Jaclyn Gallegos

Art 133
10/6/2016
Unit Paper 3

It is said that the most vulnerable students are those from low income, low quality
education, and poverty stricken communities. It is up to all educators to care for these students.
According to Laurie A. Eldridge, Caring teachers employ reflective listening skills, such as the
listener paraphrasing what the speaker says, perception-checking, in which the listener states
what the speaker is feeling, and non-judgmental or non-prescriptive listening, in which the
listener responds not by prescribing advice but by helping students problem-solve. (2012, p.35)
VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) is a perfect opportunity for teachers to show that they value
students opinions and support and acknowledge them. However, for some students who come
from these kinds of communities, it may be hard to speak up and express their opinion. This puts
them in a vulnerable position, by putting themselves out there and expressing their opinion, they
may feel like they will be rejected as they may have been in their own homes or neighborhoods.
There will be no engagement or aesthetic learning in any classroom until students are convinced
that teachers sincerely care for them and value their opinions.
In my future classroom, I really want to use VTS in as many subjects as I can. I feel like
this strategy is an excellent opportunity for my students to speak their minds without judgement.
I would specifically like to use VTS in a history lesson. If Im teaching a unit on slavery, I can
show a typical day in the life. There are so many visuals that they can look at, use what they have
learned, and show me how they understand things. According to the Art 133 course pack, Visual
Thinking Strategies, Understanding the Basics, In any case, the VTS process allows students to
find the interpretations that mean the most to them, thus encouraging further learning. (2016,
p.67) I want my students to find meaning in their learning and by doing VTS I feel like its
possible.
References

Jaclyn Gallegos
Art 133
10/6/2016
Unit Paper 3

Eldridge, L. A. (2016). The Ethic of Caring Holistically for Art Students: Esmeralda's
Boutique. In
A. Ward (Comp.), Art 133 Elementary School Art Education (pp. 31-42). Xanu.
(Original work published 2012)

Visual Thinking Strategies: Understanding the Basics. (2016). In A. Ward (Comp.), Art
133 Elementary
School Art Education (pp. 63-72). Xanu. (Original work published 2016)