I have always loved art from as early as I could remember. Even though I grew up in California, where art class was no longer in most schools, every time we had a project or something that involved drawing, cutting, gluing, or painting I absolutely loved it. I would even create art outside of school, whenever i could. I remember having a whole cupboard of art supplies in my mom and I's old studio apartment that I would dig into on a daily basis. It clearly makes sense that art would stay as an important part of my future.
The first exposure I ever had working with children was probably babysitting. I always was that babysitter that brought art projects and fun games to play to my jobs. I think this exposure was when I had my first realization that I really want to teach art. However, I have grown to learn that loving your content area isn't enough, I must put my love and passion for working working with children first.
This ideology really started to form when I began coaching gymnastics at the age of 14. This is where my love of working with children really grew, evolved, and still is evolving everyday. When I go to work I forget everything that is going on in my life and my focus is on my relationships with my gymnasts. I have never once, even on my worst day, regretted or dreaded being at work because my gymnasts are relying on me and I could never not want to be there for them as a coach, role model, and teacher.
Most art education theories that I have learned are things that already made sense to me, however, now I have ways to apply them and the correct vocabulary for what each ideology is actually called in the education field. For example, just from what I have talked about in my past, one can infer student-centered learning and building strong individual relationships is very important to me. I have learned through my education here at Colorado State University, that building relationships can arguably be the most important thing you can do in a classroom. If a strong relationship exists, many more opportunities and successes may follow. This includes student-centered learning and choice. Without a strong relationship, students will not have the amount of respect for you as a person/teacher to be successful in leading their own learning. Class Management is what I'm talking about here. A classroom needs to have clear understandings of what is expected of them in order to practice good choice based and student-centered learning.
My current understanding of art education and what it means to be a teacher will all combine to help me become the best teacher I can be in the future. I have learned about many teaching strategies that I will have to try in a my classroom of my own and see what works best for me and my individual classes of unique students. I think the most important thing to keep in mind though, is that I must always be adapting and reflecting on myself as an educator, and making improvements upon myself because my students deserve the best version of me they can receive.
This art piece is representative of my ideology that my teaching philosophy and strategies will be ever-changing and adapting to the needs of "survival" of my student's engagement and learning. Also I have also gone through this sort of metamorphosis in the events of my life leading me to become a teacher (the final stage).
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