Teaching Philosophy
It has been several years since I have come back to school and I have come to the conclusion that art is not merely a single subject. It is more than just about painting, drawing, sculpting, etc. Contrary to what many believe, I do not just teach Art. I, in actuality, teach Visual Language. I teach students how to observe the world around them and see beyond what the students’ eyes tell them. Math, Science, English, these are all very important things that a student should know and learn about. Yet when they become older they will most likely become skilled in only a select few of these areas losing a lot of what they were taught. Being involved with the business world for so many years, I was witness to this, but I noticed a select few who had a certain something about them and would succeed. They were the creative ones.
I always thought art was about old dead men who painted the same thing over and over. I was blind to the outside world. With this new discovery of Vinyl & other custom toys I was able to see that there are living, working, current artist, like Joe Ledbetter, that are making their voices heard. Here these artist working with companies like Kidrobot, would take action figures of our youth and abstract them in colorful ways. Urban artists had an outlet to express themselves and it was the next evolutionary step from the 90’s toy boom. Through my lessons I will show the students that art is alive today with current and modern artist. More than ever the way we communicate with each another is ideal, whether it be through words, body language, or visual aspects.
I have became fascinated by how a great teacher can influence a child’s life. Since student teaching I have come to understood the potential impact of a great student / teacher relationship. Without knowing it, the student is creating a reciprocating connection where the teacher can affect the path a student may take, meanwhile the teacher is discovering newer ways to do so while constantly reevaluating themselves. Uncovering this has allowed me to be on the path I am today.
I was one of those student that felt unchallenged. That is what I will do and this is why my life is a living teaching philosophy in itself. Too many students already come into the art room with the notion that they are not artists. I won’t accept, nor will I ever believe this. An artist can take many shapes or forms like an architect who does not just build a building but makes a beautiful skyscraper, as does a scientist when he cures a disease by creating different formulas that nobody thought of before. All of this comes from being creative and thinking outside the box. The students will study and look at how their brain works to develop line and shape and how we apply these elements within the Principles of Design. The students will learn to look at things like they never have before and to build upon their observation skills so that they will take this creative thinking into the next level of their lives, whether it be as an artist or not. I keep this quote in my mind at all times; “Big things have small beginnings.”