The Teacher as Social Artist

By Karen Johnson

Social artistry is an approach for developing human potential through intentional practices that "exercise" body, mind, imagination and creativity. The Horace Mann School, Bronx, New York, was introduced to this concept by Dr Jean Houston and Margaret Nash Rubin at a seminar in 2006.

Since then, more than 20 faculty members have been using this approach in HM’s classroom management, curriculum and broader involvement in the school community.  They plan to promote this method in two ways.

The first, Re-Imagining Education: The Teacher as Social Artist, is a personal and professional development conference for school communities—teachers, administrators and school staff to be held on June 12-14, 2014, at the Horace Mann School. The conference will be fun-filled, inspirational, grounded in practice and experientially based. Its aims:

• Provide conceptual tools and introduce capacities and practices that enable staff to sustain their well-being and bring depth and creativity to their work with curriculum, classroom practices and school communities;
• Celebrate teachers and their role in preparing students for meaningful and purposeful lives;
• Affirm the work of school staff in creating a world that works for everyone.

The second initiative is Emerging Leaders as Social Artists designed for young adults aged between 18 and 30. The goal is to introduce them to Social Artistry, and provide training and support so that they can introduce this approach to other young adults. The initial project has three phases:

1. Recruiting young adults to attend the Introduction to Social Artistry and the Train the Trainers program at the end of January 2014 in Colquitt, Georgia.  
2. Forming a young adult curriculum development group to make cultural adaptations to the introduction.
3. Forming young adult training groups to take this program around the country.

The Colquitt Community Development Corporation will subsidize the registration fees for the events in Colquitt. HM will provide lodging, meals and program support for the Curriculum Development Retreat.

If you want to sponsor Re-Imagining Education: The Teacher as Social Artist in your school, district or region, write to socialartistry.ed@horacemann.org . For more information on Emerging Leaders as Social Artists, write to Ginger Sewell at gigisewell.ginger.sewell@gmail.com or Peggy@jeanhoustonfoundation.org.

For an overview of how Social Artistry is incorporated at Horace Mann, go to (http://www.horacemann.org/page.cfm?p=1980). The website also includes a report on last year’s conference at http://www.horacemann.org/page.cfm?p=1178.