Teaching Philosophy
Teaching art gives me the greatest joy. I learn so much from seeing how they discover and take joy in creating art, how their imaginations are limitless, and how much they learn from little things that adults do not even notice. I want my classes to help students develop creativity, skills and character. Fostering creativity will allow students to thrive not only in the creation of art but in other areas of their life. The skills the students develop in Art Education can be used in many areas of design and lead to better employment prospects. The character building that we do in my class will hopefully lead to students having more tolerance for others and a deeper joy in expressing themselves. My teaching philosophy is based on creating a welcoming and nurturing environment where students can thrive in developing creativity, skills and character.
To achieve these goals, I believe that learning should be interactive and teaching should go beyond mere lectures. I work to stimulate classroom discussion using such pedagogical devices as presentations, discussion groups, and debates. Teaching is more effective when students learn from each other. I am particularly interested in active learning techniques and the related concept of experiential learning for art education (Kolb and Fry 1974). Active engaged learning, whereby students have direct hands-on lessons applying abstract concepts in real-life situations, is known to be superior to the traditional lecture-and-note-taking model (Bonwell and Eison 1991; Felder and Brent 2009; Prince, 2004). A recent meta-analysis of 225 studies found that active learning in more effective than lecture-based courses (Freeman et al. 2014). An active learning approach is expected to produce better learning, engagement, and course satisfaction (Meyers and Jones 1993). Including students in the learning process teaches students how to think more clearly about the material, and it makes them feel included in the learning process (Russell, Hancock and McCullough 2007).
As an Asian-American female, I am eager to help increase the diversity of Georgia’s teacher workforce by bringing in an understanding of cultural differences in learning, communication and values. Georgia’s fastest growing racial group is Asian Americans, particularly in places such as Gwinnett County. Research shows that having a diverse group of teachers that have a cultural understanding that matches the student body helps learning for all students (Grantham and Ford 2003). I will be thrilled to work to create strategies to integrate cultural experiences, values, and understanding into art education.
To achieve these goals, I believe that learning should be interactive and teaching should go beyond mere lectures. I work to stimulate classroom discussion using such pedagogical devices as presentations, discussion groups, and debates. Teaching is more effective when students learn from each other. I am particularly interested in active learning techniques and the related concept of experiential learning for art education (Kolb and Fry 1974). Active engaged learning, whereby students have direct hands-on lessons applying abstract concepts in real-life situations, is known to be superior to the traditional lecture-and-note-taking model (Bonwell and Eison 1991; Felder and Brent 2009; Prince, 2004). A recent meta-analysis of 225 studies found that active learning in more effective than lecture-based courses (Freeman et al. 2014). An active learning approach is expected to produce better learning, engagement, and course satisfaction (Meyers and Jones 1993). Including students in the learning process teaches students how to think more clearly about the material, and it makes them feel included in the learning process (Russell, Hancock and McCullough 2007).
As an Asian-American female, I am eager to help increase the diversity of Georgia’s teacher workforce by bringing in an understanding of cultural differences in learning, communication and values. Georgia’s fastest growing racial group is Asian Americans, particularly in places such as Gwinnett County. Research shows that having a diverse group of teachers that have a cultural understanding that matches the student body helps learning for all students (Grantham and Ford 2003). I will be thrilled to work to create strategies to integrate cultural experiences, values, and understanding into art education.