One of my students told me that some instructors draw during their classes and she suggested that I do that. My reply was: “You wouldn’t see me!” She said, “You mean you would be invisible?”
No, I mean I would become so absorbed in drawing I wouldn’t see them. But what an interesting idea—why not—become invisible. Then I could go around the room and draw on their work, make their drawings the way I would want them to be. So often it is hard for a student to hear what is incorrect about a drawing because they see it from their perspective and their history. And too, it is often hard to find words to express an artistic idea, critique. One picture is worth a thousand words. But then, I don’t usually like to draw on a student’s work, prefer having them make the discovery of correction themselves. Then the knowledge comes from within them.
On the other hand, what fun it would be for me to draw on what they have initiated, put my stamp, my conclusions on their ideas. One of the (many) difficult things about teaching is keeping my hands off their work. Not saying “do it this way, my way, the best way.” Sometimes their work is so exciting as a beginning idea to me that I would love to work into it. Maybe, if I were invisible, I could just take their hand in mine and gently guide them and they would feel the excitement of my ideas and experience. But for now, I will have to rely on words to show them, open doors for students. To draw pictures with words.