Everyone should have access to art education.

Creating is every humans birth right.

Art can be a tool for social justice, by exposing others to alternative perspectives and create community.

Students are artists, already possessing a diverse knowledge about image making as a means of connecting to their world and having a voice. I see my task as facilitating an articulate engagement with this exposure, through the aesthetic and critical discussion and making of art. I believe this allows students to make work that is personal and culturally meaningful, as they learn about and engage with the ever-changing world and discourse around contemporary art.

Most importantly, I want to foster in each student a creative practice that allows for personal expression, social justice and technical proficiency. I strive to create an environment that balances an emphasis on creative rigor with space for self-expression, risk taking, and failure while placing value on the knowledge, personal experiences, and interests that my students bring to the classroom.

I use the California Visual Arts and Performaing Arts Standards to guide my lesson plans. The standards have a clear progression ensuring students can build upon their art making skills and understanding year after year. (California State Board of Education, 2019) Standards also serve as a way for the teacher to assess where the student is and to communicate what skills may be needed for the student’s artistic development for the appropriate grade level. The standards emphasize two important elements, Enduring Understanding and Essential Questions which help guide teachers to focus on specific ideas and what questions to ask for deeper inquiry. (California State Board of Education, 2019) The Standards are a general guide to help teach artistic understanding and artistic performance.

I incorporate and facilitate experiences for students to practice the eight Studio Habits of Mind. The Studio Habits of Mind was developed after a multi-year investigation done by Harvard Graduate School of Education. The Studio Habits of Mind are essential habits to cutivate to beable to think like an artist and hava an artistic practice. The SHoM are important for students to understand and identify which habit they are using while making art, so they can bring these skills with them onwards as a professional artist or in other classes, hobbies, or life challenges. (Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2022)

“Creativity is an important as literacy.” - Sir Ken Robinson

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” -Albert Einstein

“Creativity is, put simply, the ability to imagine and come up with original ideas and solutions. I’s a willingness to leave what is known, what exists, and open up to what is possible. Creative thinking allows us to connect information in new meaningful ways and, as such, it’s the birthplace of innovation and invention, making it one of humankind’s most valuable skills.” (Magsamen & Ross, Your Brain on Art, 2023)

As an educator I am preparing the next generation of adults. I’m not sure what the 21st century holds but I do know that students will need to be creative problem solvers, collaborators, conscious and confident human beings. The arts build these qualities.

Students need to be able to choose an Art focused semester, where they only take art and physical education classes for the entire semester or year. This way students can focus on being creative with less distractions and stress.

There are countless benefits to having a strong supported art program. “Studies of arts in education over the years have proven that students involved in arts are good academically. Students with access to arts education are five times less likely to drop out of school and four times more likely to be recognized for high achievement. They score higher on the SAT, and on proficiency tests of literacy, writing, and English skills. They are also less likely to have disciplinary infractions. And when arts education is equitable so that all kids have equal access, the learning gap between low- and high-income students begins to shrink.” (Magsamen & Ross, Your Brain on Art, 2023)

Art makng increases student’s self-efficacy and psychological well-being.

I teach my students the importance of regulating emotions for mental clarity and physical well-being, I do this by starting every class with a grounding meditation.

“Research has shown that self-efficacy is essential for positive student outcomes…. Students with high self-efficacy exert greater levels of effort, persistence, and resilience when engaged in challenging tasks – as well as experience lowered levels of stress and anxiety for the task.” (Woolfolk & Hoy, 2018) students will have a harder time succeeding when faced with a difficult task, which leads to stress and anxiety, which also slows down brain processing. Teaching student’s self-efficacy is just as important as the content and the standards because self-efficacy is crucial to succeed in school and in life.

“At a neurochemical level, the act of drawing has been shown to release serotonin and endorphins that foster a more generous, open frame of mind. Specific studies into the neural effects of visual art production and mood have shown that drawing, by changing the brain-wave activity and increasing blood flow to the frontal regions of the brain, has a positive effect on our psychological resilience.” (Magsamen & Ross, Your Brain on Art, 2023)