My Philosophy of education is investment in the individual.​

 

For as telling as statistics can be for an educational system, I like to think of them as nothing more than an indicator for a plan of action. Statistics create groupings, but when I see numbers, I think about how each one of those numbers is a person, an individual with their own unique life experiences. The beauty of the individual is that even when presented with similar experiences, we each possess our own unique synthesis of the world. I see students as individuals with valid thoughts/opinions, who each have a high potential for success.

 

I will never say a child is unreachable, I will say, what do I know about this child? Do I need to know more? And I will have conversations with this child, learn about their interests, what is important to them, what they value, what they wish for, look forward to, etcetera. How I interact with the individuals in my classroom will directly affect how I create quality engaging learning experiences. With attentive individualized planning, it is likely that the individual will feel more confident and successful in my classroom, and beyond.

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My life experiences will always be different from each of the students I teach and it is important to celebrate those differences. We have great capacities to inform one another. We are working, building, and creating together as a team of exceptional individuals.

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I will always be mindful of the fact that how I interact with the individual is remembered, and is significant to the individuals future. The individuals in a classroom should feel empowered and driven to succeed. What can I do today to reach that goal?

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Teaching Umbrellas ​

Throughout my teaching career I have found that I have a lot of secondary goals, personal visions, values, and ideas that I want to integrate into my classroom. These elements aren't specifically related to an art curriculum, but more towards a holistic approach to teaching. I like to consider the whole child,  what will transcend beyond the semester, year, or any high school experiences. I call them my teaching umbrellas that arch above the daily activities.

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Fostering  independence-

After teaching technical skill, I try to provide as many opportunities for student driven outcomes as possible, so that students take full ownership over their artwork and ideas. I encourage students to think outside the box, surprise me, plan rich, and reflect constantly. I keep several open projects at once, so that students can tend daily to what suits their mood, feels more urgent, or stimulates their mind that day. Open projects also allow students to be in charge of their workflow, and allows a conversation to occur between each way of working; developing deeper connections with the artistic process.

 

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Scientific and creative thinking skills-

Exploration, experimentation, and questioning strategies are employed often in my classroom. Looking at art through many facets, pulling resources from all over, and developing our eyes in new and unique ways breed a special type of wisdom and character. New and emerging ways of thinking and looking become a part of  the whole person, and how they perceive information, each other, and the world.​

 

Community and team ideals-

My priority is to create a warm, respectful, and active artistic community. I model behaviors and moods conducive to my goal, and speak often about what "we" are doing as a class. We look at each others work often, setting critiques up that allow for positive reinforcement and assistance developing our ideas from one another....I ask for student input on my works too, allowing them to be active participants in a full circle community. I actively engage in conversations with students that have nothing to do with the coursework, but of themselves or their experiences. My goal is to build connections, and bring elements into their artwork, they may not have otherwise. I share life stories, and thoughts and feelings I have about art making and beyond, allowing students to also be open and feel safe in their thoughts or opinions. I am diligent in addressing negative behaviors, attitudes, or language that works against these efforts.