Response Journal AESTHETICS MOTIVATORS Donna Ercole-Bash

AJournals

Upon entering the Governor's School one was immediately aware that there was a mission underway. It was the PERFECT school. The students all wanted to be there. They were self motivated AND energetic. For an educator such as myself I suspected that perhaps I had reached what the Tibetan Monks had been dancing, chanting, and creating wonderful art for: NIRVANA. It was either that or I was dead and in TEACHER HEAVEN where all of the same qualities would exist.. I then did a reality check and remembered that I was an Arts educator and on an expedition in search of the wild Aesthetics Beast. Thus began my search for the equation that allowed the Governor's School to function at a higher plane. My partner and I started our journey with a group of six young sculptors that were immersed in the middle stages of "releasing" their sculptures from the confines of the moist white plaster. One young sculptor, the only male was wrestling with an uncooperative reel of wire and apparently welcomed the opportunity for an interuption. During the insuing conversation he spoke at length of the classes,the teachers, the discussions, the opportunities, the teachers, the critiques,the motivation, the schedule, the teachers. H-M-M-M-M. The teachers and their willingness to share their thoughts, ideas, feelings and philosophies so readily with the students. EUREKA !!!!! Could it be that on our first encounter with 'wildlife' that the Aesthetics Beaast would so readily surface. Surely it would require a more extensive beating of the bushes; more coaxing and bribing to be able to find what we were so technologically armed to locate. But here it was, the hard evidence that the evasive Aesthetics beast was alive and well and showing itself so readily to it's hunters. By what vehicle had the beast been so accessible? Why, it appeared to be because of the generousity, willingness and enthusiam of those who were so eagerly giving 5 weeks of their summer[sure they were being paid but still, 5 weeks out of approximately 12 is still heroic.] Summer for educators is still a time of healing and rejuvenation regardless of their dedication and enthusiam. A teacher who does not take time to rest and heal will eventually run out of steam. Simply by the nature of the task of dealing with so many individuals and personalities is exhausting. We thanked the young sculptors and continued on our way. We invaded several more classes and talked with many more students, yet ,coming to the fore-front was always the heartfelt appreciation the students felt for the efforts of their instructors and the willingness each showed to share the "soul" of their own art and how and why they carried these personal philosophies. In short, the Aesthetics Beast was alive and well and definately NOT on the endangered species list. Instead, it was plentiful and rich and available for the asking in the form of the enthusiastic teachers. Please view and decide for yourself one willing contributor through the miracle of modern technology.