Nurturing the 'Art of Seeing' Among Preservice Teachers

Abstract

If schools are to help all students flourish and thrive, it is essential that teachers have experiences that help them to see the students they teach in their fullest possibilities, beyond the reduced images that result from looking through the lens of technical observation schemes. With this study, inspired by the early artist-scientists, I introduced drawing while observing as a pedagogical practice to develop the “art of seeing and gift of vision” (Carini, 1979) among elementary preservice teachers [EPST]. EPST (22 females and 2 males) were enrolled in a science methods course that was part of a licensure in elementary education. EPST made hand drawings of a bean seed they sprouted and observed over an 8-week period. Data sources include EPST observation journals, class discussions, and reflective field notes I made while teaching. Analytic coding revealed 6 broad categories: Observing, connecting, caring, seeing; seeing growth, development and potential; seeing dynamism and vitality; seeing, feeling, caring and connecting; seeing in a new light; and seeing actualization and “wondrous transformation.”