My Philosophy

 

As a teacher, I want my students to learn and appreciate art and its history.  It is my conviction that art is a subject worth knowing.  I want my students to come away from class with a better understanding of the many forms art can encompass, whether it be drawing, painting, found objects, printmaking, as well as the many new, non-conventional ways of art making.  As a teacher, I want to challenge my students to become independent, objective thinkers.  I want them to be able to look at a piece of artwork and form their own opinions and critical analyses of the piece.

 

My teaching process will consist of demos on how to use the material and art history relating to the art we discuss.  I will let my students tap into their own inner creativity, with some guidance for the direction they should go in, to produce unique and personal artwork.  In more practical terms, my teaching approach will be one of modeling, coaching, and helping students become independent artists and art historians, so they can use the knowledge learned in my class and apply it to their future studies and life.

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Theorist I relate to:

Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky is best known for being an educational psychologist with a sociocultural theory.  His theory suggests that social interaction leads to continuous step-by-step changes in children's thought and behavior. Basically Vygotsky's theory suggests that development depends on interaction with people and the tools that the culture provides to help form their own view of the world. 

 

I strongly agree with Vygotsky's theory as it combines the social environment and cognition.  Children will acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a culture by interacting with a more knowledgeable person. Vygotsky believed that social interaction will lead to ongoing changes in a child's thought and behavior.

 

Diversity:

• I always make an effort to get to know my students inside and outside of the art studio environment.  When learning about my students, I make a point to show them my interest in their cultures.  I will never judge traditions or beliefs.  I love trying new things such as learning new languages or experiencing cultural ceromonies.

• I make a point of recognizing the learning patterns of each of my students. I have a variety of teaching styles I use so that every student feels comfortable and can learn and create in my art studio.

• Throughout the year I incorporate art from a variety of cultures.  We will discuss techniques and materials used to create works of art from areas all around the globe.  This shows the students that different cultures are important.

 

Resources:

I love seeking out new ideas and collaborating with other teachers.  I follow several other inspiring teachers, artist, and educational groups:

https://www.theartofed.com

http://www.artwithmre.com

http://www.deepspacesparkle.com

http://www.incredibleart.org

http://thevirtualinstructor.com

http://cassiestephens.blogspot.com

http://ms-artteacher.blogspot.com

http://paintedpaperintheartroom.blogspot.com