Philosophy of Education
As an art educator, my goal is to improve the lives of others through the practice of sharing and receiving knowledge, regardless of age. Experiences guided by surrounding environments influence how a child learns to perceive life. I humbly want to be a guide to help each and every person I come into contact with as a teacher, to gain knowledge that benefits their individual lives in some way. As a teacher I wish to help my students grow in creative ways that contribute to the culture of society in concrete and kind ways.
As an art teacher, I will reference the ideals from the postmodern era of progressive learning. Because there is a constant change in experiences, there is constant growth in knowledge. Not every student will learn in the same way or come from the same background, therefore as a teacher I must be able to adapt and adjust to each students’ needs in order to be able to create an effective learning environment for all of my students. In relation to postmodernism, knowledge works on an endless continuum, there is no end to learning and there is not one way to learn. There will always be something that any one individual can discover and there are multiple ways to discover it; an ideal that I will enfold upon my students. There should be no limit to discovery, but rather regards towards the proper tools for prosperous realization. I will enforce the idea of learning to add to knowledge by placing higher priority on developing rather than determining intelligence by using specific measurement based on the subject I am teaching.
In my opinion, the basis of all learning involves creating a safe environment where students feel safe to ask questions and be themselves. Building relationships and connecting with students, and moreover being available for them, is extremely important to the growth of knowledge. Referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs, if they don't feel safe, learning cannot happen. Once those are established and learning can begin, experimentation, play and failure to succeed are extremely important in developing an artistic practice.
I will create a classroom environment rich with opportunities that will cater to all learning styles. Identifying that not every student learns the same and providing various teaching methods, accommodations and differentiations as possible help to create an inclusive learning environment. All instruction will include more than one method of delivering material such as demonstration, visual examples, verbal explanation, written examples, references of finished products and so on.
I feel it is important that all students be encouraged to develop their individual talents as much as feel equal and respected in the classroom from their peers and their instructor. As a teacher I willI exemplify ways to show individuals respect by entrusting them, while in the classroom so that this message will be passed on to other students. The goal will be to make each student responsible for themselves in support of an effective working environment for everyone in the classroom. My art room will be a safe place for students to come and be themselves, a place to enjoy while they create art in the best way that sees fit for each student.
I believe that student choice is crucial to the efficiency of a classroom. Creating learning outcomes that are relevant to development of knowledge and then figuring out a way for students to choose how they would like to demonstrate their understanding, as long as they have fulfilled the mean outcome of the assignment, makes for better personal understanding of material as well as student engagement. Providing choice and differentiation in lesson delivery creates an inclusive learning environment.
As a believer that time is valuable and should be respected in the teaching of art. Therefore, strategies to promote individual growth should be implemented in every class, each day for the respective class or student. Each lesson can be accompanied by a real world scenario or relevant purpose to show greater understanding and achievements in individuals towards their work. It is not enough for an individual to just be considered smart, but rather a well-rounded individual with many social, emotional, environmental and personal skills. As a teacher I will work to develop lesson plans to support the development of all of the skills for my students.
I believe that the classroom essentials are the same for any classroom; building quality relationships, providing strong communication, providing differentiation in delivery, student support, choice and engagement. As an educator, I work to implement these strategies in every class or course, regardless of age or topic.