Kindergarten Teacher Students as Art Educators

Model of work contentment of kindergarten teachers Intensive and functional (operational) connection to an art subject A satisfied and contented kindergarten teacher Motivation in teaching and learning Balance between conscious self and ideal self

 The new model was tested with kindergarten teacher students (N=128) of Helsinki University in the spring of 2005.

The model is connected with many different research areas in the conceptualistic level The elementary concepts are:  Motivation, orientation  Mastery of skills, control of the skill  Balance between conscious self and ideal self self-conception self-efficacy self-appreciation  Meaningfulness and satisfaction at work  Welfare in the whole life

Intensive and functional relationship to some art subject (important to small children)  Subject area will come across in your work  Your own interest  Open minded and brave relationship  Different experiments  ->“Applied substance”

Balance between conscious self and ideal self  The balance was good The most of the answerers were satisfied with the two self conceptions  Own strengths and weak points  Lifelong tasks

Balance between conscious self and ideal self  Positive attitude  Recognizing one’s own limitations  Possible to be in balance if…  Gap between ideal self and conscious self

Most important and closest art subject Number of answers Music35 Fine Arts27 Physical education24 Handicraft, textile work13 Theatre and self expression4 Dancing2 Literature1 In total101 Most closest art subjects of the answerers

about the art subjects they think are the most difficult to teach  The balance was estimated through speculating the demands of the subject against own (often too small) skills in the subject.  Most of the difficulties seemed to be in area of music (10 cases). drawing (4 cases) and handicraft (3 cases). Physical education and literary art were found difficult in one case

Motivation in learning and teaching  The motivation level is high  Substance skills are important  Good skills  Students want to teach subjects which they appreciate themselves

Motivation in learning and teaching  Own interest is a good starting point  Own limitations and restrictions  The rewarding, valuable and ethical nature of work

Motivation in learning and teaching  What might this teaching then be? Guide New paths for children Asking questions Living together, Being a model Giving and sharing things and experiences Doing and discussing with the children Humanity, empathy and sensitivity Situation consciousness, personal relationship to children

Motivation in learning and teaching  What could learning be? Feelings, emotions, and experiences Doing things, living thinking and considering things Openness and dealing with own understanding. Interaction between the learner, the adviser and the substance. Interaction between motivation, ambition and willpower Rehearsing trying, rethinking and repeating, feeling or foreseeing things Impatient with doing things, persistent trying with the motivation power. Enjoying, strong emotions, reaching to high targets. It might even be art.

 “One reason for wanting to become a kindergarten teacher was that I have always been interested in many things like music, drawing, physical education etc. Though, I am not so good in for example physical education that I could have specialized in that area alone. My skills and motivation are well sufficient in the work of a kindergarten teacher.”

Summary  Polarity and contradictions  Developing and incomplete  Meaningfulness  Concrete doing.  Many sided art subjects  The arrow model  ->A message and ability to transmit it further

Education. What is it?  It is not merely the science but the art also. So one could talk about the  Educational sciences =  Educational Arts

….and some principals  to be understood  to be accepted  to be loved

There are two values, which you can give your child as a present for Life. First of all: Roots, and then: Wings (An American Indian proverb)