Teaching Philosophy

I strongly believe in the power and equity of public education with art being an integral part of the equation. Creativity, as argued by Freedman (2010) is one aim of a democratic education, and where better for this to start than in the art classroom. I teach art because I know the art classroom offers the most equitable educational experiences for students of all abilities and skill levels. As an art educator, I strive to create a safe space where any individual student can grow, explore and exceed their own expectations through creative self-expression and skill building. I am motivated by the belief that art is a catalyst for creating caring learning communities. Wherein, students, educators, and community members all seek to establish and maintain a meaningful culture of respect and equity, using teamwork, open communication and careful reflection in the classroom and beyond.
Art has the power to affect and deepen our understanding and interpretation of ourselves, the communities, and larger world we inhabit. In my classroom, when students learn about art they are introduced to a vast range of contemporary and historical artists, as well as, their individual cultures and ways of life. It is important to me that they get a wide view of the world through the artistic lens, while also seeing themselves represented in the artists we study. As a class, through thoughtful exploration and discussion, students will gain a better understanding of others, themselves, and the shared human experience. As art educators and theorists, Stewart and Walker (2001, 2005), explain these “big ideas” shared across cultures and generations connect us, and convey a deeper significance to the practice of studying and making meaningful art in the classroom. Through the usage of these “big ideas” students can connect and consider our universal commonalties helping them to develop empathy, while additionally allowing them grapple with their own identities and relationships to their communities, thus, forging more creative, compassionate members of society.

Creating art works afford students the opportunity to learn new techniques and skills they might not otherwise encounter. While, I teach traditional artistic media and skills such as painting, printmaking and ceramics, I am also interested in lost crafts such as sewing and embroidery. The novelty of such activities engages my students in such creative ways, and allows them to embrace the unknown and be more expressive. Often, students in my class are picking up a sewing needle for the first time and are learning not only a practical skill they can use to mend or alter their clothing, but a new means of expressing themselves visually. In these moments, they are not only developing their fine motor skills but they are successfully getting to slow down, in their speedy world, and enjoy the process of learning something new. Additionally, the act of making allows students to hone their creative problem-solving skills. These creative problem-solving skills are paramount to their future success in a world, were the pace of innovation is often breakneck. 

Above all, my teaching is student-centered with respect given for the learning styles of each individual student, and their interests. I want my students to spread their wings creatively, and create room for materials exploration, creativity and meaning making, as espoused by Gude (2010, 2013). I believe as an art educator I should barely ever be behind a desk while my students are busy at work. My place is traveling around the classroom, getting down at eye level with my students to help them fix a stitch, assessing their grasp of the material and adjusting my language and instructions as needed so they can better understand the materials, techniques, and big ideas we are investigating, or just listening to how they spent their day, or why they are having a hard time in another subject. I am invested in their success both in and out of the art classroom, getting to know their interests, triumphs and troubles. I hope to empower my students in their desire to learn with a content rich in a contemporary and community-based approach to teaching art. I want to help each student realize that there are no limitations to their personal growth, that they can open a dialogue when challenges present themselves and always find help. Teaching art affords me the opportunity to change, adapt, grow, learn and be inspired along with my students, modeling for them what it means to be a lifelong learner and creative being.