My Values and Commitments, my Life as a Teacher
As I embark on this journey to becoming a visual arts educator, my greatest hope is to create a space where my students feel safe to be themselves, empowered to try new things, and encouraged to follow their curiosity. Just as the arts have ignited a passion for lifelong learning in me, I aim to use the arts to inspire a love for learning and showcase the importance of creative thinking. I believe the visual arts can be a powerful tool for personal expression and growth, as well as a means to help students see how they can contribute positively to the world beyond the confines of the school.
Every day, I strive to build trust and connect with each of my students. I circulate around the classroom, take a genuine interest in their ideas, offer constructive feedback, and try to meet them where they are socially and emotionally on any given day. I believe in guiding students to think critically and reflect on their work by asking lots of open-ended questions. Building lessons with great care and consideration, I encourage my students to push their ideas and explore the many different ways they could develop their artworks. By showcasing a wide range of artists, traditions, and perspectives, I want students to feel connected to the world around them and see the relevance of their learning in their everyday lives.
At the heart of my teaching practice is the importance of creating a supportive and safe classroom environment. When this is achieved, I believe students feel comfortable, or dare I say, empowered to find their voice and push beyond their current understanding of the world. My classroom will always have its door open to students, even those not in my classes, before school, during lunch, and after school. When students join me in the arts classroom, we listen to music, share stories, and make art together. Through these simple acts, I hope each student feels valued and cared for.
My greatest ambition is to help students find the magic in the arts as a way of understanding the world and exploring how they envision their futures, extending beyond their time in my classroom. It all starts with a spark of wonder and curiosity. From there, I hope to inspire my students to carry their curiosity throughout their lives.