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Examples of Student Work
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
As an artist and art educator I believe that the art room teaches essential life skills to students. In the art room students access new ways to perceive the world and connect with others. By engaging in imagination and art making students are able to express their complex ideas and embrace their own unique perspective. The art room is a place of collaboration, exploration, and creative thinking.
As an artist and art educator I believe that the art room teaches essential life skills to students. In the art room students access new ways to perceive the world and connect with others. By engaging in imagination and art making students are able to express their complex ideas and embrace their own unique perspective. The art room is a place of collaboration, exploration, and creative thinking.
My role as an art educator is to create a space of mutual learning. I connect with my students by recognizing each student as an artist with their own unique creative way of thinking. I learn something new from my students each day and it is this mutual learning that we do together, as makers, that turns the art classroom into a unique place in a school’s community. There are many components to a student’s art education: learning the foundations of different art mediums, art history, technique, and developing authentic voice. As an educator I am continually learning new instructional strategies to help my students engage with art processes and art history. I aim to grow the creative thinking that is learned through the exploration of art history and engaging in art-making. As an educator I have a reflective teaching practice that evolves and grows to fit the needs of my students. I strive to create a classroom environment that inspires creative problem-solving through the art-making process, encourages critical thinking, and creates a safe, welcoming classroom community that values diversity, self-expression, and collaboration.
My role as an art educator is to create a space of mutual learning. I connect with my students by recognizing each student as an artist with their own unique creative way of thinking. I learn something new from my students each day and it is this mutual learning that we do together, as makers, that turns the art classroom into a unique place in a school’s community. There are many components to a student’s art education: learning the foundations of different art mediums, art history, technique, and developing authentic voice. As an educator I am continually learning new instructional strategies to help my students engage with art processes and art history. I aim to grow the creative thinking that is learned through the exploration of art history and engaging in art-making. As an educator I have a reflective teaching practice that evolves and grows to fit the needs of my students. I strive to create a classroom environment that inspires creative problem-solving through the art-making process, encourages critical thinking, and creates a safe, welcoming classroom community that values diversity, self-expression, and collaboration.
Examples of Student Work
Visual Thinking Strategies & Studio Habits of Mind
Visual Thinking Strategies & Studio Habits of Mind
Before we even begin to speak we are learning about the world through visual language. As an art educator I strive to create a focused art-making space for every student. I believe in student-directed projects where each student can connect with the materials in their own way. My lessons introduce new media and processes to students along with art history connections so students can grow and learn new techniques. My hope is that students can bring their own connections, themes, and experiences into their work with the guidance I provide and background in art history and various media skills. Enriching students' visual libraries through Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) was a major part of my graduate work and continued teaching practice. Asking students to look closely at artwork and have discussions around it feels like bringing a musuem experinece into the classroom. It is exciting to me as a teacher to select artwork that might have been made hundreds of years ago and listen to the discussions and observations of my students. I've also used VTS with my middle school students while looking at contemporary work.
Before we even begin to speak we are learning about the world through visual language. As an art educator I strive to create a focused art-making space for every student. I believe in student-directed projects where each student can connect with the materials in their own way. My lessons introduce new media and processes to students along with art history connections so students can grow and learn new techniques. My hope is that students can bring their own connections, themes, and experiences into their work with the guidance I provide and background in art history and various media skills. Enriching students' visual libraries through Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) was a major part of my graduate work and continued teaching practice. Asking students to look closely at artwork and have discussions around it feels like bringing a musuem experinece into the classroom. It is exciting to me as a teacher to select artwork that might have been made hundreds of years ago and listen to the discussions and observations of my students. I've also used VTS with my middle school students while looking at contemporary work.
When I create a new lesson, not only am I searching for an art history connection, after I've grounded skills in Maine Standards and/or National Core Arts Standards, I always find myself aligning to the Studio Habits of Mind framework. This art education framework focuses on real-life skills that students grow and develop in the art studio, but benefit them in many other aspects of their life. Some of the Studio Habits of Mind include, "Envision," "Engage & Persist," and "Reflect." I find myself aligning my teaching to these core skills and really focusing in on what every student can learn and take away from the art studio. The art room is a place for students to stretch and explore, to learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and to overcome challenges using creative thinking and problem solving. An art classroom modeled after a collaborative artist studio fosters meaningful learning and enriches the lives of students. I believe the art studio can be a safe haven where students have the freedom to express and experiment.
When I create a new lesson, not only am I searching for an art history connection, after I've grounded skills in Maine Standards and/or National Core Arts Standards, I always find myself aligning to the Studio Habits of Mind framework. This art education framework focuses on real-life skills that students grow and develop in the art studio, but benefit them in many other aspects of their life. Some of the Studio Habits of Mind include, "Envision," "Engage & Persist," and "Reflect." I find myself aligning my teaching to these core skills and really focusing in on what every student can learn and take away from the art studio. The art room is a place for students to stretch and explore, to learn that it is okay to make mistakes, and to overcome challenges using creative thinking and problem solving. An art classroom modeled after a collaborative artist studio fosters meaningful learning and enriches the lives of students. I believe the art studio can be a safe haven where students have the freedom to express and experiment.
Examples of Student Work
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