This week wrapped up my 1st of 3 semesters at Towson University studying Art Education. I learned so much; it’s kinda hard to put it into words… Instead, watch this dope stop-motion animation my classmates and I made!
But for real, this semester has been one of the most life-affirming periods of my life.
When this semester began, I had a very strong motivation and intention for entering the program, which served as the foundation for my philosophy of education. However, this philosophy has changed, largely in part because I have learned so much this semester: classroom management, classroom design, curriculum planning, lesson structure, growth mindset, etc. Understanding and practicing these methods gave me the nuts and bolts of teaching to develop real confidence. Teaching is an art, meaning that it has to be practice and perfected over time, but only if you first fully understand the techniques at the start. I feel that this class gave me that foundation. With that confidence, my original motivation has been strengthened.
At the start of this semester, I knew that teaching was my vocational calling – serving the community and contributing to society through art education – but again this motivation was strengthened by how much fun and joy arose through learning and practicing secondary education techniques. What has changed is that every single day I came to class, I discovered a deep passion and love for education and art. Dave Burgess says in How to Teach Like A Pirate, “When you interact with someone who is fully engaged and filled with passion, it can be an overwhelming and unforgettable experience. There is no faking it…” and I feel that my passion and love of the teaching profession and for art curriculum is now a core element of my teaching philosophy.
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My philosophy has also been challenged: teaching requires incredible discipline, organization, and planning. It is not sufficient enough to have a strong motivation and passion. I will need a back-up plan for my back-up plan. Scaffolding curriculum and back-mapping unit plans to create engaging and effective lessons, requires attention to detail and many hours of planning, reflecting, and revising lessons. This is what I will need to work on because organization and logic are not my strengths. However, I am hopeful that since now I understand and appreciate the importance of these elements for the learning and success of my students, I will approach it with the same joy as other aspects of teaching.
Special thanks to my amazing teachers this semester – Kay Broadwater, Diane Kuthy, Dave Ninos, David Vocke, and Venetia Zacahary!! ❤
MONICA HEISER 