Teaching Philosophy

My philosophical approach to art education is student-centered, focused on the materials and methods of contemporary studio practice, and grounded in culturally responsive-sustaining education. I strive to provide K-12 students with the tools that they need to seek answers to their own artistic questions. I teach through modeling process, autonomous decision-making, and reflection. I hope to instill these tenets in students through a routine of active inquiry and hands-on engagement, and contribute to their overall dialectic growth in becoming life-long learners.

In the art classroom, I aim to equip students to address the situations that arise down the path of their own inquiry; to empower them to trust their own unique choices as artists and thinkers. I limit material demonstrations to when these are most vital for skillset acquisition, and try to maximize students’ hands-on time. Extended time for process and engagement grows a student’s personal understanding of a material, which enhances their individual artistic choices later on. I prioritize introducing students to the work of contemporary artists working in the local area of the school, as this helps to forge their interest in their community. While I do not exclude key movements in the Western canon from my curriculum, I continually update my artist references to be more representative of the actual world we live in.

I organize my lessons to be increasingly challenging and student-centered – from rudimentary exercises, to extended prompted projects, to a final project where students thoughtfully choose their own subject matter and methods. I believe independent inquiry- and research-based projects are appropriate even for elementary school students; for middle and high school students, I am conscientious of their developmental outlooks (such as self-consciousness) that can make the idea of a final project seem daunting. To de-pressurize the final art project for any age group, I implement age-appropriate prompting, constructive worksheets, and active guidance on material selection and process. I provide ample time for students to communally reflect on what they have made: I guide discussion of fundamental projects towards constructive criticism, so that students feel prepared for respectful discussions and critiques of final artworks. I include students in exhibition and installation decisions, so that they know the great responsibility behind handling each other’s artwork. I strive not only to provide students access to artistic success, but also to allow them to shape their own idea of success.

I work to create a safe space for self-expression and experimentation through inclusion of student ideas, and serious consideration of their concerns. I design curriculum, lead activities, and guide discussion towards building trust, expanding cultural competency, and developing growth mindset. I begin the year by asking students to come up with community values for our classroom, and we revisit these values throughout the year. I respond dialectically to the organic evolution of students’ artwork; I continually rework my lessons in response to their expressed interests and feedback. Whenever possible, I include students and the school community’s input in the theme and arc of our upcoming art lessons. I accommodate projects for students’ varied needs, different strengths, and for mixed-age groups. The inclusion of students with participation restrictions and different learning styles is vital to the culture of the classroom. I collaborate with fellow teachers and specialists, and seek out school resources to ensure accessibility and inclusion. My goal is to create a pluralistic reality in our art classroom.

As an art teacher, I transparently follow my own educational philosophy. I want students to witness and understand the choices I make as an educator; I want to show my own adaptability as we collectively problem-solve the unexpected outcome of a material, or struggle with frustrating project constraints (like the fast-approaching end of class). I hope to intrinsically pass on situational sensitivity through modeling my own problem-solving. I have taught under circumstances with intense time, space, and budget constraints, and even with constraints on my teaching philosophy; I have taught in collaboration with both art teachers and standard-curriculum classroom teachers; I have taught with the benefit of extended class time; I have taught with my own art classroom; I have taught as a push-in teacher on an art cart. I always make the most of these varied teaching situations, in order to provide students with the most immersive art education experience.

I see promoting the active practice of learning-through-doing as fundamental to the development of students’ overall critical thinking and self-motivation skills. Art education provides a unique opportunity for students to literally form their ideas into a reality – to handle their ideas from plans, to germination, to becoming an artwork that we can look at and react to. I aim to make the artistic process applicable and enjoyable for students, no matter their academic interests and pursuits. I approach teaching art as an opportunity to be responsive to students interests and needs, and my goal is to continually grow as an educator.