EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY
Teaching and fostering learning are my life’s calling.
I'm a natural communicator and a lifelong learner.
I'm fully committed to what I do and I care for all my students.
Art Education, perhaps more than any other discipline, helps students develop life skills and higher-order thinking. It stimulates imagination, encourages innovation, facilitates self-expression, boosts confidence, enhances concentration, and cultivates openness to and respect for "the other".
Moreover, Art Education equips students with 21st century skills. These are the types of soft skills that go beyond academic proficiency. Skills such as: communication, decision-making, risk-taking, problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. The art room provides a safe space for students to not only develop these skills, but to also get away from their daily stress and channel their hopes, anxieties, aspirations, and frustrations into a creative output. Art offers the freedom to explore without judgement, allowing students to grow and thrive as individuals and as global citizens.
All these habits – developed and applied inside the art room – can translate to success in many areas of school and life.
Naturally, not all students who take art classes will go on to work in art-related fields, but all can benefit from these skills in their future careers and lives in an ever-changing global world. The old myth that art is only for the gifted few, endowed with master craftsmanship has long been discredited. "Talent" is by no means a precondition for creating art. Indeed, anyone who can learn how to read and write can learn to communicate visually through art and to perceive its aesthetic and conceptual qualities.
There are many educational philosophies and each one has something unique and valuable to offer.
My belief is that the more holistic an Art Education programme is, the more beneficial it is to the student.
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My philosophy synthesises elements from various educational models. Specifically, my approach integrates components of three major Art Education models currently implemented in schools around the world. I blend the structure and sequence of Discipline-Based Art Education (DBAE) with the relevance and engagement that accompanies Visual Culture Art Education (VCAE) and with the freedom of choice and self-expression ingrained in the progressive education model of Teaching for Artistic Behaviour (TAB) to create a hybrid curriculum. In other words, my teaching approach aims to balance Discipline-Based and Modified-Choice philosophies of education. By embracing the strengths of multiple approaches, both product-based outcomes and process-based outcomes can be appreciated and valued in the classroom.
As a Visual Arts teacher, I aim to impart to my students a well-rounded knowledge of the arts by providing a comprehensive, sequential curriculum based on four art components: artistic production (where students learn technical skills and art-making techniques), art/design theory (where students learn to utilize the Elements and Principles of Art), art history (where students discover the artistic accomplishments of past and present cultures and individuals) and art appreciation & criticism (where students learn to describe, analyse, interpret, discuss, and evaluate works of art). In addition, as a studio art instructor, I strive to deliver art instruction that balances traditional methods of art-making (e.g. drawing and painting), contemporary art practices, and experimentation. I want my students to discover diverse art-making forms, in order for real choice-based learning to occur. I therefore provide training in a variety of art media including sculpture, printmaking, collage, mixed-media, photography, computer art, installation and assemblage.
I believe art teachers should think responsively, provide guidance, offer choices, and unlock potentials. They should be able to stimulate curiosity in students and lead them towards problem-solving and critical thinking. It is my aspiration to help students meet their fullest potential by establishing a learning environment where students feel motivated to learn and inspired to create. It is remarkable to see what young people can accomplish when they know that someone believes in them – even when they once thought they weren’t "creative" or "artistic".
A complete and successful art education programme requires a careful combination of critical components: a balanced and comprehensive curriculum, stimulating hands-on activities, understanding of design theory, knowledge of art history, experimentation with diverse ways of art-making, engaging art critiques, and a passionate educator who is caring, patient, and supportive.
It is my duty to use the arts to serve my students and their individual needs. Some students might want to pursue art, design, or architecture further and have to build strong foundations. Yet, others need an outlet and the space in which they can safely express themselves. I teach because I believe everyone should be given the chance to experience art, discover its human value, and reap the benefits that it offers.