My main goals as an art teacher are built on the foundation of the Discipline- Based Art Education rationale.  I will focus on developing students’ understanding and appreciation of art while teaching about its nature and content. I will teach students that art is a core subject with its own content that can be both learned and assessed. I want students to understand that while technical skills are important, what makes art “good” is what they bring to it: ideas, creativity, and interpretation. I want students to take from my class a deep understanding of how art is connected to the world around them and how it can  enrich their own lives.

I will make sure students understand that in my classroom, Art is not just a free period or an easy A; they will be expected to put forth as much effort here as they do in any other class. Students will be taught content derived from the disciplines of aesthetics- art criticism, art history, and production- as well as real world concepts and connections through challenging and engaging lessons, that will be assessed both formatively and summatively. However, the lessons will be process oriented; focusing on the learning that results from making the art, not necessarily how “good” the final art product is. I want to create a learner-centered classroom by stressing that every one can be successful in the lessons, regardless of skill level.

I believe that emphasizing student learning during the lesson, rather than assessing the product of the lesson, will begin to break down the learned label of “I can’t draw” and build students’ confidence in their abilities. This shift in focus will allow students who are self-conscious about their skill level to feel comfortable enough to begin to explore their own ideas while producing art, and have fun in the process. Students will begin to understand that art is a rich visual language, and should not be judged by how well it accurately represents something, but by what and how well it is communicating. I will strive to create a sense of community in which the students feel comfortable sharing ideas and discussing their own art and the art of others. They will see the potential of art not only for aesthetic beauty, but for self exploration and expression; and for understanding the world around them. If I succeed here, this will bring me closer to my goal of establishing in students a life-long, positive relationship with art.