When I was younger, I did not have access to many art materials. I created my first painting with art supplies my father had found in the dumpster while working. My dad could never help me with schoolwork other than my art projects. He taught me the basics of art techniques and how to be resourceful. Those were some of the biggest lessons that helped me build a foundation and love of art. As a teacher, I want to encourage students to connect not just through school but with their communities. I want my students to see the cultural value in their communities and how they can channel their energies to create artwork that is relevant to their lives.
I don’t know yet about learning theory, but I want to bring in different community members/artists to explore the different paths in the art world. LA has some of the most iconic murals that narrate stories/histories of the communities that live/lived there. I would love to take my students on a field trip to these historical sites and share how they can use art to amplify their voices. How they can use art at this scale to connect with folks around them.
As a teacher, I want to serve as a mentor, especially for students who have not often felt or seen themselves reflected in curriculum and teachers and may have been excluded or alienated along any axis. I want them to learn through hands-on projects. I want to forge that connection between any medium/artist they gravitate towards. I know I will have students that will not want to do anything with art. Maybe they are more into STEM, and that is perfectly fine. I would connect them with the science of art, from learning proportions to experimenting with mixing pigments with binders. That is what makes art unique! It can be used in any path a student chooses to take.
Grades have often historically been a site of inequity and trauma. That is why I would like to prioritize growth over time. In an ideal world, we would have an alternate system like reports or portfolios to chart students’ knowledge and development, but I understand that I will have to assign letter grades. I would like to assess their art projects through art critiques. I will implement rubrics scored 0-4 with clear expectations wherein the 3-4 range is attainable and accessible.
What I want my students to still have with them in 10 years is for art to be something that they can always come back to again, pick up again, come back to in the future, use as a tool to voice, be seen, be heard; they know they have these tools to create something. I know I will have some kids who don’t like art or feel like they can’t do it, but I will get them through relationship-building and finding a way to connect them to art. I know they’ll put something out there if they can relate to it. I will also break things down into smaller components, so it feels like it is something they can complete. For the folks who tell me, “It’s an elective, it/my grade doesn’t matter.” I will have to remind them that it is still an A-G requirement and must be taken if they plan to pursue higher education.
There is always room for growth, and I would love to conduct student surveys at the end of each semester and decide what feedback is actionable. Most importantly, I do not want to grow stagnant, so I would love to attend any professional development opportunities the school may have. As well as attend any community training for art educators.