teaching philosophy

I believe the purpose of art education is to develop students' full potential, both in art making and in life. Teachers are the encouragers, the instillers of vision; they are an integral part of our society. The art educator holds an especially critical place in that society. Art educators are those who inspire students to reach beyond the norm toward something more unique, something creative. Art educators inspire students to accomplish beyond their preconceived means, and that is what drives my desire to teach art.

Art education helps students to become creative problem solvers. It forces them outside of their normal realm into a realm of imaginative thinking and resourcefulness as they create a work of art that shares a message. Art educators should inspire students to become creative thinkers, to find the gifts and talents that they already possess and to develop them. The art classroom should be a safe environment where there is mutual respect, cooperation, and shared creativity. Students should feel welcome and encouraged, sharing their ideas and helping each other to grow as artists and as citizens of their environments.

Art education starts at an early age. Engaging with the arts in the first years of school is critical to developing creative, high caliber students, who in turn develop into creative, high-caliber citizens of this world. Curiosity starts at a young age, and it is important to feed the curiosity of students in a healthy way, helping them to see their worldview and the worldviews of others through the lens of art. Every child deserves the opportunity to learn from art production, art making, aesthetics, and art criticism. Art informs every other discipline, and it also provides a uniqueness in thought that only art can give.

The most successful way to help students learn and grow is to meet them where they are. Students all come from different backgrounds, different family lives, different friend groups, different cultures, different situations, and different skill levels. It is the task of the art educator to be observant in finding these backgrounds and using them to propel her students forward. The best way to teach students is to help them find the "solutions" or "answers" for themselves, to help them on a road to self-discovery so that the lessons they learn are more meaningful, more apt to stay with them. Art educators cannot talk at students. Instead, they show students new artists, new ideas from the world around them and help them to be inspired by and incorporate the things they see and talk about into their own artwork as they learn important skills and concepts that tie into state and national educational standards. Art educators have a unique chance to truly make a difference in their students' lives. Art educators have a special opportunity to help students along on their journey of discovering who they are and develop them as creative thinkers, set apart from their peers.