The Role of the School Principal in the Development of a Strong Arts Program

The Role of the School Principal in the Development of a Strong Arts Program

The lessons the arts teach may be subtle, but have great importance. Gardner (1991b) discussed how an educational focus on the basic skills may do a disservice to students. Skills that may be learned through arts lessons are perseverance, ways to communicate that do not involve words, ways to relate to the world around them, self-evaluation, problem solving, and how to look at things from multiple perspectives, as noted by Eisner (2002a). Many of these skills overlap each other and students use them together to create a work of art. The arts can provide hands-on, constructive learning experiences that consistently get students to use the higher-level thinking skills for which educators strive.