My Year as an Arts Ed Student

Today's blog post will discuss my thoughts on the Arts Education program here at the University of Regina.

I am no longer an Arts Ed student, but I would like to say that the past year has shown me so much about creativity and myself. Last semester, I took Theatre 100, Music 100, Art 100, English 100 and ECS 100. I got a taste of what it was like to be a teacher in the classroom through my ECS field work. It was an amazing experience to work with children all throughout elementary, from pre-K to grade 8. It made me realize that no matter what I did, I still wanted to work with children.

The arts-related classes I took showed me who I was as an artist and where I fit in the arts world. As much as I love the arts, I also realized it wasn't for me. I learned a lot, especially in Music 100, Art 100, and Aesthetics 201. It was an experience I don't regret one bit, but rather thank for pointing me in another direction and giving me insight on what it is like to be an arts teacher. It opened my eyes to the amount of creativity and spontaneity required. Being a dancer, and a perfectionist, I found this difficult to achieve at times but it changed my view on the end product and the process. I now respect the process more and take my time on art projects rather than expect a perfect end product.

I have taught dance before to children between the ages of 3-14, but as I learned and discovered more about myself, teaching requires so much more than just showing steps and keeping the children entertained. Although I am very passionate about dance and teaching, I found I just didn't fit in with the Arts Ed curriculum.

However, despite my switch, I definately respect what the University of Regina has to offer for art teachers. This is a one-of-a-kind program meant to educate future educators of every art discipline and become effective advocates of the arts. I recommend it to any artist. It really is a brilliant program and you have the opportunity to earn two degrees- a Bachelor of Education degree AND a Bachelor of Arts degree.

This past year has been, simply put, amazing. I don't regret having my first year done through Arts Education. It definately showed me things I'll take with me into the future, even if I am not going to become a dance teacher.