Processing Difficult Emotions
We, as a society, may not be adequately preparing all of our students with the resources needed to deal with difficult emotions. Which self-regulation and de-escalation techniques do you teach your students?
I started this "Peace Zentangle" project last week after the tragedy in a Parkland, Florida high school as a way to allow my students the opportunity to deal with their feelings. Did you know that students currently receiving special services because of identification as having an Emotional/ Behavior Disorder make up less than 8.2% of students (Bradley, Henderson, 2004) in grades K—12 and yet the number of psychiatric disorders in children is rising (Smith & Rutter, 1995)?
In the book Art as Therapy by Alain de Botton & John Armstrong (2013) philosopher de Botton says that art creates an avenue for empathy towards others and gives us a pathway to understanding our own emotions.
Do you give your students that opportunity? Why is art universally calming for so many people? Are there any psycho-social benefits to what we can teach in our classrooms as art teachers to encourage expression without stigmatizing individuals?
In the book Art as Therapy, authors Botton & John Armstrong (2013) describe art’s most intimate purpose is to negotiate our perceived deficiencies and mollify our anxieties about imperfection. They describe seven therapeutic functions of art as remembering, hope, sorrow, rebalancing, self-understanding, growth, and appreciation. As I think of my students, I could see how these aspects become essential to their emotional well-being, especially hope, self-understanding, growth and appreciation.
Embracing Hope
Art critics view “pretty” pictures as delusion or lack of intelligence, images that ignore the harsh realities of life. Images that are aesthetically enjoyable (like flowers, children in the spring, rainbows, and refreshing lakes, etc.) are so because they serve as visual metaphors for hope. Many teachers shy away from students creating these types of images because they don’t align with curriculum, can't seem to check off a standard with them, or aren’t seem as “serious” art. I caution this type of thinking. I want to give my students a chance to create any images they want at certain times.
I try to remember that creating and appreciating these images does not mean complacency towards the problems of our world, nor is it apathy towards the content that I am teaching. As De Botton argues, humanity’s greatest risk is falling into despair when confronted with the realities of life. Artistic optimism, on the contrary, is the embodiment of our brain’s coping mechanism to live well- a critical cognitive and psycho/emotional skill that neuroscience confirms, and that should be honored, not criticized. I try to afford my students these opportunities.
“Cheerfulness is an achievement, and hope is something to celebrate. If optimism is important, it’s because many outcomes are determined by how much of it we bring to the task. It is an important ingredient of success." (De Botton, p. 16)
With this post I gently urge teachers to view your students through the "trauma-informed lens" and give students the opportunity to create these seemingly “mindless” drawings of rainbows and patterns because in many cases our students carry with them so much emotional baggage that we cannot begin to comprehend. I ask you to really consider who REALLY cares if the circle sun IS always in the top corner? Adult aesthetics should not always be the desired end. Refrain from the negative comments that question a child’s decision-making and allow students the opportunity to share with you their desired view of the world- one that embodies a hope for a better tomorrow.
