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Higher Education Philosophy -

To ensure the education of tomorrow’s teachers is a tremendous responsibility. In order to provide a well-rounded experience for pre-service art educators, several imperative areas of focus must be explored. First and foremost, art educators must maintain a strong background in the histories and practicalities of all areas of visual art. Second, they must acquire the skills necessary to successfully transmit such knowledge to students. Third, they must practice self-reflection and consistently seek professional opportunities. Finally, tomorrow’s art educators must want to make a difference in their students’ lives.

As a former high school photography teacher and a current doctoral candidate and graduate teaching assistant regularly working within the undergraduate art education classroom, I take these areas of focus seriously. My students are regularly exposed to a variety of art media, in addition to those learned through required studio coursework. While they acquire the skills necessary to create professional and aesthetically stimulating works of art through explorations in drawing, painting, photography and sculpture from their studio professors, I provide valuable insights into the ways in which such skills can be passed on to elementary and secondary level students.

In order to reach out to all learners while touching upon the previously noted areas of focus, it is imperative that I design, organize and implement differentiated curricula and demonstrate a variety of instructional practices. While teaching pre-service educators the various ways to engage future elementary and secondary students in artful measures, I must practice what I preach. Class time is a regularly comprised of some lecture, but mostly interactive group experiences in which discussion, artful activity and practical planning are practiced. Students write weekly regarding either their own teaching practice or the knowledge they have acquired with the passing of each class meet. Additionally, major projects, such as the development of lesson plans and full curricula, can easily be implemented during student teaching and beyond. Course assignments must be engaging, stimulating and personal to each individual student in order to provide meaningful and empowering experiences. With this in mind, I invite students to create curricula that are not only exciting and meaningful for their future clientele but will also maintain their own enthusiasm during instruction. It is with this focus that I have had the pleasure of reading incredibly contemporary lesson ideas from the hands of students. Such ideas have included an exploration of student individuality through interactive bookmaking, lessons concerning race theory and how students can explore their opinions through artful creation, a focus on contemporary comics and creating meaningful sequential art, and so on and so forth.

While maintaining an understanding of art processes and how to properly instruct such techniques remains a critical component in a future art educator’s training, it is equally imperative for students to gain an understanding of contemporary education and the various scholars who have helped shape today’s practices. Such groundbreakers as Lowenfeld, Skinner, Piaget, Atkinson and Wormeli provide valuable resources for discussion and consideration. Through study of their research and contributions, students gain an understanding of how children and adolescents develop artistically and intellectually, how they can be inherently motivated, and how to assess them in productive and meaningful ways. Additionally, as a teaching assistant working within the state of Missouri, I utilize the Missouri MoStep standards to frame my lessons. These standards set a high expectation for pre-service teachers to be well equipped in the ways of scaffolding, differentiated instruction, cross-curricular experiences and so on. During each week of instruction, I intentionally touch upon at least one state standard and/or educational philosopher in order to expose students to a plethora of teaching practices. Information is not simply transmitted through basic lecture or reading assignments. Instead, students actively participate in-group discussion, think-pair-share activities, design comprehensive presentations on their own and explore technological means to meaningfully digest such content. Teaching to the comprehensive skill sets detailed within our state standards, in addition to providing the proper background in educational philosophies truly prepares my students for their future in teaching.

Reflection is an additionally important element in my students’ overall growth and development. During my time with them, I engage students in regular reflective practice in which they critically consider who they are as educators and how they hope to grow. These reflections come in the form of weekly journal writings in which students draft their educational philosophies and set manageable short-term and long-term goals. These reflective statements also come in the form of in-class sketchbook prompts, in which I ask students to briefly write about their classroom expectations, based upon current curricular agendas. Additionally, I regularly expose students to professional growth opportunities, such as workshops and state and national conventions. I provide important registration information to attend such events and offer myself as a support to those who are able to attend. It is important that students are exposed to such practices early on within their course of study, so that it may be become habit in a continuous strive for growth and development.

With this concept of regular reflection and self-improvement, I hope to model for students the level of passion and devotion they must demonstrate while seeking a position in education. Each student who enrolls in an education program does so for any multitude of reasons; a love for children, a love for communicating with others, interest in being a team player and working with others of similar interest. Whatever their reason, my role as their teacher is to help them discover the true educator within, one who is properly prepared but also truly loves and exhibits great enthusiasm for their career path. While it may be near impossible to teach a love for education, it is easy to model passion, vigor and devotion through my own instructional preparation and practice. In order to model such attributes, while also attempting to find the inner passion within each and every student, it is important for me to remain extremely assessable to my pupils. Through regular in-class and out of class discussions with students, in addition to online chats and forums, I am able to gain deeper insights into the talents and interests of my pre-service clientele. This allows me to truly individualize instruction and help all students discover their inner teacher.

When it comes to assessment, this notion of individualized attention is truly critical. As formative assessment, I regularly provide students with opportunity to reflect upon their work and improve before final consideration is made. For all major assignments, students undergo a peer review prior to turning anything in. After personally reviewing their assignments, I provide feedback so students may further improve upon their work. Most commonly, I offer students suggestions concerning how they may improve the scope and sequence of their lesson objectives, further challenging and engaging their future students in new and innovative artistic approaches. Students within my classroom space understand that that in order to become a powerful instructor, constructive feedback must be welcomed and embraced.

