact on them, they often make an impact on us. During difficult times our students propel us forward. They renew our energy as their eyes light up with excitement because we awake their creativity and show them what they are capable of. Overcoming the “I can’t do it” attitude is a great triumph for both the student and teacher.
As educators we have the unique advantage to at once be a catalyst and an agent for change. We all have the power to make an impact. Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." I believe that as art educators we are empowering our students artistically and intellectually to make an impact; preparing students to engage as confident and informed citizens who are capable of making change through art and otherwise.
I congratulate all of you and ask you to remember as we go out into the world that we are not only educators, but sources of inspiration and encouragement, mentors and role models dedicated to progress, impact and positive change.
Thank you.
Irene Haji-Georgi, M.A.T
© 2013 Copyright, all rights reserved.
This year has been a testament to the power of the arts in education. I have seen that as art educators we are not only teaching art in the classroom. Critical inquiry and the search for deeper meaning are at the center of what we teach as art educators and are applicable to any situation. Cultivating visual literacy so that students deconstruct what they see and understand what is around them also engages students in important discussions in our classrooms. We help students recognize their interests and their strengths, giving them the tools to go forward in the world to make an impact.
As we teach our students, hoping to make an impact on them, they often make an impact on us. During difficult times our students propel us forward. They renew our energy as their eyes light up with excitement because we awake their creativity and show them what they are capable of. Overcoming the “I can’t do it” attitude is a great triumph for both the student and teacher.
As educators we have the unique advantage to at once be a catalyst and an agent for change. We all have the power to make an impact. Jackie Robinson once said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." I believe that as art educators we are empowering our students artistically and intellectually to make an impact; preparing students to engage as confident and informed citizens who are capable of making change through art and otherwise.
I congratulate all of you and ask you to remember as we go out into the world that we are not only educators, but sources of inspiration and encouragement, mentors and role models dedicated to progress, impact and positive change.
Thank you.
Irene Haji-Georgi, M.A.T
© 2013 Copyright, all rights reserved.