Jennifer C.

Perry
2529 Woodale Ave #1 Green Bay, WI 54313 920-609-8981 jennifercperry2@gmail.com





Philosophy for Art Education
A quality art program cannot be based around one constant idea but rather surrounds a
dynamic interrelationship of the teacher, students, curriculum, and learning environmentall of
which should be changing and growing together. There should be a certain sense of synergy
between the teacher and students; when a trusting, safe and flexible relationship is built
collaboratively between these two worlds the classroom can truly become a learning environment
and the curriculum should fall in place around this. Though I am a realist and dont believe every
student will come into the art room with a strong connection to art from the start, I am optimistic
that this connection to art can develop in every students life when the instructor connects with
individual students lives first, and then connects them to the art world. Students will come into
the classroom with different experiences, backgrounds, and ideas and it is the role of the teacher
and a curriculum designed to adapt and celebrate these differences with a multifaceted art
program that encourages students to think through the lens of an artist and themselves at the same
time. Getting to truly know students particular needs is not an easy task but one that is worthwhile
for an authentic, non-cookie cutter learning experience. Just as math, science, history and English
are necessary to the intellectual development of every child, art is another way of approaching and
thinking about the world, so it is crucial that the arts are a part of every students life. Students
should be given every opportunity to think and grow as unique individuals who need to creatively
approach an ever-changing world.
Art is a complicated and often misinterpreted subject. I think it seems appropriate for
students to be challenged by this because I am sure they can relate this idea of art to their own
lives. Also, this characteristic is not independent from the world we are living in today. As the
world, art, and student lives are becoming increasingly complex and there is no one prescribed
answer to any of it, I believe the way to approach the art curriculum is through focusing on
creative processes. While art is not the only subject capable of nurturing creativity in students, I
think that the processes and variety that will be offered to the students in my art classroom will
guide them towards thinking innovatively and independently which will be useful to their lives and
the global society now and in the future. While developing craft in a variety of materials is an
important part of art, skill is not where learning ends in the art room. I will ensure that students
are in an environment where they will be free to take risks yet be selective, express themselves
yet reflect critically, and stretch and explore the unknown, yet observe more carefully the world
they live in. This involves giving students the time to use their imagination, combine, deconstruct,
manipulate, and think about things in new ways while reassuring students that it is okay to make
mistakes and grow from them. So often students are intimidated to make mistakes that they dont
take risks, and if they dont take risks they are not changing, and therefore they are not learning. I
want students to find their strengths and weaknesses as artists and as individuals through real



experiences that are meaningful to themto me if art is not meaningful, then it is not a completed
work of art. Lastly, if students are going to answer the complicated questions about themselves,
art, or the world around them they need to be offered a program that involves art history,
aesthetics, criticism, production, visual culture, as well as integration of other subject areas.
Students will not be able to change the way they think about art or the world if they are only
offered one perspective.
The beliefs that I have about art education come from my own life experience and past art
education experiencesome of which has taught me what I value, and some of which has made me
realize the things I want to do differently as a teacher. The main thing in my life that has made me
value education and learning is my study abroad experience. This experience alone changed the
way I think about the world and weaves into my belief about teaching. After my travels, I realized
that I dont think anyone or anything should be static for any extensive amount of time. While
consistency and commitment is important, it doesnt mean that new experiences cannot enter the
equation. This is a mobile world and I think that everyone should be moving, changing, and learning
right along with it and all its dimensions; for me, both traveling and teaching are ways to
accomplish this. As for my art experiences that have shaped who I want to become as a teacherI
now know how much meaning and connectivity lacked in my art experiences growing up and this is
something I do not want to ever deprive my students of when I teach. My education courses at the
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire have given me new insight on recognizing learning styles, the
importance of differentiation of instruction and assessment, and most importantly getting to know
my students. Further, the things I have taken away through my art courses are that the process and
mistakes made along the way are just as valuable as the finished product, and that knowing who
you are as a person and artist are intrinsically valuable. Synthesizing my past experience with what
I have learned at the college level, I hope to create a living art program that is organized, open-
minded, adaptable and promotes the creative process to suit all of my unique students who need
an innovative outlook on an unpredictable future.