Teaching philosophy

Art is an outlet. It is a channel through which creativity and emotions vent. The mind and the heart can both be freed through the context of making art, learning about art, and interpreting art. An art educator gives the opportunity to his/her students to experience this freedom for themselves.

           

Creativity is the product of the mind. The mind must be influenced by exterior variables in the environment and seep into the conscious or unconscious to then be expulsed from the body in the form of art. Just like values such as love and respect, learning is a constant variable throughout a person’s life but to be retained it must be meaningful, relevant. Through dialogue, rather than monologue, learning can be measured and ideas can be adapted to the students' interests. For this reason, my lessons always include a conversation in which an exchange of knowledge is present.

Retaining knowledge gained also depends on the way it is transmitted. Certain people are more attached to their sense of sight, some to their sense of touch, and some to their sense of hearing. Learning must therefore appeal to these important senses, thus the motive for which I teach through as many possible, providing visual, oral, and tangible resources, cues, feedback and encouragement.

The learning gained and the knowledge built creates a web of links in the mind, and it is precisely this which helps in releasing creativity. Using this pedagogy and a constructionist belief, I teach art history building on the previous knowledge of the students. I ask for their opinions about the works I show them to gauge its relevance to them, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to respond to their learning; to let their thoughts escape their minds in the form of words or an art work, becoming material.

Art also must have a connection to the heart of the students because inevitably, as information enters the brain and is processed by it, the mind will associate bodily reactions with it, creating feelings.

Through making and looking at art, students respond emotionally. Personal choices regarding preference of line, subject, concept, medium, texture, composition, rhythm, color, contrast, etc. are made by the student and it is the presence (or lack of presence) of these preferences in other works of art, or their own, that determine the type of emotional attachment of a student towards them. This is why my lessons contain inclusive art history sources for motivational material; the canon is only a small representation of art around the world and through time, and it is important to show as much variety as possible to students so that they may experience different emotions as well as thoughts, and form their own opinion of different works of art.

It is a teacher’s duty to model the appropriate behaviour and create a positive environment where students and teacher feel safe. The art teacher has the advantage of using concrete resources to empower the students into becoming patient, caring, respectful, etc. while implementing these through his/her every day actions as well. Through my lessons I ask the students to analyze the relationships between the elements and/or figures in the motivational artworks shown, for example questioning the students about how they relate to the relationships present in these works and making a connection to their real-life experiences to provoke an emotional response.  

As important as good relationships are, it is the underlying base morals and values that often define how a person will interact with another. Sydney Walker’s concept of Big ideas teaches that everything is interconnected and that common morals and values are a major part of reality. Using these through my lessons help focus on life-long values and emphasizes their importance by linking many different artists, artworks, subjects, etc. together under one common theme, therefore making it relevant to their every day lives. The students will learn to foster these values through their conscious recognition of them as truth, and will become activists or advocates of them in their own art.

Creativity from the mind and emotion from the heart are the two defining aspects that art allows to liberate from a person. Through the various internships I have attended, I have learned that any art lesson can serve as some kind of release mechanism.

            The lessons I have previously taught in a community setting took place inside a woman’s shelter, where students present were abused or abusive, shelter-less or on welfare, physically or mentally disabled, etc. Art for them was the only thing that wasn’t judgmental of them, and that made them feel valuable.  The lessons I taught concentrated on love, acceptance, respect and patience; all qualities these women needed to be shown. Through the making of their art, some women reflected upon these shared values while for some others it was the physical act that kept their mind off the negative aspects of their lives.  

In teaching art in kindergarten, the role of art shifted to a more basic approach. I ask the students how they feel about certain art-making activities, or about a certain artwork I am showing as a motivation. I relate the art lessons to as much as possible because the students at this age are constantly discovering new things, guided by their curiosity and their openness. Taking into consideration their needs, art is transformed into another kind of outlet: I give the students opportunities to develop their imaginations by being vague about the subject of the activity, for example, by allowing them to free-paint. I give them the chance to explore and discover through experimentation, for instance through introducing different techniques and materials and letting them unleash their creativity. Finally, I provide art as a physical outlet by encouraging the students to be gestural, using more than just their hands to create an artwork, for example by supplying a large surface for a collaborative oil pastel work to be created. During this particular lesson, students moved around the large paper to cover other areas with oil pastel, and, enjoying the slipperiness of the oil, they were not afraid to make circular shapes that reached all four sides of the surface.

Having experienced different populations, I have found I have no preference in age, but in needs. My ultimate goal is to continue to teach for those who need an outlet. I want to help these students in gaining confidence, problem solving skills, independence, team working skills, and to keep hope. I want to help them find a passion or a drive to keep going, using art as a context to release emotional and psychological tension. This is important for physical, social, and mental health, perhaps particularly for teenagers who experience an excess/imbalance of hormones (leading to drastic changes in physical and mental states) and who, more than anyone feel that the life they are brought into doesn’t belong to them. Art is a chance for them to take a deep breath and step back, to cleanse before going back out, and to take control.