My work as a teaching visual artist in a school setting is influential to all students. I aim to teach students the basics of art in the world around them as well as teaching students problem solving skills and creative thinking to help them navigate the world as a whole.
I believe my students can do anything. It is my job as their teacher to give students the tools they need to explore the art world and world around them. Visual Art education is essential in schools as it allows for students of a wide variety of abilities to succeed in their own way, allows for individual expression, and allows students to delve into creative problem solving. I design visual art lessons meant for expression and no one “right answer” or outcome; making the work my students create as diverse as they are.
My work is about providing students a way to use creativity to enhance their learning.
I believe that every student has an individual learning style. I use theater, movement, improvisation and whatever other art form is necessary to ensure that each student can make connections to arts learning in the classroom curriculum. Improvisation provides students with many choices and opportunities, as it offers innumerable ways for students to make sense of learning.
As a teaching artist, my role is to provide new perspectives using the arts that support student learning and engagement, and that help teachers enhance their curriculum without adding additional work.
I use improvisation, specifically in theater and movement, to connect to the needs of the students in their classroom curriculum. Prior to beginning of COOL programs, I meet with the partner teacher to find out their goals and how they would like to collaborate with me as an artist and with the art forms I will be presenting. I also like to observe their classroom beforehand so that I may present my work in a way that is mindful of how each classroom functions.
My work as a teaching artist involves lighting up students' imaginations, and bringing out their unique expressions of creativity in whatever area of learning we're exploring.
Like other arts, singing, playing instruments, movement and storytelling engage the students' multiple intelligences to support their learning. There are both direct and indirect connections. For instance: learning numbers through fingerplays; colors, shapes, letter sounds, and positional concepts through songs; learning language skills, vocabulary, sequencing and narrative form through singing games and storytelling activities; problem-solving and motor skills through instrument-making. Concepts such as rhythm, pitch, dynamics and associated patterns are important in creating pathways in each student's cognitive development that form the underpinning for their learning and memory skills.
