As a teacher, I aim to challenge my students to become independent, objective and critical thinkers. Throughout school and college, I was told what to do, how to think, and that there was only one answer to a problem. While this may be true in some aspects of life, it is not true in art. I want my students to leave my classroom with the understanding that there are many ways to both create artwork that is meaningful and to solve problems. In order to accomplish these goals, I encourage my students to make choices about their artwork, engage in experimentation and critical thinking, and help them learn artistic skills and practices to tap into their own creativity.
It is my conviction that, through art, students can gain critical thinking skills and confidence in making their own choices. I want those I’m teaching to leave my class with a better understanding of the many ways one can solve problems and create art through a variety of mediums, (drawing, painting, found objects, printmaking, sculpture, etc.). To do this, I often give students the freedom and space to experiment with materials and work through their ideas autonomously while still making myself present and available for support. I like to assist students in their problem solving so that they build confidence in themselves and their art making experiences. Within my teaching practice, I offer students demonstrations on material techniques used by a variety of artists, past and present. I want my students to be able to see how the techniques we are learning in class have been applied by working artists. By demonstrating techniques before students begin making their own art, I am giving them another skill to use in their artwork at their discretion. Implementing these techniques into their artwork allows me to gauge my students’ understanding of the art making process while still giving them the freedom to make independent choices and work through various problems that may arise. I want to let my students tap into their own inner creativity, with guidance and support from me, to produce unique and personal artwork. My teaching approach is one of modeling, coaching, and helping students become independent artists and critical thinkers. I also find talking about historical and contemporary artworks and giving students the opportunity to reflect on art is an important element of the art room. Looking at and talking about art that is important to other people gives students the chance to think about what is important to them in art. This insight encourages the making of personal and meaningful art. To do this, I use strategies, such as VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies) to support student led discussions around art. I wanted to become an art teacher so I could influence young students in a positive way, to help them become independent thinkers as well as stronger artists. I want to inspire growth in young people; to help them become better people not better students. I want to give students the confidence through art to make and trust their own choices. |
2nd Grade Student. 2017.
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