Remember, Every Child is a Work of Art!

I am not a person who wears buttons.  I know plenty of people who do and I enjoy reading them.  They are kind of like little bumper stickers for your person.  Some are funny, some are offensive, and often they give us a little insight into the wearer.  I was packing during a recent move when I stumbled upon a button that I had been given years ago.  For once in my life I was struck with the feeling that I should fasten this onto my person!  Now, don’t get me wrong when you see the button below, this isn’t about vanity, to me, this button took on a much deeper meaning.

I thought about how everyone could and should wear this button and that this button could help me remember that each and every person is in fact a work of art. We all want to be accepted and celebrated for who we are as an individual but we also want to be loved as a whole package, the good with the bad, the quirks alongside the strengths.  Are you klutzy, unorganized, or tone-deaf?  Maybe, but that is just one tiny piece of your complex package.  You might also be a skilled gardener, great at spelling or a wonderful listener!  When you are learning a new skill, you might even consider yourself a “work in progress!”

This is especially important when working with students with disabilities.  It is easy to get distracted and focus on the disability.  When you see the disability first, you subconsciously limit your view of what that child can accomplish and the value he or she can bring to your world.  It can be easy to get discouraged, especially at the beginning of the year, when you aren’t quite sure how to meet the needs of particular student in the art room, and it makes you feel overwhelmed. I admit, I am guilty of this myself at times, so I decided to pin this button on my apron.  This button, I thought, could help me remember that every student is first and foremost a child.  And every child is a work of art!

Check out AOE’s new class, Autism and Art, for more tips and information about working with students with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Do you have an art button you like to wear on your apron?

What are other messages you wish could be worn in the form of a button?