"The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers or artists. It's to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives."

-  Kelly Pollock, executive director for the Center of Creative Arts

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           I’ve always been very passionate about art; it has cultivated channels of creativity while pushing me to grow and learn. I am particularly passionate about pursuing art education because it is something that stays with students long past their formal education. Students who receive adequate and meaningful art education will continue on to be more creative, innovative, and confident people who are ready to take risks, work collaboratively, and face the world with a strong and unique set of skills.

          One of the biggest strengths of art is its instinctual interdisciplinary nature. The concept of interdisciplinary learning combines theoretical and practical concepts of visual art with other areas of educational growth. For some students art class can be simply about strengthening or refining their fine motor skills. For others it may be an outlet for expressing themselves, a chance to use their kinesthetic skills, expanding their mindset, learning about cultures, or refining various techniques and/or concepts. Students can benefit from art in various ways. Art education strengthens concepts that can translate easily to science, math, or other core subjects. I love finding opportunities to create art lessons which directly relate to what students are learning in other classes. I particularly enjoy assigning a project that focuses on vocational education to give students the opportunity to gain new skills (or consider career path interests). Art complements and enhances school performance and learning while providing meaningful understanding of oneself and the world. 

          Art is a universal instrument used to express ideas, tell stories, cultivate traditions, and has beautifully created visual and material culture since the beginning of time. Through studying a wide range of diverse forms of art, historical and contemporary, students are exposed to a world of different perspectives and cultures. This field of study can help students gain a deep understanding of cultures and traditions around the world. It helps in acknowledging similarities and differences in the art forms and expressions. Art can help students comprehend the relationship between the art forms and the diverse ways in which humans understand and express their experience of the world. Art is all around us and connects us to something bigger than ourselves. It connects us to an enormous history and countless cultures. When we create art, we become a part of that.

      In my own teaching practice, I promote self advocacy. Through critiques, self evaluations, and alternate assessments, I want students to become comfortable and confident recognizing what they can improve and what they have achieved. This includes an open minded approach to assessment. I assess students based on the eight Studio Habits of Mind: Develop Craft, Engage & Persist, Envision, Express, Observe, Reflect, Stretch & Explore, & Understand Art Worlds. These studio habits reflect how artists grow, develop, and excel in their field. I assign specific studio habits to assignments for assessment. But if a student finds that they are significantly developing a Studio Habit that I did not assign, then they are allowed to write a self-evaluation for credit. I believe that any type of learning or growth deserves recognition, even if it wasn’t in the exact way I had intended. Knowing how to communicate one’s value is critical in their career and personal life. Transitioning into adolescence, students grow into adults who know the value of their work. Through the practice of effectively advocating for themselves, students will be able to confidently articulate their strengths during a job interview, impress their employers with their innovative ideas, have the confidence to ask for that raise or promotion, or even accept and use constructive criticism to better themselves in and out of work. Although any subject in school can promote this kind of advocacy and confidence, I actively work to instill these skills in my own teaching practice.

          I will always encourage my students to use their skills to strengthen and improve their current and future selves in and out of the classroom. Although strong art education can create incredible artists, it is not the main goal of my profession. Through my profession, I strive to provide meaningful growth to enrich student’s current and future lives; preparing them to actively engage and succeed in the world.