The term teacher doesn’t begin to describe who I am in the classroom. I am a mentor, and I am also a fellow learner. As a mentor figure, I believe in being transparent about my own artistic struggles and with life. That transparency breeds mutual trust and respect between student and teacher which I believe is essential in the classroom. As a fellow learner, I want to hear what my students have to say because they might have knowledge that I might not have, and I want to take interest in their interests. The art room and its environment are just as much theirs as it is mine, and I want to work with them and their interests to create a class that not only furthers their interest and ability in the arts but is meaningful to them. And as such, I believe in taking an active role in walking around the classroom and having an open and honest dialogue with my students as fellow artists.

               As I have already mentioned, I am both a teacher and a learner within the classroom. This means that I believe that my students can take the opportunity to be leaders and teachers not only for me, but for the other students. Knowledge comes from every aspect of my classroom, including the projects that are deemed unsuccessful. Mistakes and ideas that don’t quite work are not the end of the world in my classroom, instead I want students to focus on the positive. I believe that we grow from our perceived failures, so even if students don’t do well, I want them to think about what they learned and what they would have done differently. As a teacher, I then want to respond appropriately to their feedback if I choose to try the project again.

               I believe in being interested in my students’ artistic interests. I believe in encouraging asking questions and being a critical thinker. I also want students to know that I might not have all of the answers to their questions, but that I am willing to search for the answer alongside them. By promoting this in my classroom, it will help students realize that research is crucial to creating a successful work of art, and it will help them take control of their education. I also believe in keeping my room open for a few hours after school hours so that students may continue to work or research incase they are unable to do so at home. Additionally, by keeping the room open for all art students, I can create a community of artists across grades and classes. While not crucial for learning, bonds created in after school studio hours are an important part of art student life.

               As far as my own professional growth, I believe that communication between educators is highly important. As such, I go to state and national conferences whenever possible. As an artist teacher, I believe in continuing my own studio work in all areas so that I can improve on my personal weaknesses to better instruct students. Both as a teacher and an artist, I also believe that it is vital to expand research beyond art and into other areas of interest such as psychology, mathematics, biology, and other languages. This is because the more that I know, the more I can teach my students and the more my projects can aid students in their interdisciplinary education.