It is said that “art imitates life.” If that is true, then it is my personal teaching philosophy that the skills and experiences students learn from the art processes in my classes will help them to paint success and satisfaction into the big picture of their lives, no matter what path or profession they choose. Art Education is important to me because it offers a different means of expression and success to students that may struggle in other areas. Offering these students a different learning environment implements a feeling of confidence that will also improve the student’s attitude about learning in other subjects. As an educator, my top priority is not only to teach my students specific skills and objectives, but to teach them the learning skills that enable them to develop their own problem solving strategies. I believe this will provide my students with the ability to succeed in my classroom, and also in the other aspects of their lives. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail. The arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer. Learning in the arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds. The arts help children learn to say what cannot be said and make vivid the fact that the limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition. I endeavor to provide an important balance for my students in their art room experiences, a balance between the joys of learning and creating, and the confidence and self-knowledge derived from critical, creative thinking and flexible decision-making that is so vital to the art-making process. I want my students to experience that sometimes, the most valuable lessons are the ones where the artist doesn’t succeed with their original vision. As a teaching artist, I can clearly show my students the results of thoughtful planning, a strong work ethic, the self-esteem boost of the making and discovery of art, and the recognition of achievement.
I design my lessons to be engaging and challenging. In my art room students will learn not only how to make art, but how art has been made, and how it relates to their lives, through historical, multicultural and interdisciplinary perspectives. Integral to my teaching is the study of artists, past and present, whose lives I present to stimulate student inquiry and creative expression. The making of art is encouraged and enhanced by introducing new media and techniques into a lesson, especially when these relate to my own work as a teaching artist. Students also learn how to appreciate and evaluate artworks—my lessons incorporate individual and group reflection, assessment and critique, as I feel that speaking and presenting are vital skills all individuals should possess and practice. The majority of my assessment design is based on observation of student response. I believe the final assessment should not be on a final project alone, but a collective observation of all the pieces done in that grading period. Measuring each student’s individual growth artistically will allow the educator to see which instructional methods were effective, and also which methods were not.
For me, the most effective way of reaching students is by building a professional relationship with them. I believe it is very important to be honest with all students and to earn their trust as an educator. Students are more likely to respond to an educator that they trust and respect. I also believe it is extremely important in art education to reach each student individually. Talent, experience, and understanding all play a significant role in artistic expression, thus, no person is exactly the same artistically. Meeting with each student individually throughout the class period would allow opportunity to ask the student questions about his/her artwork and also offer constructive criticism, enabling that student to fully reach his/her potential on each assignment. I place a great deal of importance on relating closely with my students. I feel strongly that being a highly visible part of their school life enhances that relatability—I believe it is important to be involved in my school community beyond the art room.