Revised Teaching Philosophy

I believe that the visual arts overlap and connect all aspects in one's learning, interactions with culture and society, and one's self discovery. The visual arts are ways to document history, describe culture, express emotion, inspire technology, critique society, and examine individual ideas. Appreciating, creating, and talking knowledgeably about art are valuable tools for every individual. By studying art, students can look at the world they live in critically through different points of views. Our world is made up of art, and because we are surrounded by it, we should explore it. I believe teaching art should be a combination of studying the aesthetics and meaning behind other artists' work, and the students' interpretations of art through their own creativity. An art class should be a place where students feel fearless in their work, knowing that mistakes are simply tools for their success. Teaching art gives students the rare opportunity to break boundaries and truly analyze and form their own definitions of the world they live in.

To be an effective art teacher, I need to understand my students. I must take the time to show them that every individual student matters, and that their work is valuable. By developing a personal relationship with my students, I will be able to help guide them throughout their creative process. I will treat each of my students with equity rather then equality. Every student is an individual learner and creator, and they should therefore be assessed individually. Success is measured by personal improvement rather than competition amongst classmates. Also, to be an effective teacher, I need to be an artist as well. I must acquire the proper knowledge and the skills in order to teach them. Modeling the techniques to my students is a key component to their learning and for setting them up for success. Learning is an ongoing processes, and I will never stop improving as a teacher and an artist. I must continue making art so that I maintain my passion for it. If we do not believe in the power of what we teach, we are doing our students a disservice.

To demonstrate my ability to teach, I will need my personal art work, my ideas, and my experience as evidence. My teaching ability will improve from continuously interacting with real students. I believe learning how to teach is most effective through actual hands-on teaching. I will need to have many ideas and lessons plans already prepared before I gain teaching credibility. These will be rich with content, meaning, and big ideas that students will use as driving forces for their creative production. Also, the work I have created over the years as a developing artist will be the proof of my capability of executing techniques and conceptual ideas. Most importantly, learning from my mistakes in order to make improvements will positively impact my teaching ability. 

Put simply, I wish to better the lives of students everyday through teaching. No one can deny the strong correlation between education and success. Every teacher's philosophy will differ in one way or another, but we must share the passion and determination to make a positive difference. Teaching is a privilege, a calling, and an upmost responsibility. Ultimately, the youth's future rests in our creative hands. 

Summative Reflection

Throughout my semester in the Overview to Art Education course, I have learned so many valuable things about what it means to be a great art educator. Although I was always passionate about art's impact on students, I realized that there is so much more to teaching than simply regurgitating the elements and principles of art. I learned that art is more than an elective, a hobby, or an easy A. Teaching art to students is not only cross-curricular, but it also demands the highest level of thinking.

From my experiences, I realized the importance of being prepared. As a future teacher, I have learned to expect the un-expected; preparation and planning is crucial. This calls for organization and effective classroom management. Regarding the class topics, I learned that viewing the work of artists to build knowledge and context is something that I will absolutely implement in my classroom. The method of Visual Thinking Strategies is a powerful way to allow students to think deeply, analyze, and make their own connections to artwork. Also, the creation of art should always have a purpose behind it. Unit plans and students' work should stem from a big idea to ensure meaningful making. I will always model  techniques for my students and provide exemplars to show students what success looks like. It is important that my expectations always remain clear through the use of rubrics. Finally, I feel that an art curriculum should have a balance between concept and technical execution.

I now have a clearer idea of my identity as an artist teacher. As I gain more knowledge, my confidence in my ability to teach grows stronger. I think communication with students is a strength of mine. I have a sincere desire to develop a strong relationship with each of my students. I will continue to develop my skills in different media, as well as develop innovative ideas for meaningful units.

I intend to add more artwork, more reflections from teaching experiences, and revisions to my philosophy to my portfolio in the coming semesters.

Teaching Portfolio

I assembled my teaching portfolio on a separate blog. It contains evidence as well as a full synthesis of what I have learned throughout the Overview to Art Education course. 

Click here to view.