Teaching Philosophy

         My philosophical approach to Art Education is both art focused and student centered. I want my students to be able to use the information and problem solving skills learned from my class, to help them in other classes and in everyday life. Art should be meaningful and be able to apply to things in the outside world. Creating a learning environment where students experience a broad range of general knowledge that reflects an understanding of the communities and world in which we live is important to me. Lessons I developed focus on the importance of being involved with the community and understanding what is happening in the world around us. A teaching goal is to expose students to as much art as possible in a variety of different ways. I believe teaching art is a way to broaden the scope of student thinking. It is important to teach students about the history of art, including analyzing and critiquing works of art.

         All students are different in the way they learn. It is important to know your students and their abilities, and set consistent expectations for them all. Teaching involves explaining or demonstrating the same process in a variety of ways. I always apply differentiated instruction to reach all of my students. Modifying teaching strategies and assessments are based on the individual student's needs and abilities. Using a variety of formative and summative assessment with students individually or in groups helps students talk about their work, and of their peers. It provides valuable feedback for future use of the lesson, or extensions to the lesson. Setting consistent expectations for students to refer to can be done with classroom management plans and rubrics for grading. Students also fill out self-evaluation worksheets and ask open-ended questions about the lesson, which will give valuable feedback for future planning.

         Teaching art is what I feel like I was born to do. As a little girl I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I was always passionate about art. As I entered high school art became my saving grace. After high school, I attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies. I always knew I wanted to become a teacher, and realized when I earned my Master of Fine Arts from Duke I belonged in art education. I immediately knew this was my calling. I finally felt like I found the place where I could make the biggest impact. It was the art teachers in my education who made the biggest impact in my life. Now I want to help students the way they helped me.

         As a life-long learner, I will continue taking classes and attending workshops and conferences helping me grow as an art educator. I actively seek advice from my collaborating teachers, peers, and students to help me grow as an educator, and regularly reflect on my teaching by keeping a journal/sketchbook. I plan on traveling around the United States and to different parts of the world to visit different museums and historical architectural landmarks. The knowledge I have obtained and will continue to acquire, combined with my upbeat determination and curiosities will be the key elements in inspiring my life’s calling.