Teaching Philosophy

Classroom Culture

“To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.”-Maria Montessori
As a teacher of the arts, I want my students to feel comfortable asking questions if they do not understand something, I want my students to feel comfortable asking each other questions, and I want my students to feel that they are only as limited as their imagination. This type of classroom would promote active thought and give them a place to grow as students and as individuals which is necessary during adolescence.

As a teacher, I will be committed to making sure my students feel that the art room is a place where they can feel comfortable taking chances and asking questions. I believe that accountable talk is imperative to promote the kind of environment where students feel at ease. Accountable talk encourages students to think deeper about their reasoning, sharpen students' thinking, and reinforces their ability to create and use knowledge. helps to create a safe, caring and supportive community, which I believe to be useful in the art room where there are a multitude of cultures coming together at once. I believe that arts education is about respecting differences and learning from others.

The importance of having an environment built upon respect is necessary to instill a sense of community. I believe that a sense of community is required throughout an entire school. I feel that teachers should collaborate with parents, students and other teachers to create an environment where students can develop freely. When a child to sees everybody working together, they see a community that cares about each other.  This kind of environment can help the student later in life, and help them become better human beings.

“There is, in fact, no teaching without learning. One requires the other.” – Paulo Freire

I believe that as humans, there is always something new to learn. In order to be a successful teacher, I will always be open to learning from my students and parents. In addition, I believe that when a student sees a teacher constantly learning, they will be motivated to do the same. When students see somebody they believe to have learned everything, still in fact learning, it inspires them to continue learning even after they have finished with school.


Caring and Communication

“Good teaching cannot be reduced to technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher.” – Parker J. Palmer
I believe that the teacher needs to genuinely care about their students, and I fully intend to do just that. Students who feel that their teacher genuinely care about them builds a form of trust, and when the student feels that they can trust the teacher there will be a mutual respect as well as a feeling of safety. I remember feeling like I could trust my art teachers the most while in school, and I wish for my students to feel the same way.  Some of the relationships I built with my art teacher while in school have continued into my adult life, and I feel that those relationships helped shape me into the adult that I am today; some of those teachers are actually my inspiration for becoming an art educator.

I believe that teachers also need to be role models for their students.  Students who have negative influences in their home lives need a positive influence that the teacher provides. I fully intend to be that positive influence a child may need. By being that positive influence, I would like to think that students will be motivated to better themselves, along with continuing their education.

“Each child has a spark in him/her. It is the responsibility of the people and institutions around each child to find what would ignite that spark.” – Howard Gardner
I believe that art is a form of therapy, and can “ignite the spark” Gardner suggests.  When teachers take note of the activities that students are most active in, the students have room to flourish and become good at something. I believe that everybody is good at something, whether it be science, math, art, sports, etc. and when the people and the institutions around them take note of this fact it gives the student the confidence they need to continue with the activity.

As a future art teacher, I fully intend to make my students experience in the art room as enjoyable as possible by paying full attention to their attitudes and behaviors, their interests, and by creating a community within my classroom. I believe these things will inspire and motivate my students to be both better artists and individuals.