Teaching Philosophy

When I think of education, I become bombarded by the thoughts of my students.  I have always been a teacher and a mother. Those two jobs are my life and what I consider to be important.  My wants and needs are to help others grow to be their best while embedding them with some of my art knowledge, technique, and skills.  I believe it is my job to facilitate student learning, growth, and individualization. It is so important to give the students a safe place to take risks and make mistakes; this is when the students will learn the most.  A classroom environment can aid in this by creating a homey, comfortable space for students and teachers to put their guard down and learn.

In my classroom, I make a point to build a relationship with each student.  I meet one on one when possible and learn about their unique lives and learning abilities.  Being able to connect and have a positive teacher-student relationship is key.  Students also must have a feeling of pride and ownership in a classroom. By learning who the individual student is I can use that knowledge to assure they have the best experience in a regular classroom setting and a student centered learning situation.

I feel student-led events aid in this feeling of pride and ownership.  Students can present an exhibition, demo, etc. to people outside of the class to be able to show off and prove their knowledge and skill set.  Some students are better behind the scenes and others are better running the show front and center.  Having a student-led event they can do whichever role they feel most comfortable with and gain pride and ownership from the finished event or product.   By having these personal relationships with the students, I can help lead students to the right place for them at that time.

To be able to give my students everything they deserve, I must constantly be growing as a teacher and as an individual.  As an educator I should be searching for new mediums, artists, techniques, teaching strategies, research, etc. and I should be implementing that new knowledge into my classroom.  It is my job to assure my students are receiving the best education and I cannot do that if I am not keeping up with continual professional growth.  Combining my love for students, safe spaces, student-led events, and constant growth creates a well-rounded teaching philosophy.