"Love" by Robert Indiana is one of the most famous pieces in the entire Newfields Art Museum. The place where countless tourists come to take a picture.
Although I have seen this structure in countless social media posts, I was in awe when I saw it in person. Immediately, with the educator mindset we were all in, I thought of my future students. My all-time favorite quote is from Saint Theodore Guerin, "love the children first, then teach them." My future classroom will be built upon this foundation. In all that I do, my main goal will be to love my students first, and then teach them. When I saw this structure for the first time in person, I felt overwhelmed with excitement. An excitement that lies in the fact that soon enough, I will be able to love on my own students, and to have a classroom that exemplifies this mindset. |
"Love the children first, then teach them" - Saint Theodore Guerin
These large structures hang down from the ceiling as soon as you walk into Newfields. Immediately, they stuck out by their movement. These flower-like structures not only have light in the center but they are in constant motion, going by the name of an interactive "Meadow." There are 18 mechanical blossoms that will open and close when they sense movement, or visitors beneath them.
Upon first glance, these structures seem like ordinary pieces of art. However, in connection to education, I saw them as a representation of my future students and their individual paths of learning. The meadows' different colors and differently-timed movements reminded me of a diverse set of students. I further related this to the learning that will take place in my future classroom. All of my students will and should be learning at their own pace. Similar to how these structures sort of "blossom" on their own time, all at different times. Learning is similar to this, interactive yet unpredictable. Each of these structures has a light inside of them, similar to how every student will have a unique spark to them. Very rarely, you can see the meadow at full bloom, all 18 structures stretching out to their most beautiful state, shining their light. I cannot wait to see all of my students at "full bloom" by the end of the given school year, filled with more knowledge than what they started with and letting their light shine. |
This colorful painting consumes the entirety of the wall behind the "Love" structure. Although it is used as almost a background scene, it holds so much more meaning than that.
I saw all the multitude of different colors and shapes to be inspiring. Once again, while in the mindset of a future educator, I envisioned this wall to be filled with my future students. All with different shapes, sizes, color and backgrounds but put together as one to make a beautiful work of art. That is how I dream of my future classroom to be: diverse yet woven together through a love of learning. I know that I will have students coming from all different backgrounds, with different learning styles and different hopes and dreams for their future. My goal as a teacher is to love and teach each and every student that I have with my whole being. I imagine my classroom to be similar to this wall, so diverse yet so beautiful. |