Teaching Philosophy :

“Expanding both heart and mind, engaged pedagogy makes us better learners because it asks us to embrace and explore the practice of knowing together, to see intelligence as a resource that can strengthen our common good.”

                                                                        - bell hooks

As an educator specializing in foundational studies, I deeply believe that setting students up with basic drawing, painting, color theory, and design principles is the key to equipping successful future artists and art educators no matter their individual specializations. I teach my students core foundational knowledge using contemporary artist examples and historical framework that reflects their own sociocultural backgrounds to facilitate engagement with the subject matter.

                  It is deeply important to create and nurture a classroom environment that is collaborative both between the students and I and the students themselves. I implemented this in my own classes by creating group projects with students and myself and between students, demonstrating assignments, creating new assignments, and making an effort to customize assignments based on need and learning styles. I believe that fostering art communities early amongst students can only benefit them as they continue through school.  Each student is different and the way they learn will never be the same as any other student. In my experience, students thrive if I rise to meet their needs rather than hold them to my own teaching preferences.  My students all have vastly different life experiences and it is my responsibility to respect those life experiences within my classroom. 

                  While learning about art, students are exposed to makers and thinkers who are vastly different than them. Respect is key to the success of my classroom. Gender identity, pronouns, sexual orientation, religious identity, race, age, and disability will always be respected and disrespect will not be tolerated in any way. Students will learn and will create better, more thoughtful work if the classroom is a safe space for all students.

                  I firmly believe that the best way to do well in my classes is to show up every day with an attitude that is open to the possibilities that art can provide. Foundational art classes especially are the beginning gateway to students understanding art both formally and conceptually, and participation and engagement is necessary in order to do well.  Each class is a mixture of lectures, in-class demonstrations, self-motivated working days, and constructive critique. 

                  I see learning as a collaborative experience between student and educator. Art is an experience that everyone consumes and indulges in every day. Artists are informed by our lived experiences and by those around us to make art and I believe that the problem solving, communication, and collaboration skills my students learn can be applied to any other class they attend through high school into college and beyond, into their own careers.  I plan to learn from my students just as much as they will learn from me. I keep a regular art practice that includes keeping a sketchbook, maintaining an online presence, teaching, taking classes and workshops, and applying for competitions and exhibitions. I hope to pass these collected skills and opportunities on to my students so that they may be fully prepared to become successful artists as well.  

Diversity Statement:

            I am a first generation, chronically ill student. I am well aware of the challenges that students can face in the classroom due to outside circumstances because I myself dealt with the stress of being a student with unique circumstances. I am committed to providing a classroom that is inclusive to all students regardless of age, race, identity, ability, and sexual orientation. I believe that an art education that adapts to each students individual needs produces better artists and better educators.

I am someone who has had a chronic illness since I was nineteen years old. This illness has at times been debilitating, with fatigue, high blood sugar, and migraines lasting for weeks at a time, and if it were not for my professors creating an environment that gave me the space and privilege to recover and thrive at my own pace, I would have never finished my undergraduate degree. In my art practice I make work about the treatment of women with marginalized bodies. The creation and research of this work has made me deeply aware of the ways in which marginalized communities struggle for equal standing in all aspects of life, including in the classroom. My classroom has no space for racism, homophobia, xenophobia, transphobia, ageism, sexism, ableism, or religious discrimination. As a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman I have a responsibility to use my privilege in a way that ensures that my students are able to come to class and learn safely, and learn about artists and processes that reflect their lives and experiences, not just mine. In the past I have practiced this by asking students for references of artists they admire, or I have chosen artists that in some way reflected each of my students. I have attended several training sessions on diversity and inclusion during my time in college as well.

            Learning access is also important to me in creating a diverse classroom. I grew up in a rural area that did not have access to Internet or cable television until 2011 when I was fifteen years old. Not every student has Internet access or reliable Internet, some students share a computer with multiple other people, and some students are primary caregivers of children, elderly, or ill family members. The ability to work with students who have larger responsibilities at home or don’t have access to the same technology is another important classroom practice for me. Education is an incredible commitment and I want students to leave my classes with the knowledge that I will always adapt my classes to meet them. I implement this in my classroom by providing physical resources such as books and art magazines and periodicals. I always have three different methods to teach a lesson: solely internet based, hybrid based, and completely physical based. I have met with students on an individual basis to discuss individual learning plans and how to accommodate their unique circumstances. I have also taken students to art museums and galleries to get to physically see art whenever possible. 

            I am fully committed to diversity and inclusion in my classroom. I believe that students who feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged thrive in school and are better to advocate for themselves later in life.