Criteria of Experience

As an art educator, it is important to respond to the individual needs of the children who are being taught. Children develop mentally and physically at different times and it is significant that the educator recognize these differences in development in order for the child to have a firm grasp on the lessons taught at their own level. Dewey describes the process of internal conditions of learning which involve experience, growth of learning and interaction with the environment. It is the educator's job to provide positive experiences for the children in an environment that is safe and inspirational for the students being taught.Attitudes that are positive toward learning should be worked for and good habits developed in the children should be strived for. It is also up to an educator to judge what kind of teaching is detrimental and what kind is successful with each individual child in order for the teacher to have some understanding of what the individual is going through mentally, physically and what needs need to be met for that individual. Educators should be able to utilize the social and physical surroundings to create experiences that are worth while for the children.