Teachers Speak: Why Arts Education Changes Everything in the Classroom

Ask a teacher what arts education looks like, and you might hear about paint, music, or performance. But ask what it does, and the answer is far more powerful. According to educators, arts education isn’t about turning every student into an artist. It’s about creating the conditions where students learn better, behave better, and see themselves and each other differently.

“I wouldn’t want to teach without art,” said third-grade teacher Lisa Dean, who has spent more than two decades in the classroom and has blended LBC’s Artists in the Schools programs into her curricula for nine years. “Students need other outlets, other areas where they can feel important and successful. That’s what helps them access the rest of their learning.”

More Than a Lesson. A Catalyst for Learning.
One of the biggest misconceptions about arts education is that it’s separate from academic success. Teachers say the opposite is true.

In Dean’s classroom at Steele Lane Elementary, a recent project asked students to design and market their own toys. The assignment required drawing, engineering, writing, collaboration, and performance. Students worked in teams to create prototypes and then wrote and acted in commercials to promote their ideas.

“The assignment touches so many skill areas,” Dean explained. “They’re developing ideas, collaborating, pivoting when something doesn’t work, and making that pivot a success. This is teaching through problem-solving. It’s how they remember and learn.”

For students who struggle with traditional instruction, the arts often provide a critical entry point. “If you integrate art with another subject, they absorb it more willingly,” said retired TK and kindergarten teacher Kathy Phipps who now is a volunteer, ushering at LBC’s School Shows and working with our Fun with Art tables at the Family Fun Series. “You can get them to do almost anything if it feels playful and creative.”

That connection between creativity and cognition is something school leaders see as well. At Kid Street Charter School, Executive Director Kathleen Mallamo points to the role the arts play in developing higher-level thinking. “In STEAM learning, students use technology to explore questions and solve problems through engineering and scientific thinking, Mallamo said. “At the same time, they need to incorporate higher-order thinking skills like analysis and synthesis. Arts-integrated learning helps them develop these skills and encourages them to collaborate and tackle complex problems together.”

“Rather than competing with core academics, the arts help students do those subjects more effectively, giving them tools to think critically, collaborate, and stay engaged,” she added.

The need to ignite students’ innate creativity is why Kid Street integrates upwards of 20 LBC artist residencies each year, compared to other schools that have from one to four. Every bit counts, and LBC’s in-school arts education programs provide the gateway for many children to have arts experiences. In fact, so far this year, 32 classrooms in Sonoma County engage LBC’s Arts Integration residencies, and 43 have Arts for All residencies, which focus on single arts disciplines.

A Shift in Classroom Behavior
Teachers also point to a noticeable shift in classroom dynamics when students have access to arts experiences, even periodically. “It creates a different kind of environment,” Phipps said. “Music calms a child. It creates a positive atmosphere, and they respond to that.”

For younger students, the arts help establish the foundations of how to be in school. “We’re teaching more than reading and math,” she explained. “We’re teaching how to be part of a community. How to be respectful, supportive, and kind. Art opens that opportunity.”

Dean sees similar outcomes with older students. Through collaborative, arts-based projects, students quickly learn that their choices affect others. “They have to figure out how to work in a group when you don’t all agree,” she said. “They see how their behavior and participation affect the success of everyone else.”

At a school-wide level, Mallamo sees these benefits reflected in how students interact and learn together. “Creative experiences reinforce communication, teamwork, and shared responsibility. Skills that carry into every subject.”

Building Respect Through Individuality
Arts education also challenges another common classroom barrier: comparison. In many academic settings, there’s a clear right or wrong answer. In the arts, there isn’t, and that changes how students see themselves.

“Kids often have a fixed idea about what they’re good at, and it’s not always kind,” Dean said. “Art gives them a chance to see themselves differently.”

Phipps reinforces this through open-ended creative work. Even when students are given the same instructions, their outcomes are entirely unique. “They get an A for following directions and an A for producing something unique, for being an individual,” she said. “That’s what you want to encourage. That shift builds confidence, and when students feel confident, they participate more and treat others with greater respect.”

Engagement That Lasts

Perhaps the most visible impact of arts education is student engagement. “The kids feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment when they’re done,” Dean said. “They remember the experience for a long time. “Through performances, residencies, and creative projects like those offered through LBC’s School Shows, artist residencies, and summer camps, students connect what they’re learning to something tangible. They aren’t just consuming information. They’re using it.

In one of Dean’s recent units, students attended “The Invisible Boy,” school matinee. They then explored inclusion by creating and revising their own short performances. “They weren’t just learning about empathy, they practiced it,” Dean said. “That kind of engagement is active and personal, making lessons stick in ways traditional instruction often can’t.”

The Bigger Picture

Across grade levels and teaching styles, one message is clear: Arts education improves classroom success.

It makes learning more accessible.
It strengthens problem-solving and critical thinking.
It builds empathy, respect, and collaboration.
It helps students see themselves as capable—and worth listening to.

Or, as Mallamo put it, it helps students become “better classmates, more empathetic people, better leaders, and stronger citizens.”