About Me

                 I am drawn to the teaching profession because I believe that the classroom, primarily the art classroom, is the place that I can best perform and make a difference.  Furthermore, a job as an educator provides endless rewards and knowledge from the many experiences the career has to offer.  I look forward to inspiring others, passing on knowledge, and gaining new perspectives in my field of study.

                  As an art educator, I believe in the importance of creativity in a student’s education.  Art education is a constant and huge influence on my development and I believe I would not have the great success in my schooling career without these experiences.  For example, when I was in the third grade, my elementary school art teacher recognized my passion for the subject before I did.  She invited me to participate in lessons in a smaller group of students outside of school, which I continued through middle school.  I remember entire lessons and specific skills I gained from this teacher better than many of my elementary and middle school memories.  This experience gave me a confidence that transferred across disciplines.  I hope to inspire my students in similar ways.

                 With art, students will not only learn to create artworks, but they will also learn to reflect and discover themselves.  Students develop processing skills, strengthen memory facility, and build many other transferable aptitudes.  From studying Judy Burton and Victor Lowenfeld’s stages of artistic development, I believe art can make incredible differences in every student’s academic career and that it is vital for students to have a creative outlet in their education, introduced at an early age and continued through adolescence.

                 Finally, I strongly believe that we are all learners and are constantly growing and improving.  It is my goal as an educator to continue to develop as an artist and teacher so that I can pass on both my excitement for learning and my passion and enthusiasm for art to my students.   

Personal Website: https://larahammondart.weebly.com/