Meet The Teaching Artist: Jodi Schmidt
Posted Monday October 17 2016 at 3:27 pm.
Used tags: cool, teacher
I identify most strongly as an Art Educator. As an art teacher I use as many different visual techniques and mediums as possible to help students understand how things work, the process of making, and the world around them. I believe that by engaging children in problem solving through art they can become more confident about their ability to tackle any problem and break things down into steps. My experience includes doing this through a degree in teaching, full time work in the public school, time as the Executive Director of Extras for Creative Reuse, (formally ExCL, also known as the 'recycle center') listening to teacher's material needs, and three years with the Eliot School of fine and applied arts working as a teaching artist. My undergrad education was at UMass Amherst with a BFA in Art Education. I then pursued a master's degree from Framingham state in Education with a concentration in art.
My work with COOL Schools this year:
I will be teaching K0-3rd grade this year using a wide variety of mediums including, paper crafting, clay, wire, paint, or anything else that will help with the artistic and academic goals of the teachers.
I hope my students have fun, I hope they learn to trust their creativity, take risks, and remember that art and learning take practice.
I hope that teachers will gain some knowledge about different mediums and feel more confident about tackling potentially messy projects with their students.
My own arts practice:
My practice as an artist is through embroidery on coir, paper collage, and drawing on wood.
Before joining Extras for Creative Reuse in 2005, Ms. Schmidt spent eight years as an elementary art teacher in the Worcester Public Schools and Melrose Public Schools. In 2005 she was named elementary art educator of the year by the Massachusetts Art Education Association. She has presented at several Massachusetts and New England art education conferences, and in 2006 at the National Art Education Conference. Jodi has also conducted workshops for the Boston Public Schools New Teacher Institute, the Museum of Fine Arts teacher's program, and Boston College's Teachers for a New Era institute, and multiple out-of-school time programs.
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