I teach art for joy.
Simply put.
On the first day of art class, I share with my students six reasons why we learn art--we meaning anyone, anywhere. While there are endless reasons, these are the six I believe are most important: practicing fine motor skills, making our brains smarter, building visual literacy, expressing ourselves, exploring cultural identity, and developing creative problem-solving skills. If no student adds this final one, I always include it myself: joy—doing art simply for fun.
My mission as an art teacher is to make art class meaningful and enjoyable for all students, regardless of their existing interest in art. To do this, I focus on designing student-friendly lessons that allow students to explore their own interests, experiment with unique materials, and feel successful in their creations. I strive to balance skill-building, visual literacy, and choice-based creativity in my curriculum, all with the goal of helping students grow as confident, creative contributors to the world.
As an art nerd, I’ll do art whether it’s fun or not. Art isn’t always easy or enjoyable. It can express the darkest pain in the world, and creativity often comes with frustration. But at the end of the day, there should be a sense of personal satisfaction in the work we do. I genuinely find joy in teaching art. Sharing in a student’s excitement when they explore a new material, create something they’re proud of, or get into a passionate debate about an artwork—those moments of joy are what drive me to show up every day.
Simply put.
On the first day of art class, I share with my students six reasons why we learn art--we meaning anyone, anywhere. While there are endless reasons, these are the six I believe are most important: practicing fine motor skills, making our brains smarter, building visual literacy, expressing ourselves, exploring cultural identity, and developing creative problem-solving skills. If no student adds this final one, I always include it myself: joy—doing art simply for fun.
My mission as an art teacher is to make art class meaningful and enjoyable for all students, regardless of their existing interest in art. To do this, I focus on designing student-friendly lessons that allow students to explore their own interests, experiment with unique materials, and feel successful in their creations. I strive to balance skill-building, visual literacy, and choice-based creativity in my curriculum, all with the goal of helping students grow as confident, creative contributors to the world.
As an art nerd, I’ll do art whether it’s fun or not. Art isn’t always easy or enjoyable. It can express the darkest pain in the world, and creativity often comes with frustration. But at the end of the day, there should be a sense of personal satisfaction in the work we do. I genuinely find joy in teaching art. Sharing in a student’s excitement when they explore a new material, create something they’re proud of, or get into a passionate debate about an artwork—those moments of joy are what drive me to show up every day.