Teaching Philosophy

“If you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.”

- Chinese Proverb

I am a teacher who is always ready to teach what I know and to learn what I don’t know. I strive to create an environment where all are open to learning and sharing. Learning is social and the classrooms should be a social environment where ideas and knowledge are constructed and shared by a diverse community.

Students will not only be introduced to new materials and the elements of art but they will also be introduced to different cultures. The art classroom can create a space for all students to celebrate and exchange their cultures.

An arts-integrated classroom is based on exploration and is needed to encourage critical thinking and making connections. Students will be given the opportunity to design and make through a process of exploration, ideation, experimentation, and evolution. As a result, students will become active learners who find voice and agency in their work.

In creating an integrated classroom, it is the hope that students will feel comfortable exploring and discovering something about themselves and their environment. Not only will this approach enable students to feel safe to explore and experiment in the classroom but will support their approach to all learning as a process of discovery, not simply one of acquiring answers.