My reason for teaching, or my “why” as it is commonly referred to, has always been to help students express themselves and learn about who they are or want to be, in a safe and welcoming environment. Growing up, my art teachers were very influential and made a positive impact on my life, inspiring me to become an educator myself. Ever since, I have wanted to have the same impact on my own students. One of my main goals in the studio is for art to be an outlet for all of my students in any way that best suits them.

 

My program is one that encourages development, independence, and uniqueness. Emotional connections in the classroom are not nearly made enough to have a lasting impact, and I cannot think of a better environment than an art room to do so. Secondary education is a strange time for any young developing person, and so I find myself constantly thinking about how I can help my students discover themselves and create their own understanding about what they're learning. It is not enough for art to simply represent emotion or be expressive, but students must think critically about the artistic choices they are making and truly reflect on why they are making the artwork. Rather than just simply representing subjects or topics, students need to be challenged to dive deeper and make specific decisions in their work with purpose and intent. 

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As well as incorporating socioemotional learning and personal connection in lessons, it is a strong belief of mine that classrooms, especially art rooms, should be student driven. They should also utilize student choice within art projects and research. A successful art program should properly scaffold curriculum and standards, while building students self-efficacy and independence. This is achieved by utilizing student run projects, which increase in complexity throughout their years of schooling. For advanced artists, the level of independence and responsibility should be at its peak, where these students have developed and honed their skills to potentially be able to run the studio with minimal amounts of difficulty or direction. For advanced learners, I feel the role of the teacher should be solely to guide learning by producing project ideas that challenge students to think critically and creatively while also allowing them to go in any direction that is most beneficial to their learning.