My Teaching Philosophy
“The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.” – Barack Obama
This quote from Barack Obama encapsulates the way in which I feel about my role as an art educator. My belief is that the arts play an integral role in shaping innovative, caring individuals who are able to: envision solutions, be respectful, be positive influences on their communities, and persevere. I attempt to create a challenging but supportive culture in my classroom to embrace these ideals. My goal as an art educator is for my students to be able to carry these abilities beyond the classroom and into adulthood through studio practice, cross-curricular lesson planning, connections to art, the community, and to each other.
Confidence Building & Resilience
My teaching combines encouraging exploration with providing students the necessary conceptual and technical tools needed in building their confidence to create, understand, reflect, and improve upon their work. I believe that the exploration of ideas, materials, and process combined with a critical awareness of context in their work, as well as the work of others enables students to engage in continuous investigation of their world. I encourage reflection and an open culture of feedback to provide students an environment in which they are able to persist through challenges, gain focus, and practice resilience.
Making Connections
I structure my classes in a manner that encourages dialogue to allow students to be inquisitive and make connections. For example, I begin each unit by focusing on the ideas and work of a local, contemporary, and/or historical artist. Together, we explore the processes, ideas, and impact these artists have had upon the world and how we can connect to them. During these discussions, I encourage my students to ask thoughtful questions and approach these ideas critically as to how they can apply them to their own work.
My curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary integration to further aid in students’ engagement and exploration of their world. For example, I work collaboratively with classroom teachers to plan instruction in order to help students create connections to English, Science, History, and Math. I also provide research projects and multi-media focused lessons so that my students can explore and use technology in a positive, meaningful way. My goal is not just for students to be artists, but to create connections to how they can apply their artistic dispositions to their lives and future careers.
Building Community
In my classroom, my goal is to help students take pride in their community. To do this, I encourage the practice of empathy and respect by allowing my students to better understand each other through collaborative work, interpersonal connection, and a culture of authenticity. For example, students often work in groups for discussion, critique, or collaborative projects to improve an aspect of their community or school. This helps to foster a culture of healthy dialogue, envisioning solutions, and respect because within these groups, students are expected to help each other, offer feedback, and rely on one another to solve problems. To further encourage this practice, each project culminates in a group or individual critique in which students are able to critically reflect upon their work and the work of their peers.
As an art educator, I am consistently looking for new ways to broaden my knowledge of art, materials, technology, and pedagogical skills. I believe that working collaboratively with the community, local artists, and educators of different disciplines are imperative to successfully integrating my curricula and creating an environment of open communication and teamwork. I work to set an example for students, and am continuously looking for ways to improve my abilities through learning and development.