Welcome to Art with
Ms. Yates!
Meet Ms. Yates
Hi there! I’m Ms. Yates, an elementary art educator and artist located in Durham, North Carolina. I began my career path as an artist and educator after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2018. I have previously taught in Wake County at East Garner Elementary and have found my new teaching home at White Oak Elementary! I am lucky to have the opportunity to teach visual arts to hundreds of children from all socioeconomic statuses, backgrounds, and abilities. I am incredibly passionate about modeling my own artistic abilities as a way to inspire and instill a love for the visual arts in each one of my students. I consider myself beyond lucky that I get to live out my passion every single day at my job.
Teaching Philosophy
As an art educator, my intention is to utilize my knowledge and artistic talent as a way to introduce young learners to new concepts and methods of creating. I am primarily passionate about the strategic inclusion of themes relating to social justice within my instruction. While I feel it is important that students are familiar with the most famous individuals in art history, I choose to highlight the work of contemporary artists in my lesson plans. I have found it is imperative that students are able to see themselves within the artwork I show them, or the artists I introduce them to. With each lesson I create, my hope is always for students to feel challenged, yet comfortable enough to try something new. Art can be intimidating for many, so I work to dismiss the thought that only a certain type of person can be an artist.
My Artwork
When I am not teaching others how to create, I enjoy making art of my own! My favorite mediums to work with are ink, watercolor, and collage. I especially love creating portraits of my favorite fictional characters.