While the work of my students is constantly improving and evolving, I too regularly look for feedback concerning ways in which I can further empower my students. In addition to semester evaluations, I also request mid-semester feedback from students, allowing them the opportunity to speak to my strengths and weaknesses as an instructor. I allow the students to help in my own transformation as a teacher of art educators. While such practices serve as formal measures to assess my own growth and development, I also look for informal ways of gauging my impact on student growth. These measures come in the form of daily conversations regarding the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

In these ways, my style of teaching remains not only holistic, but also student-centered. My approach is holistic in that it considers the development of the whole educator, including their artistic mindfulness, their teaching practice, their regular reflection and growth and their consideration of why they chose such a career path. My approach is student-centered in that it is regularly differentiated for all learners and deeply considers their voices in my own reflection and evolution as a practitioner.

Elementary and Secondary Education Philosophy -

Teaching art today is not just about asking students to scribble something on a piece of paper with a set of crayons. It is about the close and interwoven relationship of creative and thoughtful theory with aesthetic vision. For years, art education has been commonly placed on the butcher block when funding is low. This is done in response to a lack of knowledge in terms of the great importance of art education, and the possibilities it creates in the minds of those it touches. Although on many levels art education is beginning to rise in terms of public opinion, there are many reasons for which further support should be activated. We live in a highly visual world in which imagery surrounds us all the time. Billboards by the side of the road, television commercials, magazine advertisements, newspaper articles, all of these and more project a visual way of viewing the world. Art education can and should serve as a backbone for the comprehensive study of learning how to comprehend and analyze this imagery. Not only is it the responsibility of the art instructor to ensure that their students have the knowledge to assess such mass media, but they must also learn how to step away from the outside world and reflect upon themselves. Through the acquisition of technique and material, students can create imagery of their own that is a reflection of their own lives and viewpoints. Art education is a subject area that teaches students how to care about, create, and respond to art.

The study of art history is a major component of art education. Not only the art of such masters as Monet, Degas, Picasso and many more, but multicultural art must be included in any curriculum. When looking at multicultural art, the art educator must always put it into a context that allows the student to make connections to his or her own world. Before students can study other cultures and diversities, they must first understand their own culture and background. They must think about themselves and their own personal history. They must look around their home, their school, their favorite place to hang out. They must think about their friends and their family members. Only after a student has established a strong sense of self-respect can they begin to show the same type of respect toward the art of others. Art from a wide spectrum of time periods and places around the world needs to be integrated within daily lesson plans. This must be done so as to initiate the idea that we are not alone in world and that others also create works worthy of our consideration. For most lessons, a brief study of historical pieces can serve as a starting point for inspiration. Outside artworks must be brought into the classroom with a great amount of respect that also allows for close examination and conversation. It is the responsibility of the teacher, therefore, to go out and seek meaningful and accurate information about varying cultures around the world.

Technique is the second important component that is involved in art education. Students need to become subject to a wide spectrum of processes and practices in order to develop their own unique style. According to Tom Anderson and Melody Milbrandt, “Style is the vehicle of aesthetic form but it is important to remember that similarities and differences in form represented by style are not just superficial aesthetic differences through their own sake” (Anderson 15). Without the proper knowledge in art making, students are denied the skills to create their own style. While they may have inspiration, they have no means of producing if they lack the skills needed to create their work. Basic techniques of drawing and experimentation must be taught at an early age so as to begin the process of continued improvement. As students grow physically and emotionally, their ability to control their movements change, in addition to the way in which they envision their environment. Students should not only focus upon basic elemental drawing but a wide spectrum of creating two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art.

In the process of learning the history of art and creating works for themselves that define their own ways of portraying the world around them, students can gain a better appreciation for the visual culture to which they belong. As role models within the classroom, art teachers are in the unique position to help initiate a greater amount of respect and understanding among their pupils that can go beyond the environment of the classroom. What the students learn within the confines of the school walls will help better prepare them for the world awaiting them on the outside. Just as other subject areas as English, science, math, and history help them gain the skills necessary to living a productive and successful lifestyle, art can do the same. Viktor Lowenfeld and W. Lambert Brittain once wrote that “Art should play a meaningful role in the development of children. The focus of teaching is the developing, changing, and dynamic child. Art education can provide the opportunity for increasing the capacity for action, experiences, redefinition, and stability needed in a society filled with changes, tensions, and uncertainties” (Lowenfeld 22). The freedom they are allowed in the art room to experiment with their own thoughts and ideas with varying techniques will prepare students to be more open in sharing their own personal opinions. In an environment in which conformity is a norm, art has the capability of bringing out the uniqueness in students. By creating projects of their own, students begin to invest more and more of themselves into the work and with this, gain a better understanding of the commitment of others in their own efforts. This process of learning about art and making art thus builds self-awareness within students. According to Elliot W. Eisner and his interpretation of the writings of John Dewey, “Art is a form of experience that vivifies life” (Eisner 5). Through its practice, the importance of art and its great influence over the viewer is brought to life.

There are many reasons for which art education should be supported within all school environments. For many, support is non-existent, and unfortunately the young public are those who suffer the consequences of not being exposed to visual art experiences. Not only is art education necessary for students’ understanding the visual culture around them, but it offers a means of creating thoughtful pieces that reflect their own views using a variety of media. Art should be educational, inspiring, therapeutic, entertaining and thought-provoking. Art education must not only provide students with the means of creating, but also include it‘s historical and contemporary contexts. With this additional knowledge, students can gain a better appreciation for their own work and the work of others. It is the responsibility of the art educator to serve as the initiator and ensure that his or her curriculum encompasses all of these.

Works Cited
Lowenfeld, V. and W.L. Brittain (1947). The meaning of art for society. In Creative and mental growth, (8th ed.). (pp.20-31). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc.

Eisner, E. (1997). Why teach art? In E.W. Eisner, Educating Artistic Vision. (pp. 1-15). The MacMillen Company.

Anderson, T. and Milbrandt, M. (1998). Authentic instruction in art: Why and how to dump the school art style. Visual Arts Research, (pp. 13-20).