Personal Teaching Philosophy

I believe that students learn best when they feel heard and understood. As a student, to know your teacher understands you as a learner as well as the person you are beyond the classroom is crucial in having a positive experience. The art classroom is not only a place for creative opportunities, but a safe place for emotional output. As a teacher you are tasked with giving students the space to activate both creative and emotional parts of themselves, and I believe a good teacher is able to do this with each lesson they teach.

My formative years of teaching art were spent working with middle school students with a range of learning disabilities. Taking the time to understand each and every one of their histories not only helped me as a teacher, but helped develop trust in my classroom. This level of inclusivity is something I strive to bring into each and every one of my teaching experiences, as this is part of how I foster strong bonds with my students.

I strongly believe in Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, and give all my students the chance to find their own innate strengths in artistic learning. Whether this means moving while working, or pairing up and working collaboratively, I see the importance in all approaches to learning.

Success in teaching comes from seeing that your students have learned something new. Assessing growth and development in learning can be done in many forms, but I believe that classroom dialogue is the perfect place to gauge student learning. In the elementary setting this may happen on a meeting rug, where students can debrief on what they have done that day, or ask lingering questions. In the middle and high school setting this may be a more formal, student led critique, where the class discusses each others work. This approach to assessment can not only help one connect with students individually, but encourage discussions between students in order to make connections and share in learning.