What is most important to me about my teaching?

The most important part of teaching for me is my students. I want my students to have the opportunity to experience everything the arts have to offer. I want them to be able to express their creativity while honing their artmaking skills. I want them to be able to discuss their artwork and the work of others. I want to create a comfortable environment for them to work in, free from the pressures of standardized testing and the world around them. Mostly, I do not want to crush the students’ spirits and make them hate the arts.

All too often, students grow to hate school and certain subjects they study there. I try to use constructive criticism along with praise when looking at a student’s art. I always try to tell them about the good parts of their work before giving suggestions of what they could do differently. I want to provide the students with a place they can succeed, even if they are not successful in their other classes.

I want to be non-biased about the students. I do not eat in the teachers’ workroom because I do not want to hear bad things about my students from other teachers. I want to form my own opinion about each student individually, and I want to give them multiple chances. Everyone has bad days now and again, teachers and students alike. I try to give each student a clean slate when he/she walks in the door.