I grew up in a small town in northeastern Wisconsin where I developed a love for art making and the outdoors. After graduating as the salutatorian of my high school class, I went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Superior. During my time in college I was able to study abroad in Cairo, Egypt for a year, taking classes in studio art, Middle Eastern studies, and art history at the American University in Cairo. This experience fostered my love for travel and learning about new people and cultures. I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in fiber arts and minor in anthropology and was accepted into Teach for America. I held leadership roles in my region including serving as Learning Team Leader for all art teachers in the Mississippi Delta and Arkansas corps areas, as well as teaching professional development courses during and after my two year commitment. I taught K-6 art with the Lee County School District in Marianna, Arkansas for four years, acted as yearbook adviser, worked for two after school tutoring programs where I tutored students in math and literacy, was appointed to be on the school's Leadership Committee, and volunteered on a committee called Partners in Pride, which worked to better link the community and school. In 2014 I decided to further my education by returning to graduate school. I was accepted on full scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I finished my master's degree in art education in December of 2016. While there I worked as a research assistant, was a TA for a class that prepares undergraduate art education candidates for their first teaching experience, and completed research on forest schooling, it's potential in public schools, and it's links to art education. Currently I am working as the secondary (grades 6-12) art teacher at Prairie Seeds Academy, a charter school in the Twin Cities metro area. I am the advisor for the National Honor Society and have served as an interim member of PSA's school board. I have attended training and developed units for an IB curriculum and became certified to teach AP Studio art in Drawing and 2D Design. If you would like to know more about my professional experiences, check out my resume below or visit my LInkedIn profile page.
As a teacher always looking to expand the boundaries of education, I am excited by the opportunity to help prepare the next generation and the world's newest minds through multiple facets of learning. Beyond the learning of content, I believe schools should be a place where children are presented opportunities to discover the wonder of learning itself, develop social dexterity, and realize their passions.
The art classroom provides a platform for students to engage in hands-on, cross-curricular learning. When viewed as a cognitive process, rather than the mere manufacturing of a product, art can provide an outlet for students to investigate and process a complex range of human experiences. I strive to create a learning environment that challenges learners and gives them the tools to explore and engage with topics that interest them. I am passionate about bringing contemporary and relatable art into the classroom as well as content from other subject areas as a way to blur the boundaries of academic disciplines. This method paired with opportunities for play and choice-based learning allows my students to create meaningful connections to the world around them while developing their artistic practice. I practice an interdisciplinary and emergent curriculum, set up a studio-based environment, connect students to their community through place-based activities, act as a guide, and encourage them to learn through exploration. These practices promote a balance between knowledge and skills, history, place, and imagination. Planning both guided whole group and flexible open-ended projects ensures that students have the opportunity to develop their technical skills as well as experiment and construct a curriculum that is uniquely relevant to their experience and identity. When learners are able to personally invest in the learning, they are more likely to be engaged in a memorable and meaningful experience. Further, these authentic learning experiences support multiple intelligences and account for the diverse needs of each child.
I believe in the power of play and it’s importance in the healthy development of children. Often play is disregarded during the school day, replaced with what is seen as “rigorous” academic practices. However, I view play as a rich learning process. It allows students to engage with materials and content without adult interference or an expected outcome. Play often leads to discovery and the development of executive functions or what is described as “the many kinds of mental activity that are involved in any human experience and certainly in learning — from how we focus to how we feel” (Tippett, 2010). Artistic play comes in the form of experimentation with new materials and ideas, flexibility in the curriculum, and open-ended projects that allow students to create their own response to a challenge or prompt. This kind of play can be done independently or collaboratively. It allows students to create their own ending, engage prior learning, and reveal new knowledge.
As a teacher I measure my success based on the growth of my students rather than the aesthetic of their artwork. I do assess final products on a rubric that helps measure students’ aesthetic growth and craftsmanship; however, I am more interested in their effort and investment. Did they feel like they learned something worthwhile? Did they try something new? Were they listened to and allowed to access their passions and preferences? Were they challenged? Were they able to make connections to other content, the world, or their community? If these questions evoke a positive response from students, I believe the artistic endeavor has been a success.
Tippett, K. (2010, October 21). Transcript: Learning, Doing, Being. Retrieved August 15, 2015.