To understand my teaching philosophy is to understand my passion for art-making. Artistic creation has helped me develop a relationship to the world around me by shaping the lens through which I view it. It has enabled me to explore my identity, cope with many struggles in my life and develop in areas of creative problem solving, perseverance, and confidence. My decision to become an educator was influenced by the desire to facilitate these discoveries in others, especially young people who are just beginning to see themselves and their place in the world.
I feel the classroom should be a place where students are free to express their ideas and stories without fear of judgement and where they might experience a new sense of empowerment. Children are a frequently under-represented population in our society, and I am hoping through facilitating their creativity they will find a way to make their voices heard. The power of expression can give people a voice to express feelings and beliefs that might otherwise remain unheard.
Facilitating this discovery can be harder than it sounds. Often, because students have been told what to do the entirety of their short lives, they can see the classroom as another area in which they have no freedom to explore their interests. I believe it is essential to create a classroom that is choice based. For students to create artwork that is relevant to them, it is important that they develop the motivations for their work themselves. By basing lessons and curriculum on gauged student interests as well as allowing for enough freedom for differentiation between process, materials, and product, students create works of art that are personally relevant and meaningful.
Another big idea that influences my teaching philosophy is the symbiosis of learning that occurs between teachers and students. I believe I have as much to learn from my students as they have to learn from me. I would like to work in a school where students and teachers work towards the common goal of learning which allows students to take more responsibility for their own success and causes them to be more active participants in their education. I would like to foster this sort of responsibility in my own classroom by encouraging students to critically think and problem solve as they work through authentic artistic endeavors.
My teaching philosophy is ever-evolving as I continue to reflect on my teaching strengths and weaknesses and learn from my colleagues, mentors, and students. Currently, I am in an interesting middle ground as I am a student of education and an emerging educator, but I hope that rather than viewing this as a stage I will leave when I become a teacher, I continue to carry myself as a life-long student with potential to learn and grow.
I feel the classroom should be a place where students are free to express their ideas and stories without fear of judgement and where they might experience a new sense of empowerment. Children are a frequently under-represented population in our society, and I am hoping through facilitating their creativity they will find a way to make their voices heard. The power of expression can give people a voice to express feelings and beliefs that might otherwise remain unheard.
Facilitating this discovery can be harder than it sounds. Often, because students have been told what to do the entirety of their short lives, they can see the classroom as another area in which they have no freedom to explore their interests. I believe it is essential to create a classroom that is choice based. For students to create artwork that is relevant to them, it is important that they develop the motivations for their work themselves. By basing lessons and curriculum on gauged student interests as well as allowing for enough freedom for differentiation between process, materials, and product, students create works of art that are personally relevant and meaningful.
Another big idea that influences my teaching philosophy is the symbiosis of learning that occurs between teachers and students. I believe I have as much to learn from my students as they have to learn from me. I would like to work in a school where students and teachers work towards the common goal of learning which allows students to take more responsibility for their own success and causes them to be more active participants in their education. I would like to foster this sort of responsibility in my own classroom by encouraging students to critically think and problem solve as they work through authentic artistic endeavors.
My teaching philosophy is ever-evolving as I continue to reflect on my teaching strengths and weaknesses and learn from my colleagues, mentors, and students. Currently, I am in an interesting middle ground as I am a student of education and an emerging educator, but I hope that rather than viewing this as a stage I will leave when I become a teacher, I continue to carry myself as a life-long student with potential to learn and grow.