Teacher Uses Art as Avenue to English

LONG BEACH — Francie Hansen’s philosophy of education is summed up in an ancient Chinese proverb printed in an old newspaper article that she keeps pasted in a notebook.

“Tell me, I forget,” the proverb goes. “Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand.”

It’s a philosophy she implements by using art to teach English to her Cambodian kindergartners.

Bright-eyed and scrubbed, they begin arriving for school well before the 8 a.m. starting time. Chatting loudly in their native language, they spread out across the floor, bending over papers and paintbrushes to complete the task at hand.

Involvement in Project

The teacher’s method is simple. Using largely discarded materials, she involves the children in an art project, which forms the basis for a discussion in English.

“Art is the perfect vehicle,” Hansen said. “It’s the universal language.”

So far the approach seems to be working. The test scores of her students at Robert E. Lee Elementary School have improved, she said. The approach has attracted the attention of community members and colleagues. And it has resulted in several public displays of the students’ artwork, including a monthlong exhibition at a city park.

“She’s doing well,” said Lee Principal Bob Robertson. “We are very proud of her.”

Dick Van der Laan, a spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District, said: “Art is communication. It makes the children participants rather than passive spectators.”