Philosophy

The purpose of education is to prepare students for life after school, to help them develop strategies to thrive in times of uncertainty and complexity, and to discover the things that they are interested in. Art education teaches students how to see, filter, and understand the world around them. Today, all employers, both inside and outside the art world, are looking for critical thinkers, decision makers, problem solvers, and collaborators. These are all skills that are developed in an art classroom. Art education has the power to cultivate socially aware, global citizens who will have a positive impact on the world through the process of designing, the creation of art, and the development of visual literacy.

My job as an art educator is to help mold the next generation of independent citizens, who can function in society by understanding and decoding representations around them, and creating new visuals that ask new questions of our society. In this globalized world, it is imperative that students learn to appreciate and understand their own cultures, and to be curious and respect the diversity of others. The creation of a safe classroom community that teaches, models, and demands empathy, tolerance, and respect for all is paramount to the foundation of learning. My classroom will be a space where multiple intelligences, languages, cultures, and learning styles are embraced and celebrated.

Art educators wear many hats. Along with my main role as a facilitator of student learning, I also see myself as a seed planter, an illuminator, and a connector of dots. As a seed planter, I will create the conditions for individual growth for each student. As an illuminator, I will expose students to new ideas, concepts, and work they have not seen before, and encourage them to think about materials in unexpected ways.  Finally, as a connector of dots, I will help to contextualize the students’ art within our diverse cultures, histories and the world. Art is a fundamental discipline that integrates with and informs many other subjects including history, science, technology, engineering, and literature and I look forward to collaborating with my colleagues.

I firmly believe that all students can achieve if they are given an equal opportunity and I will set high expectations and hold all students to that bar. I will help students acquire skills and knowledge that they need to become confident, independent learners who can continue to develop their understanding and expertise as artists. As a coach and guide, I will work to raise the confidence of my students, and empower them to be curious lifelong learners. With clear expectations and a culture of feedback, I will help students use their personal agency and become effective in their own success.

I believe it is essential that students experience components of the “real” art world: wandering museums, visiting art studios, and meeting with artists. Through these experiences, students are exposed to the ways the art world operates and they are able to make direct connections between what they are learning in school and what they see in the “real” world. They also begin to understand the diverse and complex nature of the world of art.