Teacher Philosophy

Having analyzed why art education is important, I have come to understand that through math and language arts classes, students make cognitive gains with numbers (math) and words (language). However, through art classes, students can improve fine motor skills, develop greater visual perception, build character traits, become more self-aware, and enjoy an untraditional channel through which one becomes more socially aware of relationships, culture, and community.

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I follow Lowenfeld’s “Stages of Artistic Development” which explains the basics of fine motor development that enhance into awareness and experimentation with placement, depth, shape, color, and detail. These advancements with a variety of different mediums is a channel through fine motor skills and cognitive growth through cause, effect, and problem-solving. My philosophy includes “a desired outcome” being not only what the art teacher’s desired outcome entails, but also if it was achieved by what the student expected. Self-awareness and character building through art are important components in my philosophy. When implementing ideas about teaching, learning, and artmaking, comes with participating in life lessons of exploring oneself. The two key values describing relationships with my students, ideas, and materials I teach are to explore together the concepts of art through the process of artmaking/art materials; Second, being the outcome and the questionings of the efforts within the classroom. This will help the relationship as a way to connect on a friendly level of new concepts in a student’s life.

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To create outcomes, the students will recognize themselves and the values I am trying to instill. With artistic collaborative projects, students can build relationships. With the study of multi-cultural art, students can better understand class, race, and social movements in order to foster empathy for those who have lived and are living a different life. Art has always taught me that I could not learn the same through math and language arts classes, but to also connect with those subjects to a certain degree. My personal teaching philosophy is to incorporate art in ways that facilitate not just artistic development but also cognitive, emotional, and social growth. 

 

Furthermore, I will grade my students based upon decisions the student and teacher discuss together. In a project, if the student took effort, critical thinking, and emotion, the piece would further stand out and be a piece to then further talk about and grasp a deeper understanding of the world. If a student has a project who more so doesn’t care or grasp the qualities I try to seek, the conversation might be less active, having the teacher understand the student learning experience lessened.

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I enjoy art as a person myself as a child growing up and it has helped me in many ways. It shaped me into the person I am today and helped me analyze new ideas around me. As a child, I started off with making cards, painting on wooden figures, to creating huge oil paintings of portrait realism for my bachelor's degree. It has inspired me throughout my entire life to helping others see all the different aspects art can offer.