Teaching Math

After reading Lockhart’s Lament I got to thinking about what might happen if we taught math class more like we teach Art.

I thought about the first district I taught at. We never seemed to have any real art classes. A couple of volunteers would come in about once a month and teach a lesson and that was it for the elementary school. Yet, the high school always seemed to be filled with the most amazing art.

I know my fourth graders loved to draw. I encouraged it as much as I could but I never really tried to teach art. I just don’t know enough about the subject to teach it. I brought in a few artists I knew and let them teach when I could.

Was the positive encouragement and the hands-off attitude crucial to developing so many artists or am I just imagining things.

Should elementary teachers who don't know anything about Math or Science not teach those subject and invite experts to visit their classrooms?