Teaching Philosophy:

In order to be an effective visual arts educator I believe my focus should be on encouraging students to become agents of their own learning. My role as an educator goes beyond the transfer of knowledge as it pertains to the foundations of art techniques, concepts and theories. Learning is not a static or linear process but rather a dynamic and constructive process of meaning making that is dependent on the pace and depth of each student’s level of understanding, personal connections and culture. A strong visual arts education has the power to cultivate not only creativity and curiosity but critical thinking strategies and confidence in young people.

            My teaching style is one that is inquiry based and encourages students to engage in an open dialog with myself and fellow students. Through teaching, I encourage students to raise their own questions and generate their own models of possibility while allowing them the space and freedom to make errors in order to facilitate deeper learning and exploration. I encourage self reflection in order to organize and inform personal perspectives, make connections and communicate ideas.

            Through teaching visual arts, I believe we are teaching skills that go well beyond the realm of art and design. Skills learned in the art room directly translate into real-world practice, allowing students to become agents of their own learning and leaders of the future. A strong visual arts education gives students a deeper perspective on our social condition and a greater appreciation of our world, of themselves, and their choices. Moreover, art has the power to challenge, excite, comfort, and motivate. As a visual arts educator it is my goal to instill curiosity, creativity and innovation, to cultivate dispositions that enable collaborative problem solving, and critical thinking skills that mold my students into uniquely effective leaders.

            As future leaders, students will have the power to enable change, improve existing paradigms and cultivate ground-breaking visions for the future. It is my belief that a strong arts education can be a catalyst for profound learning and discovery, but its most important contribution to society is that it has the capacity to create a generation of artists and leaders that will envision a positive and fruitful future that can be, by identifying the present injustices, inequalities and social conditions that shouldn’t be.