Teaching Philosophy

Philosophy & Diversity Statement

In my teaching practice, I am committed to providing equity and diversity in my classroom by creating an environment where students feel a sense of community and belonging, are able to freely express themselves, and can make choices about their learning based on personal interests. In order to create this type of environment, I will include visuals throughout my classroom of artists and art from around the world. My hope is for each of my students to see an artist on the wall that represents them visually. I create lesson plans based upon artists of many cultures and teach students about where different types of art originated from. 

COMMUNITY + BELONGING

I encourage collaboration through group projects, games, class discussions, and peer feedback. I want to help students feel comfortable and safe with each other by including team building activities, mindfulness exercises, and encouraging them to speak their minds. I believe students should have choices within their learning. I plan to develop my lessons based on student interests and adapt my instruction based on engagement. I want to create projects which allow students to make decisions and create unique works of art. It's extremely important to me that each student in my classroom feels that their voice matters. I will always research the best practices of how to include diversity in the classroom and how to be equitable to all. I am excited and eager to help all of my future students become confident in their learning, empathetic toward each other, and to be proud of who they are. 

SELF EXPRESSION

In my opinion, the purpose of education is to provide students with the foundation to be the best versions of themselves. This includes opportunities to develop all types of intelligences, teaching the whole person, and providing environments which set students up for success. The art classroom has the potential to be a community where students feel liberated. Arts education is extremely important to me. From a young age I have gravitated toward self-expression through creativity, and making art has been a lifelong passion. More than that, though, I have seen art change the lives of students. I want to help students become self-motivated in their artistic journey and broaden their perspectives of what art can be. Students learn best by being in an environment in which they feel safe. If a student feels unsafe, there is absolutely no way for them to learn. It is the teacher's responsibility to create a classroom environment where learning is possible for everybody. This means assessing each student's individual and unique needs on an ongoing basis. When I am teaching art, my goals are for students to feel engaged and excited about learning something new; whether it be a technique, medium, artist, or culture. My other goal is for students to allow themselves to think creatively and participate in the making process. 

PERSONAL INTEREST

The most effective methods for teaching are choice-based learning and emphasis on relationships with students. I have seen that when students are given options within their projects, they have more room to become engaged and excited about what they are doing. Choices help give students a sense of ownership of the project. Building personal relationships is also an effective teaching method because it promotes mutual respect between student and teacher, which is vital. Taking the time to get to know students helps them feel safe, welcome, and more able to express their thoughts and feelings. Getting to know your students will also help the teacher understand student motivations and how to best engage them in learning. The most important aspects of my teaching are helping my students understand their self-worth by motivating them through positive reinforcement, and to help them become motivated in their own learning by encouraging passions and natural abilities. I will always do my best to meet every student where they are at, and to guide them to reach their fullest potential.