EP347 An artful approach to exploring identity and fostering belonging (w/ Rebecca Bellingham & Veronica Scott)

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of incorporating art into education to foster identity and belonging among students.

When the world feels this heavy, this broken, it can feel almost frivolous to make space for art. And in the classroom with so much content to cover, can we really slow down enough to create and take an artful approach to learning with students? Who has time to write poems or pause over a beautiful image when we're al barely keeping our heads above water? But think about what we're left with if we don't. If we strip away beauty and creativity and connection, all we have left is the grind. The compliance. The systems that are exhausting us in the first place. I recently talked to Rebecca Bellingham and Veronica Scott about this. They're educators, writers, artists, and the co-founders of Artful Belonging Studio. They're also the authors of the new book, "The Artful Approach to Exploring Identity and Fostering Belonging." Listen as we discuss: What does an artful lesson look like when you have content standards to cover and no time? How do you do cultural heritage months in ways that invite all students in instead of making them feel obligated? And where should teachers start if they want to try this work? Rebecca and Veronica brought so much warmth and wisdom to this conversation…

People in this episode

Host: Angela Watson

Guests: Rebecca Bellingham, Veronica Scott

Topics covered

• art in education
• identity exploration
• fostering belonging
• creative teaching
• cultural heritage

Keywords

• artful approach
• education
• identity
• belonging
• creative learning
• cultural heritage
• teaching strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Artful Belonging Studio

Books & works: The Artful Approach to Exploring Identity and Fostering Belonging

More episodes of Angela Watson's Truth for Teachers

• EP346 Feeling tied to your phone? These 3 habits can help you take control. · April 19, 2026 · 36 min
• EP345 The brain isn't separate from the body–here's what that means for learning (with Caroline Williams) · April 5, 2026 · 37 min
• EP344 So what are we doing here? Expanding into retreats, video essays, mindfulness, and more · March 15, 2026 · 55 min
• EP343 The truth about AI's environmental impact: Finding your ethical stance as an educator · March 1, 2026 · 56 min
• EP342 The hidden curriculum: getting real about the values we teach · February 15, 2026 · 24 min
• EP341 Everything all at once: what it's like to be a teacher with ADHD (with Andrew Gardner) · February 1, 2026 · 48 min