As an art educator, my goal is to give my students the tools they will need to view the world through the lens of critical thinking and problem solving. The art educator is the scaffold between the student and the world around them. The role of the educator in that capacity is the delivery system of knowledge that enables the student to self-actualize their role in that world through the expression of thoughts and ideas into something physical, like art. This is a skill that easily translates into careers in the future.

     Students are diverse in their experiences and development. Art is the medium by which the students express their individuality. The role of the student in my classroom is to be engaged and curious. The student will show this by their participation in their creation of art as well as their ability to defend their creative choices by art production, art criticism, art history, and aesthetics, as explained in the philosophy of Discipline Based Art Education.

     My classroom will include other subjects into the art world such as history, math, and science to give the student the best chance at mastering the ability to critically think. The best way to use information you have learned, is to learn it the way you will use it. The arts are the most efficient way of coding this information since students are so receptive to them.

    My ideal classroom is one of safety, inclusion, creativity, and consistency in classroom management techniques. Classroom management is 95% proactive and 5% reactive, meaning the focus should be on promoting a classroom that sustains the students’ behaviors. There are situations that occur that are not ideal, but the ability to critically think as an educator would come into play for that kind of situation.

     My primary goal for my students is for them to be the most productive and well-rounded member of society that they can be.