Teaching Philosophy

It all started when…

We all had those teachers that inspire us to do better, be better, make the world better; I was no different. I had quite a few teachers in high school that inspired me to pursue a career in the arts, but the big push came when I was a junior in college at the Columbus College of Art and Design.

I had always hoped to be a graphic designer and make an impact on the world and make it more beautiful and a better place through art that impacts, however I soon realized that my idealistic viewpoint was not competitive enough for the cut throat world of graphic design. I asked my teachers what I should do with this realization. Their response was, “Have you ever thought of teaching? You’re the person we go to when something needs explained a different way.” I was taught from a young age to be a problem solver and had the ability to see things in multiple perspectives and then re-explain in my own words, and I have always loved school, so it got me thinking. Being that I’m not a quitter (and had three years of college under my belt) I shifted focus and started gearing my art towards a more fine art portfolio to attain entry into Graduate School after graduation.

During Grad school, I again had really great people that made it even more clear that teaching was my calling. I was “born to be a teacher,” according to one of my professors. I can inspire, explain, guide, and push students to learn and develop a life long appreciation of art. Not everyone is going to love art. Not everyone is going to grow up and want to be an artist, but I can help everyone I teach to see the beauty in the world and the hard work it takes to make those beautiful things.

I currently teach art in Port Clinton Ohio, USA to grades 3, 4, 5, and Digital Art to High School students. I am able to differentiate my teaching to a wide variety of learners with various artistic levels from beginners who can barely squeeze out a single dot of glue to more advanced artists who are learning the complex world of Adobe.

I was hired to just teach grades 3-5, but in 2020, I wanted a challenge and decided to pitch to my district the idea of starting a Digital Art class at the High School. It has had its challenges, but overall, I love that I am able to inspire young adults to be better people and gain a skill that they will be able to use their entire life if they choose to. I feel I get the best of both worlds: Challenge my brain with the High Schoolers, and fill my heart with the love that the youngsters exude when watching them learn something new and exciting.

My philosophy is to be the adult you needed as a child. I have two mottos for teaching: “I care more about your attitude and effort than I do your talent,” and “If you’ve made mistakes in the past that is ok. You are human and you are allowed to make mistakes as long as you LEARN and GROW from those mistakes, and remember today is a new day with a new possibility to make your day a better place to be.” The first speaks to my belief that any child can learn and get better as long as they don’t give up and keep wanting to learn. The second tells my students that its ok to mess up. You don’t have to be perfect, but as long as we learn and grow we can make the world better for everyone.