Art Teaching Philosophy

My philosophical approach to Art Education is both student-centered, and art focused. I

want my students to be able to use the knowledge, and problem-solving skills learned from my
class, to help them in other courses and everyday life. Art is meaningful and can apply to things
in the outside world. It is important that I create a learning environment where students
experience a broad range of general knowledge that reflects an understanding of the communities
and world in which we live. Lessons I develop focus on the importance of self-reflection, one’s
involvement with the community, and one’s understanding of the world. The goal is to expose
students to as much art as possible in a variety of different ways and broaden the scope of student
thinking. Along with creating art, it is equally as important to teach students about the history of
art, including analyzing and critiquing works of art.
All students are different in the way they learn. It is essential to know your students and
their abilities. I set consistent expectations for them all. Teaching involves explaining or
demonstrating the same process in a variety of ways. I always apply differentiated instruction to
reach all of my students. I modify teaching strategies and assessments based on the individual
student's needs and abilities. Using a variety of formative and summative assessment with
students individually or in groups helps students talk about their work, and that of their peers. It
provides valuable feedback for future use of the lesson, or extensions to the experience. Setting
consistent expectations for students to refer to can be done with classroom management plans and
rubrics for grading. Students also fill out self-evaluation worksheets that ask open-ended
questions about the lesson, which will give valuable feedback for future planning.
Teaching is what I was born to do; Art is my passion. As a young boy, I have felt the need
to give and help uplift others. As I entered high school, I pursued many activities and disciplines,
but art and photography are where my talent and drive thrived. After high school, I attended
Hardin-Simmons University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Education
while also taking art courses. I knew I wanted to become a teacher, so I was advised to teach
math because of the opportunities and my ability. I immediately knew teaching was my calling
but felt that something was missing. After teaching three years of high school math, I finally
understood that I could make the greatest impact teaching art. It was my art teachers in high
school and college that made the most significant impact in my life, and now I want to help
students the way they helped me.
As a lifelong learner, I will continue taking classes and attending workshop and
conferences that will help me grow as an art educator. I actively seek advice from my
collaborating teachers, peers, and students to help me develop as an educator, and regularly
reflect on my teaching by keeping a journal. I plan on traveling around the United States and to
different parts of the world to visit the various museum and historic architectural landmarks. The
knowledge that I have obtained and will continue to acquire, combined with the determination to
succeed will be the key elements in inspiring the students I teach.