TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

Teaching Art is a way to motivate, challenge and empower students. As a teacher, it is my goal to enhance student learning and create lifelong, reflective learners. Students in my care are asked to think, rethink, create and reflect during various phases of coursework. Real-life problem solving tasks are assigned as a way for students to connect ideas and make coursework relevant within their lives. I firmly believe that a motivated student is an engaged and effective student. 

My philosophy is that students learn best when they make meaning for themselves through conceptual inquiry. With modeling, scaffolding and encouragement, students are able to tackle investigations and inquire into a problem to formulate their own conclusions into well educated responses. This process of education and self-reflection are just as important as the end product, if not more. The skills they acquire and the ideas they try to understand should be relevant and authentic to their learning and lives. The process should be highlighted as a method to tackle investigations and to develop the strategies that assist them to transfer these skills into preparations for their future. 

All students come with different experiences, cultures and histories. Accessing their prior knowledge with respect and an awareness to self-reflect and develop growth mindsets, are integral. By giving students a voice in their learning, it allows them to make connections and provides opportunities to work and learn together. Students within my pastoral care may also expect a sense a humour. A sense of humour is an important element within the classroom as it builds friendship, rapport and trust.

I also believe in process and project based learning and make attempts to utilise authentic assessment tasks that include student driven inquiries. Students need to clearly know the expectations and criteria, and this needs to be communicated to them (and parents) effectively. This assists them in knowing what they are working towards and how to improve and create solutions. When students are given a voice, it often incites initiative, leading to more participation and shared responsibilities. Strategies and differentiated plans are utilised to complete projects with peer and teacher consultation through critiques, feedback and formative tasks. I prefer to give students a choice on how to present their findings or response to utilise different learning styles, techniques and methods. This adds interest, variety and develops ‘experts’ within the class, especially since I attempt to integrate technology into the curriculum. By being an effective teacher and manager, I hope to instil proper values and the transfer of skills to students.

The goals I have for my students are achievement and confidence. I wish my students to become aware, feel good about themselves and be eager to learn. I aim for them to have balance, become successful problem solvers and realise the importance between making mistakes and reflection. I wish for them to be knowledgeable and be able to have the skills necessary to locate and assess information, and to then formulate ideas and theories. To do this, I create an atmosphere of security, trust, cooperation and honesty.

Naturally, not everyone may be a brilliant artist, but everyone can improve, appreciate and respond. Lifelong learning skills stem from conceptual inquiry and I believe through a caring, empathetic and scaffold-supported environment, students can develop, become well balanced and equipped global citizens in the twenty-first century.

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