Teaching Philosophy

Every student deserves to feel comfortable when they step into an art classroom, and as a teacher it is my job to help students reach their full potential. While in my student teaching I was a part of a TAB classroom, which stands for Teaching for Artistic Behavior. Here the philosophy is, that the art room is the STUDENTS studio! TAB is an environment where students get to create freely, the child is the artist. Engagement with material and the studio space has a significant increase, as well as the level of creativity. TAB is a great way to get students to have the chance to truly discover themselves as artsits!

Honesty

Being honest with yourself in art is one of the best things that you can do for yourself or others while in the creative process. By letting students make mistakes, and correcting them, or being open and honest in critique (without rude remarks, but using constructive criticism), students will be able to blossom as artists, and grow their skill-sets. I encourage honesty by having an open and honest critique, and letting students talk about their mistakes in a non-judgmental classroom so they they can all continue to grow. Being honest with yourself and others as an artist, will help everyone blossom into the best version of themselves, because even when a mistake happens, its okay to not erase it or be ashamed.

Perseverance

Perseverance is the drive to accomplish something despite the obstacles that are being thrown in your way. Art can be hard, not everyone is perfect. Like honesty, teaching perseverance is ideal in the art making world, because there is so much room for mistakes. Mistakes are okay, and learning how to leap over them and problem solve or simply accept them in the art world will take you far in your future creative processes. Though students may make mistakes (or what they may deem as a mistake) I want to teach them how to own them, and either incorporate it into their artwork as is, or problem solve, and learn how they can fix it.

Respect

Having respect for one an other as well as materials, and educators is also equally as important in a classroom. Some materials and tools in our classrooms are not easy to replace, and teaching students to treat the tools like their own, as well as peers and educators respectfully is key to having a nicely flowing classroom. Respect must be given on all levels, students to teachers, teachers to students- this isn't just a one way street. I will model how to respect tools and materials in the classroom, as well as how everyone should be treating each other with care and compassion. Having respect for anyone and everything around you will create a positive and caring environment, making the classroom run smoothly.