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Philosophy of Art Education

Stephanie J. Murnane

A great art program consists of two things: great students and a great teacher. In order to be a great teacher, you must possess flexibility, adaptability, and a strong will to do what you love. Through teaching I have discovered that no matter how hard you try you can never plan enough and you have to be ready for anything to happen. I believe it is necessary to educate the child and put the individual student’s needs first in the learning environment. A student should learn at their personal level whether they are handicap, gifted, talented, average, or otherwise. My classroom curriculum will be adaptive for all the individual needs of the student and the student will be pushed to excel at their maximum level. Regardless of the student’s abilities they are all equal and will respect each other and the instructor. An art program should challenge both the student and instructor to teach and learn from each other in a positive learning environment that promotes life-long learning. Students should always be pushed to excel no matter what their capability level and all students should be active members of the classroom atmosphere. In order to accomplish this I believe a teacher should have strong classroom management, rigorous lesson plans, assessment, and above all a comprehensive and integrated approach to learning.

There are many ways to approach teaching and learning in today’s society. We are in an age where our schools are expanding sometimes faster then our resources and technology permits. Art is also continually growing and has the capacity to change minds and open doors. Having a strong comprehensive and integrated art curriculum is the foundation for great learning. Art should be respected the same as all other academic genres. And just like other areas I believe an integrated approach focusing on interdisciplinary learning is the best and broadest method of teaching and allows me to use the best tools I can to help my students learn about the world around them through art. I incorporate many cultures and ideals into my classroom. I teach a variety of both classical and contemporary art history with all lessons. I want students to learn about the many societies and traditions that influence today’s world. I add art criticism and appreciation to my lessons in order for students to develop their own opinions about art and society and to have meaningful discussions and debates about art within the classroom and the community. This is why I feel field trips to museums, galleries, and public art venues along with bringing outside artists and artwork into the classroom allows students to obtain hands-on knowledge about current issues in art leading to a better understanding and appreciation for art. This helps create a positive learning environment that stimulates student growth and life-long learning.

However you cannot have a positive learning environment without rules and respect. Both inside and outside the classroom my major rule is respect. If you cannot respect yourself, others, or the teacher, then you cannot succeed. My students will know what is expected of them from day one. Classroom management means that rules will be known and lived by. Having respect for the materials, and using all supplies safely and properly will be expected. Refusing to comply with the respect and rule policy will not be tolerated and there will be consequences to student actions. Effective classroom management will allow for a controlled and positive learning environment that promotes safety alongside fun. I want students to be excited about coming to art and know they will be safe while in my classroom.

Rigorous lesson plans are one of the building blocks used in my philosophy. Exposing students to various forms of artmaking will increase their desire to experiment and work harder. Students will learn how to use materials and then take that knowledge and utilize it to express themselves fully and independently. Working on studio projects will allow for students to develop their own artistic style while improving their technical and creative skills. The ideas of craftsmanship, technique, and work ethic will be stressed throughout the learning experience. These along with creativity and ability will be the major modes of assessing student work. Students will keep a sketchbook journal of their own creation at all times in order to record their ideas, self-assessments, and reflections about their work.

Assessment is the core to measuring student and teacher performance. A teacher is only as good as her students. When assessing student work I take many criteria into consideration. Studio work will be based on creativity, ability, craftsmanship, technique, and work ethic. Work ethic is extremely important to the student grade because it allows for the student’s effort and standards to be taken into account. Along with studio assessment I believe strongly that student self-assessment, tests, and writings all hold weight in judging student performance. Students will be assessed on art history and self-reflection completed in their sketchbook journals after every lesson. I believe in giving the students a list of expectations at the beginning of every grading period that contain the minimum requirements for success in class. This list includes all the homework assignments and studio projects so that students may work at their own pace until the due date. This allows for the ambitious student to excel at their maximum level while allowing the struggling student to complete the assignments in a timely manner. I have also found that using an online grade book system allows for both the student and the parent/guardian of the student to become more proactive in the learning process and know what level the student is learning at in my classroom. Along with the online grade book I utilize the internet to promote student achievements in the classroom. A class website stimulates student self-esteem and allows students a forum to show their work where the community and parents can view it at all times.

Above all the child comes first in learning. The student, parent, teacher, and administrator must work cohesively to allow the student to succeed past their potential. As the teacher my responsibility is to help the student succeed in all realms of his/her education and pass on the gift of art learning and appreciation. The student must be challenged to surpass all expectations put forth by the school and myself. In order for the student to succeed they must have a positive learning environment, effective classroom management, rigorous lesson work, and valuable assessment. Students learn best when the subject matter is interesting, exciting, and interdisciplinary. I can help students make the connections between art and other academic subjects. I believe I can teach students to understand and appreciate art and to creatively express themselves through artmaking in order to become life-long learners.

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