EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY

 

“Art completes what nature cannot bring to finish.” (Aristotle)

 

I believe that each person is a unique individual who has the potential to bring something special to the world. As an educator, it is my desire to help the students to develop their fullest potential by providing them with a safe, caring and stimulating environment in which to develop emotionally and intellectually. In my classroom, I will act as a guide to the students, encourage the students to express their opinions and ideas, and promote respect for all things and people.

Aristotle believed humans learned through their senses and by experiencing the world, they would develop and refine their concepts about objects. I believe, as an art educator, my role is to guide the students to enhance their senses. I will lead the children to see beyond the object and to see the form that creates it. As realists believe the purpose of education is to teach students about the world in which we live, I plan to encourage them to look at the world around them and to see the infinite array of colors and shapes that combine to make it a whole. Providing them with the adequate time to develop this information, they can create their own opportunity of discovery.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things,   but their inward significance.” (Aristotle)

 

Every classroom presents a special community of budding artists that vary in abilities and styles. As their art instructor, it is my role to provide these young artists with the proper tools and knowledge to cultivate their creativity. To accomplish this goal, I intend to establish a curriculum around the students that will inspire their imagination and stimulate their passion of the art. I will encourage them to contribute their ideas to our projects. When students become involved in the development of their work, they are motivated to work harder and with more enthusiasm. They show an eagerness for the projects and pride in their completion. In this aspect, my classroom will be strongly based on the Swiss psychologist, Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitivism and constructivism. Piaget believed that teachers should be classroom experimenters to learn how students play active roles in their own development. He believed that by taking advantage of students’ interests and abilities, teachers can provide more effective learning experiences. Constructivist teachers following Piaget philosophy encourage students to experiment and to believe that in the classroom, learning is student centered, not teacher centered. My students will experience the effects of a constructivist classroom as they will be in control of their own development, and I will be there to guide and to motivate them.

     Equally important to their own growth and maturity is the show of respect of their fellow students and their work. Class critiques are one way to accomplish this where students are encouraged to give positive reinforcement and constructive criticism of their classmate’s progressing works of art. Additionally, I plan to incorporate Art History into our curriculum so the students can learn from the great masters. According to Vygotsky’s theory of social learning, children’s cognitive development progresses by interacting with people more advanced than themselves. Through social interaction such as formal critiques among the class and one on one interaction with each other, I believe my students will enrich themselves, their talent and their art.

Giving my students a sense of pride in themselves and their work will provide an environment where each student can grow. The students will have the opportunity to decorate the Art Department with their own works or favorite pieces from other artists. I will frequently display their projects in the school hallways in order to promote pride in their school community.  There will be an annual Art Show where the class will choose their favorite pieces to display for the pleasure of their families and friends. In an atmosphere where the students are shown respect for their talent and time, they in turn learn to respect themselves, others and the world they live in.

I believe teaching provides an opportunity of continual learning and teaching mutually between me and my students. It is important for students to have someone who is dedicated, compassionate and sensitive to their needs to teach and guide them. As an art educator, I want to instill in my students the love and passion I have for our artistic culture. I value the opportunity I am given where I can make an impact on students to perceive art in a new and open manner and to explore the world around them.