This paper reports on research-in-progress motivated by the need to educate Visual Aesthetic Education (VAE) teachers. The research asks, how VAE teachers can find a referential to orient their pupils' work in this time of aesthetic controversy and technological/economic pressures and do this adequately for a class of 30 pupils. The paper summarizes two earlier reports that asked what VAE development is possible and actually takes place in the classrooms. The paper then presents, from the research-in-progress, a synthesis of the emergent valuation referential, drawn from a qualitative analysis of student dialogues in which the teacher tried to remain a mirror-mentor. (BT)