Teaching Philosophy
It is my belief that all humans are born with the gift of creativity. The goal of my classroom is to teach students how to unlock and utilize said creativity. I structure the curriculum to navigate students through the artistic process and cover the standards set for their success. I guide my students through the artistic process by having them research, experiment, create, express, and reflect. I like to scaffold the content by
introducing skill activities or small historical lessons, and then build that up to extended projects where students can use what they have previously practiced or learned. This approach to introducing curriculum builds confidence in students and requires them to build upon knowledge as time goes on. This helps reach the goal of keeping students in the zone of proximal development. I also believe that a large part of learning in the arts is visual and kinesthetic. I like to utilize demonstrations, photos, and videos in my lessons. The visual aspect plays a large role in one of my favorite methods, “I do, we do, you do”. This teaching method is a good way to break down tasks or skills with
students who may feel uneasy about content. The gradual shift in responsibility eases student anxiety compared to just throwing them into the fire. I do not like to rely solely on this method, as kinesthetic learning can be just as effective. I believe using experimentation with materials is highly effective with students who are more confident
in trying something new and in breaking the ice for very nervous students. These two methods work well with smaller activities or introductions to materials, but for long term projects I like to take on a facilitator or mentor role. This shifts responsibility onto the student, which gives them more ownership of the artwork. Students will be challenged to use their own experience, knowledge, ideas, and research to create according to the project guidelines. The students can still be secure in knowing that I will be there asking questions and checking in on their progress along the way. The more student led projects can be a freeing way for students to practice what they have learned and experiment with their own ideas.
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My classroom environment is upheld in a way to be a safe, welcoming environment for those ideas and for students to explore and learn in. I frame everything in my classroom with a growth mindset. Even failures or mistakes are a step forward, because we can learn from them rather than be held back by them. I aim to train students to use this approach with their art, but to also carry that over into their personal lives.
I believe that we are designed to not only be creators, but to be learners. My goal as an art educator is to equip students, even those who feel they have no artistic desire, with the disposition of creativity. I believe what students can learn from art, such as experimentation, critical thinking, analysis skills, and communication, can be transferred over to any other aspect of their lives. These skills will help them to become a lifelong learner no matter what field they are in. They can take their practiced creativity with them and apply it to situations or circumstances outside of the classroom. I feel it is my duty as an art educator to prepare and provide my students with the skills and support needed for them to realize their potential and put it into action.
