ABOUT METeacher Biograph I’ve wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a child. My mother was a teacher and that helped me see the importance of teaching in shaping young lives. Teachers have the most instrumental profession; a good or bad teacher can be a make or break for a student. I know what it’s like to be a student and it is extremely difficult. Not only do teachers provide knowledge, they can provide emotional support and resources for students in need. This falls under my skills; I want to be there for students who need a strong leader in their lives. I started working with kids when I was in high school. I immediately enjoyed it. I continued to take every opportunity I could to work with kids which led me to my counselor position at Steve and Kate’s camp. This position taught me a lot about working with young kids and helped me realize just how infinite a young mind is. I learned so much from these kids and it felt incredible to teach them new things.
Art is a very important part of my life and I want to share my view of art with the next generation. Giving kids the tools to express themselves creatively is one of my biggest goals. Without art, the world would be extremely bland and without art teachers, students wouldn’t gain the valuable knowledge they need to create art and express themselves. My life has been shaped by teachers and now I want to do my part in shaping the lives of the next generation to create a better future. |
|
My Teaching Philosophy
In my opinion, “education” has gained negative connotations throughout the years. Education has become infamous for stomping out a child’s creativity through hundreds of tests and unattainable expectations. This makes me incredibly sad, because my education has been such a huge factor in who I am. Throughout my education, I have grown as a person. I have become more free, more aware of issues around the world, and a more well-rounded person. One of the reasons I wanted to become an educator was to inspire students and help them develop the way education has helped me develop. I believe that education should be centered around creativity and allowing students to make mistakes. In order to give students the tools they need to succeed, we as teachers need to first allow them to be human. Humans make mistake, have inquiries, and need creativity. Teachers and educators need to focus on the child and not on creating a perfect machine.
Giving students the tools to express themselves artistically is crucial in promoting learning. Last semester, I wrote a seven page research paper on why art is important in education. Art promotes creativity, allows students to relax and create, and gives students an outlet to express themselves. Art is the reason many students are able to graduate and succeed in school. Because of this, it is extremely important to include art within education. I believe that it is an art teacher’s duty as an educator to create a safe space where students are allowed to explore their own creativity. So much of education has become about tests and test scores, students need a class where they get to relax, create, and grow as people.
When I become an educator, I would like to have an extremely choice-driven classroom. I believe another important part of education is giving students choices in everything they do. In the real world, there aren’t always laid out, specific instructions. That’s why giving students an opportunity to make choices within their own learning is so important. In order to succeed, students need to be freethinkers and it’s difficult to promote that if they have don’t have the ability to make choices and decisions for themselves. If teachers always provide students with cut and dry, specific instructions, students will never get the opportunity to control their own learning. Every class can be choice-driven but it’s especially effective in an art classroom. If students aren’t given choices within an art classroom, their creativity is already being cut down and discouraged.
Because of the importance education has in my own life, I have a very defined belief about education and teaching. Giving students choices and allowing them to be creative will lead to a much stronger, more well-rounded future generation. Our goal as educators should be to give students the tools they need to succeed rather than stomping out the creativity that naturally occurs in every person
Giving students the tools to express themselves artistically is crucial in promoting learning. Last semester, I wrote a seven page research paper on why art is important in education. Art promotes creativity, allows students to relax and create, and gives students an outlet to express themselves. Art is the reason many students are able to graduate and succeed in school. Because of this, it is extremely important to include art within education. I believe that it is an art teacher’s duty as an educator to create a safe space where students are allowed to explore their own creativity. So much of education has become about tests and test scores, students need a class where they get to relax, create, and grow as people.
When I become an educator, I would like to have an extremely choice-driven classroom. I believe another important part of education is giving students choices in everything they do. In the real world, there aren’t always laid out, specific instructions. That’s why giving students an opportunity to make choices within their own learning is so important. In order to succeed, students need to be freethinkers and it’s difficult to promote that if they have don’t have the ability to make choices and decisions for themselves. If teachers always provide students with cut and dry, specific instructions, students will never get the opportunity to control their own learning. Every class can be choice-driven but it’s especially effective in an art classroom. If students aren’t given choices within an art classroom, their creativity is already being cut down and discouraged.
Because of the importance education has in my own life, I have a very defined belief about education and teaching. Giving students choices and allowing them to be creative will lead to a much stronger, more well-rounded future generation. Our goal as educators should be to give students the tools they need to succeed rather than stomping out the creativity that naturally occurs in every person
Study Abroad in Africa
|
From May 21st, 2017 to June 20th, 2017, I took a study abroad trip to Qwa Qwa, South Africa. There, we talked to local artists who taught us how they create their art. All of the artists we met have been doing their craft for decades. We also visited local schools and taught kids how to use pastels and watercolors, which they have never used. It was an amazing and enlightening experience and I am excited about applying what I learned to schools in America.
|
|
|
