South Carolina Black News / 2006

"The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Shows Education is Ethics!"

The movie industry was greatly surprised that “The March of the Penguins” surpassed in viewers many “top rated” films released at the time. This shows with resounding clarity that when people go to the movies, we not only want to be entertained, but educated and strengthened.

 I have loved and respected Emperor Penguins for a long time. So much so that when I was teaching Environmental Science at Fiorello LaGuardia High school in New York City in the 1990’s, I based a series of lessons on an issue of National Geographic magazine titled, “Emperors of the Ice” (1996). > more

Part 1: "Biodiversity and the Emperor Penguin"  •  Part Two: "Organic Kindness on the Ice of Antarctica"

Missouri State Post (Kansas City, MO) May 19-25, 2005

"Students Learn, Prejudice Is Defeated—The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method! " by Sally Ross

My lesson about viruses was part of a larger unit on disease. Not only were my students successful in learning the subject, they also were able to look scientifically at prejudice in themselves—and end it....Students were excited to see that fearsome viruses are made up of the same opposites—power and delicacy, large and small—that are elsewhere in reality.  > more

PSTA Exchange (Pennsylvania State Teachers Association) Spring, 2002 Vol. 25 No. 1

"The Success of the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method" by Rosemary Plumstead

I teach Regents Biology to 9th graders, and I'll describe now part of the lesson I gave on the heart at the convention.  When students first see a diagram of the heart, a sudden terror can descend upon them. "Do I have to learn all these parts?" they ask. When they see how the heart is one organ the size of their fist, and that each of its many parts — the chambers, the valves, the two separate sides — work for ONE purpose...  > more

Greenwich Village Gazette (Internet, New York, NY) 1/31/01

"What Kind of Education Do Our Children Deserve?" by Anthony Romeo and Karen Van Outryve

...Our State Constitution guarantees every child, regardless of race or financial status, a "sound basic education," and Justice Leland DeGrasse has ruled that New York State has failed to provide this for the children of New York City. He finds the State guilty of discrimination against New York City students and the poor... > more

The Teacher / Great Britain teachers' union national journal (National Union of Teachers, United Kingdom) 11/00

"Teaching through Aesthetic Realism" by Christopher Balchin

WITH more worry now than ever about children not learning, about racism in young people, and about youth violence, it is urgent for everyone to know the Aesthetic Realism teaching method. It is based on the philosophy Aesthetic Realism, which was founded by the great American educator Eli Siegel in 1941. He stated: "The purpose of education is to like the world through knowing it." ... > more

The English Record: Journal of the New York State English Council, Vol. 53, no. 2: Winter, 2003

"Teaching Language Arts through the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method" by Avi Gvili. On pronouns

For more than 25 years New York City public school teachers have tested this method.... Teachers have described their results and shared their knowledge in seminars, professional conferences, and articles since the 1970s.... In a moment I will tell about one lesson I gave on pronouns to twelve and thirteen-year-old eighth graders...  > more

LaVida News-The Black Voice (Fort Worth, TX) 10/10/01

"The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method is the Solution to the Crisis in Education!" by Jeffrey Williams

I had taught for 10 years and earned my Masters degree in Special Education, with a concentration in teaching emotionally handicapped students. But through all my years of experience, which included winning a teaching award and a graduate fellowship, it wasn't until I had the good fortune to study Aesthetic Realism that I learned precisely what I needed to know to enable my students to learn.  >   more

Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) 12/5/2001

"Young and Old Learn Answer to Racism at Brooklyn Children's Museum" by Alice Bernstein

The museum invited distinguished filmmaker Ken Kimmelman, who is an Aesthetic Realism consultant, to show three of his short films against racism and to speak about how the knowledge of Aesthetic Realism, founded by the great poet and educator Eli Siegel, enables prejudice to change to kindness. Mr. Kimmelman was joined by public school teachers and Aesthetic Realism associates Lauren Phillips and Barbara McClung,...   > more

Allegro, Local 802 News (American Federation of Musicians, New York, NY) 10/00

"Proud To Be An 802 Member" by Alan Shapiro, music teacher

San Antonio Register (San Antonio, Texas) 9/21/00 - 9/28/00

"The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Is the Solution to the Crisis in Education—Teachers Tell Why" by Helena Simon, Part 1, and Part 2: "Density; or, the Opposites of Full and Empty, Heavy and Light"

Tennessee Tribune (Nashville, Tennessee) 2/16/00

"Prejudice Changes to Respect: The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method" by Barbara McClung 

Tennessee Tribune, 8/26/99 and 9/9/99

"The Success of the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method: Students Learn, Prejudice Is Defeated" by Patricia Martone

The English Record, Journal of the New York State English Council (Albany, NY) vol. 49, no. 1, Fall 1998

"Through Aesthetic Realism Interest Wins, Cynicism Loses"  by Leila Rosen

San Antonio Register (San Antonio, Texas) 11/8/98 - 1/28/99

"The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Succeeds," a four part series. Two installments by NYC reading teacher Monique Michael and two installments by NY science teacher Rosemary Plumstead. Originally presented at public seminars at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation.
 

Reading lessons : elementary school. Contains: "The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Brings Out Every Child's True Intelligence — and Education Succeeds!" by Monique Michael

Lessons in high school biology: environmental science. They are in "Through the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Knowledge Opposes Anger — & Students Learn!" by Rosemary Plumstead

San Antonio Register (San Antonio, Texas) Part 1, 6/20/99; Part 2, 6/20/99

Article by Lori Colavito about Kindergarten mathematics

Part 1: "The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method: Students Learn, Prejudice Is Defeated!"
Part 2: "Through the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method Addition and Subtraction Oppose Prejudice."

 Courier Publications (Queens, New York) January 22-28, 1998

By Helena Simon: A personal account of children's objection to learning reading and the success of the Aesthetic Realism teaching method in a very young person's life.

Southwest Digest (Lubbock, Texas) 11/27/97-12/3/97

"Children Learn to Read through the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method!" by Monique Michael

This paper was part of a recent public seminar at the Aesthetic Realism Foundation, a not for profit educational foundation at 141 Greene Street, in New York City. In it, teachers from elementary school through college—teaching in some of the hardest hit areas of the City, demonstrated through lessons in their classrooms, this urgent fact: The Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method is the answer to the crisis in our nation's schools... > more

Louisiana Weekly, New Orleans

"The Aesthetic Realism Method" by Patricia Martone

There is an answer to the crisis in education and to the devastating effects on children's minds of the poverty so many are enduring today. It is the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method—and I have seen for more than two decades of teaching, from prekindergarten through high school, that this method works: students of every age and ethnic background learn successfully and care for each other more!  ... > more

For seminars, workshops, and information about the Aesthetic Realism Teaching Method visit our Education page.