My Personal Goals Of Teaching

The main focuses of my teaching are active learning, building character within students, and providing meaningful curriculum. I believe that teaching is very complex and that an educator must consider not only curriculum requirements but also what is relevant and meaningful to the student. I believe we must look at the larger picture of what we are giving our students to use in their futures.

I feel that active learning serves as a very important part of art education. Through active learning, students will be more engaged and will take more with them after they graduate. In this way, I believe active learning is a powerful tool for preparing today’s learners for tomorrow’s challenges and changes. It supports critical and creative thinking,

Art supports teamwork skills as well as it allows for students to learn the value of constructive criticism. Another goal of my classroom is that education should be taught in ways that are engaging and relevant, in hopes to inspire a love of learning and to help the student find themselves, their interest, goals and dreams, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. My hopes are to inspire them to be driven enough to strengthen their weaknesses though continual learning.

Another goal of my teaching is to provide a safe and nurturing place for all students. The art classroom provides a wonderful opportunity for this safe place because it allows all students to learn and advance their skills, no matter their academic ability or achievement or if they have a disability of any sort. Art enables all students to succeed. It allows students to realize that in many situations, there is more than one right answer. They can experience learning at their own pace and in their own way, which is far more powerful for them in realizing what they are truly capable

The students deserve the chance to use art as a tool, to develop the important 21st century skills, to find themselves, to realize the power of collaboration, and to realize that many times there is more than one right answer. I believe educators must put themselves in their student’s shoes to attempt to understand what is relevant to the students. I believe we should surround our projects by an understanding the answers to the following questions. What challenges are my students facing? What do they need to know to succeed? What skills will they use beyond school? What impact will this curriculum / lesson have on the student’s life? These may seem like extravagant questions, but I believe they bring educators to reality of what is truly important for the students to