Teaching is an ever-changing field in which the teacher is also the student, learning to adapt lesson plans and teaching techniques to stimulate interest in subject matter. As the world changes, so do its students and different types of learners, whether it is special needs or just different types of learning (i.e. visual, auditory or hands on). I strive to listen to my student's individual voices, and become an active member of the learning process by adapting my lesson plans and teaching style to their individual needs.
Art education is fundamental to students' development. It connects the student to interpret thoughts in to the visual world through a new language. Fostering the students' natural artistic ability and combining it with the elements of discipline-based art are essential for the students' success both in the classroom and out. Building my lesson plans around Discipline based art (Art History, Art Criticism, Aesthetics and Studio Art) enables the students to be equipped with tools to execute art projects and build self esteem, as well as provide an outlet for their thoughts and feelings to be shared with the world around them.
It's through this internal conversation that students have between their brains and their hands that allows them to build confidence and learn new ways of communicating to their world. This is particularly important to non-verbal students, ranging from moderate to severe disabilities with communication. Often these students feel trapped inside of a box and have no outlet to communicate to the outside world. Art then becomes a gateway to unite the students' minds to their hands and create their own language in which communication can be better understood.
Its my responsibility as an educator to assist the students mind in bridging gaps in communication and other learning challenges in the classroom as well as stimulating interest in subject matter for all students. Art is critical in all students' development and requires special attention to be able to target abilities and challenges and assist the student in overcoming these challenges. It is this constant balance of providing obstacles and achieving success that enables the students to build confidence that will carry through to other subjects.
Success in the art room is the key to successful communication and problem solving outside the classroom. Each lesson plan is designed to create new opportunities for the student to learn how to overcome obstacles and build confidence in ones' self-identity. By allowing the student the ability to overcome obstacles and guiding the student, as opposed to telling the student what to do, they become more independent learners and are able to transition what they learned in the classroom to apply to real life circumstances.
