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Entering a Child's World: Narrative Pedagogy in Early Childhood Art Education
Drawing inspiration from the mobiles of artist Alexander Calder, Pamela Krakowski explores the challenges of balancing her normative and narrative pedagogical aims. As Dr. Krakowski recounts, "When I first began thinking about normative and narrative pedagogies, I bordered on presenting a false dichotomy between the two. Over time, however, I began to see a dynamic tension between them, because I value both the narrative and the normative. What my students have to say is important, and I have a body of knowledge, skills, and concepts that I believe are important for them to learn." Throughout the book, Dr. Krakowski explores narrative sensibilities that allow her to listen to her students' thoughts, feelings, interests, and concerns. With curiosity, caring, and respect, she is able to enter the children's worlds of imagination and play, interweaving lessons of art and art-making into what matters most to her young students.
The book explores teaching art in both the classroom and museum setting and in a year-long collaboration with a science teacher.
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The book explores teaching art in both the classroom and museum setting and in a year-long collaboration with a science teacher.
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196 pages, Paperback
Published December 31, 2022
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January 10, 2025
As someone who had the great honor and privilege of working with and learning from Pam, I am probably biased.
Nonetheless, this is a masterful reflection of the “intangibles” of pedagogy and practice that often get glossed over—or actively discounted—in teacher education and policy discussion. Pam’s beautiful use of Calder’s mobiles as a metaphor for how to balance the tensions and contradictory forces within the realm of teaching and its ever-changing contexts is genius and speaks to the heart of her own practice and her own sensibilities that she’s cultivated over time—things that can’t be taught as a how-to guide, or through classes, quizzes, and assignments alone.
Even if you’re not an art teacher, per se, I highly recommend that you read this text. Especially if you work with young children! Pam’s insights reveal the relational nature of our profession, and her writing reminds us how we ourselves must be humans first, and how we must invite humanity to our classroom spaces every day—the good, the bad, and the ugly, and everything in between (even crawling around on the floor like kittens!). Only then can learning and life flow forth and carry forward for both children and the adults who care for them.
Nonetheless, this is a masterful reflection of the “intangibles” of pedagogy and practice that often get glossed over—or actively discounted—in teacher education and policy discussion. Pam’s beautiful use of Calder’s mobiles as a metaphor for how to balance the tensions and contradictory forces within the realm of teaching and its ever-changing contexts is genius and speaks to the heart of her own practice and her own sensibilities that she’s cultivated over time—things that can’t be taught as a how-to guide, or through classes, quizzes, and assignments alone.
Even if you’re not an art teacher, per se, I highly recommend that you read this text. Especially if you work with young children! Pam’s insights reveal the relational nature of our profession, and her writing reminds us how we ourselves must be humans first, and how we must invite humanity to our classroom spaces every day—the good, the bad, and the ugly, and everything in between (even crawling around on the floor like kittens!). Only then can learning and life flow forth and carry forward for both children and the adults who care for them.
Displaying 1 of 1 review