TEACHER ’ S PROFILE
TEACHER ’ S PROFILE
“ I believe that art is ultimately about the expression of ideas and sentiments , and less about the physical object that has resulted from the expression of your ideas and sentiments .”
Even on her pathway to the profession of her dreams , there were challenges . “ Back when I first started school , my mother was hospitalized due to illness , and my father had to spend a lot of time at the hospital . So , with nowhere to go after school , I turned to my first art teacher who taught me for six years , and lived on campus . She was very kind and generous to me . She opened her home to me . I would spend most of my time at her place . She took care of me , and taught me how to draw . She was more than a teacher to me , and her love kindled my interest in art . It is this warmth and interest that made art education a natural career path for me ,” Ms . Lu reminisced . She extends this generosity and kindness to her students too , as she helps them explore and express themselves creatively and consciously .
48 THE KEYSTONE MAGAZINE
Trained as an artist and a designer , Lu Nan is also an amateur musician . Her instrument of choice – the trombone . The mix of the delicate nature of art , and the not-so-gentle character of the trombone , tells you a lot about our primary school art teacher . “ Very few girls played trombone when I was in school due to its weight ,” said Ms . Lu , quickly adding , “ But that is exactly why I liked it , because very few girls chose the trombone , and carrying it around made me feel strong . In fact , I remember my teacher once told me that I was the first girl to play trombone in any school orchestras in Beijing . I was always the chair of the trombone section in our school . Our orchestra even performed at the Beijing Concert Hall during my junior year in high school . It was challenging , yet one of my best performances .” As you can see , Lu Nan is not one to turn away from a challenge .
A BLANK CANVAS ? “ The creative process is essential to art ,” notes Ms . Lu as she excitedly begins explaining her teaching style . But she stresses that drawing is not about delivering perfect artwork : “ I always tell my students to relax , and let me see what they see . I believe that art is ultimately about the expression of ideas and sentiments , and less about the physical object – be it a painting , a sketch , or a sculpture – that has resulted from the expression of your ideas and sentiments .” Ms . Lu focuses her teaching on not just giving students the skills needed in art , but also on giving them the confidence to express themselves through art . She remembers a grade 1 student from her first year at Keystone who told her that he did not like drawing or art because he was not good at it . “ I immediately realized that he is one of those students who usually assesses his work against results . What I needed to do in response was to encourage him more , and boost his confidence . And that ’ s what I did . By the end of that semester , as soon as I would walk into the classroom , he would say to me with sparkling eyes , “ Ms . Lu , I love art class now , and I have been looking forward to it for an entire week !”” As an art teacher , these are words Ms . Lu lives for .