According to Kelly Pollock, former executive director of the Center of Creative Arts (COCA), “The true purpose of arts education is not necessarily to create more professional dancers and artists. It’s to create more complete human beings who are critical thinkers, who have curious minds, who can lead productive lives.” I often think of this quote when explaining my passion for art education. When I was a young girl, I did not want to become an artist. I just knew that when I picked up a paintbrush or began crafting a new project, the world became quieter. Creating art gave me a clearer sense of who I was, endless opportunities for self-expression, and a deeper understanding of the world around me. Over the years, as I transitioned into adulthood, art remained one of the few positive consistencies I had to keep me grounded in what I was discovering to be a very chaotic environment. I started to become increasingly interested in the supportive and educational benefits art offered children and adults alike in our communities.
 

The cornerstones of my teaching practice are creativity, inclusivity, community, curiosity, respect, openness, and growth. I want to create encouraging and supportive environments and curricula that give students a space to explore the use of tools and context, varying lenses with which to view our world, and the utilization of the arts to explore, express and advocate for themselves. Through the integration of both traditional art canon and contemporary art perspectives, I strive to let my classroom serve as a reflection of the world our students live in that gives them the agency and support to explore and construct the meaning and change they wish to see. I wish to promote and progress the advantages art education delivers to students such as advanced critical and creative thinking skills, problem solving skills, and communication skills through curriculum design that implements social constructivist ideals, thought challenging, and welcomes a plethora of perspectives. In my classroom that centers trauma informed approaches, every student has the potential and their own unique set of talents to utilize when engaging in stimulating artistic practices and reflection.

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When I envision fulfilling my career and life goals, I picture myself giving back to my community the opportunities and experiences I have received. Art education delivers a multitude of modes and modalities through its numerous mediums, creating countless options for students in our communities to engage and grow from. I want to spend the rest of my life helping children and adults reach their full potential as human beings through the arts. Most importantly, I wish for my students to leave my classroom and be prepared for any avenue they may decide to take in life. I am a firm believer that art enriches every life it touches whether that be through process, product, or the skills built between the two. I look forward to helping people achieve a variety of goals through art education whether they are training to become professional artists, creating new hobbies and outlets for themselves, or developing their personal and professional talents and skills.