Robert Saunders Teacher Queensland Tips for the Ideal History and Art Class

Countries, people, economy, culture, politics… everything changes over time. But if everything changes, is there a common thread one what we are and have been in the past?

Robert Saunders Teacher The answer is yes. This common thread is the history and the art that is born from those changes. This is what lasts over time, exciting, right?

However, many teachers and parents are fighting a war that is not new: involving the youngest in history and art classes.

It is common to hear students talk about how difficult a history class is. They spend a great deal of time memorizing specific events, dates… Boring, so much so that many don't even try.

Robert Saunders Teacher Queensland The same happens with art classes, in this case only students who naturally have some inclination towards the subject or grew up loving it are those who join the class while the rest tend to ignore it.

A study carried out with more than 2000 people at the University of Oxford indicates that more than 60% are not attracted to reading history books for a class or interpreting a work of art for pleasure.

When these people were asked what they attributed this to, more than 70% answered that it was because of their high school classes and how boring they were.

So the problem is not history or art. The problem is in how the class is given and in the use of a method that does not evolve.

Robert Saunders Teacher What Art and History Classes Are Like Today

In addition to the technique, let's analyze what is given as content of the subject:
* History: dates, specific events, places, thoughts of heroes, and continuity of events
* Art: artist, work, location, artistic movement, historical and technical context.
The content seeks that the student reproduce facts with which they do not identify, so it ends up being unattractive and rigid for many.
So the big problem is the topic presented in an unattractive way and the way to tell it.