Heather Viglione

Education Philosophy

I believe that optimizing learning potential is done through creating a secure and

stimulating environment for student to freely express and explore their identities. Each

individual’s perspective and opinion should be respected, as every learner has beneficial input to

every conversation within the academic community. Class discussions within this type of setting

will encourage students to network their available resources, expand upon their knowledge, and

obtain different perceptions by sharing experiences. Education leaves opportunity for student to

remain ever-growing. I will instill positive moral values that students will be able to use

throughout their lives. By making the classroom subjects applicable to the real world, students

will be able to become thoughtful and active contributors to society.

Feeding a child’s natural curiosity for the world around them through discovery learning

is vital to ensuring that this instinctive passion to question, learn, and understand continues to

grow with them throughout their education. A child’s desire to create art is inherent, but not

exclusive to, this desire to explore; making them insatiable vessels for all the passion this world

deserves. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences expressed that there is more than one type

of intelligence outside the standard evaluations (Day, 2011). I believe art can supplement areas

of a child’s exploration that no other course can offer to their development of problem solving,

personal identity exploration, and global perception.

Art classes is about building a community of creativity through collaboration, that gives

equal opportunity to all students to participate. This community is not just in a classroom, but

within the school, and by constructive cooperative activities builds a firmer support system for

further academic growth as well as more diverse social opportunities. Together in class we will

develop vital personal and professional life skills as a group and individually. Students will be

given opportunities to problem solve and trouble shoot graphic and constructive qualities.

Day, M. (2011). Children and Their Art: Methods for the Elementary and Middle Schools (9th ed., pp. 1-
432). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Students will also develop a visual vocabulary for expression and find new ways to present and

discuss personal perspective.

Art is personal, and personal perspective is a large part of our mission. Not only is the

value of personal craftsmanship and accomplishment important, but a student’s art and

expression are a strong representation of their identity. While establishing a better sense of self,

we can also revel in the diverse, unlimited perspectives within out art community. Students

have the ability to express with confidence as their perspective, vision, and mission is all

subjective to their identity and how they relate to the world around them.

John Dewey found that relevance is essential to students’ desire and ability to learn new

material, and in a world with faltering budgets for aesthetics, stressing to students how

important the skills they develop in art class is dependent on me as an instructor to inspire my

students’ desires to learn art (Day, 2011). Though artistic skills can stand on their own, a

collaborative art-integrated program in school can help provide relevant instruction paired with

other general education subjects. We need to redefine what it means to be artist. In the words of

Dewey, “Art is not the possession of the few who are recognized writers, painters, musicians; it is

the authentic expression of any and all individuality” (Day,2011).

Day, M. (2011). Children and Their Art: Methods for the Elementary and Middle Schools (9th ed., pp. 1-
432). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.