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Teaching Philosophy 

Experience is the key to all learning. It helps our students understand and see how different materials and processes work within the art world and other subjects and things around them. By being visual thinkers, it is able to help and emphasize our critical thinking and analyzing skills. This is what my classroom should enforce and create. I want to help my students grow as artists and interpret the world around them in a visual way. Being able to experience specific processes will enhance their knowledge and growth to become successful individuals and artists. Within my Teaching Philosophy, I will explain my classroom management style, safety regulations, differentiation, creating a community in my classroom, and connecting with my students and their family. 

 

As far as classroom management goes, it is essential for the classroom to obtain this. Effective classroom management is also building relationships and connections with the students and encouraging them to take their part in their learning. Setting clear expectations has helped me throughout my student teaching, which I plan to bring to keep my students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, and on task. Within setting clear expectations, I have learned that there is always room for improvement and practice with my students and myself. Clear expectations are all the same for the safety of the classroom and my students. The students must follow and understand the safety rules to continue practicing and engaging in the content without harming anything or anyone else. Instructing this would be to set clear expectations from the beginning, and a result of failing to follow expectations will be losing the tool/privilege to engage in the class that day. 

 

Keeping a choice-based classroom is something I would like to have as well as a student-centered one. Students creating something they have a choice with will help them understand the concept more, as well as some techniques and strategies. Within my student teaching, students developed projects based on the art history unit they were in or a specific process; they were instructed within some parameters and general guidelines. However, they were able to choose different options within it, and their choice within their art was able to help them engage more in their craft and understand the concept. Within my classroom, I want the students to have a voice and create a healthy and positive learning environment for themselves. Letting students choose their own guidelines and expectations can be a good and effective way to create a healthy and positive learning environment. For example, if students come up with their expectations, such as "be kind to others, do not blurt while someone is speaking, keep voice level low…." I believe this can set the students up for success within the classroom, and the expectations can be presented and referred back to at any time. 

 

Differentiation is critical within everyone's learning because we all learn at different levels and create at different paces. Differentiation can come in various aspects as well. Something I have done for differentiation is to create a demonstration for the students to follow, something they can see in real-time. Within this, I can differentiate up by offering a "challenge" option or just keeping it simple and meeting the assignment's general expectations. I am a visual learner, and in being so, I understand the students who may need more of a push to complete a task, in which I can either work with them one on one or show the whole class a completed example so they know what they can make their goal out to be. Checking in on students throughout the lesson can help me gauge where each student is. 

 

Lastly, making the classroom a safe community is the most significant component of having a successful classroom. Building those close relationships with students and their families will help me with this goal. Parent partnership is essential, and using volunteers with students' parents as much as possible will help me create meaningful relationships with them and even more so with the student. 

 

There will always be room for growth; therefore, nothing will ever be perfect because we are constantly evolving as individuals and educators. However, I have thoroughly enjoyed everything that has to do with teaching and being able to share my passion and love for art with the coming generations. It has been such a reward to be able to see my students grow and flourish into successful individuals. I am determined to continue to educate and help our future generations become the best they can be. 

 

Sincerely,

Angelique J Gonzales

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