My teaching philosophy, developed with guidance from my professors at SVA, is based on my experiences teaching at Ramapo Country Day Camp and Camp Ballibay for the Arts, as well as my experiences assisting at the Woodstock Day School and SVA’s Art for Kids program.
My approach as an educator is rooted in community, diversity, exploration, generosity, and patience. I aim to collaboratively develop a positive, comfortable space for students to focus and consider new ideas. I want students to feel encouraged to express their thoughts, questions, and even disagreements in respectful, constructive ways. I strive to facilitate learning experiences, not to find teachable moments. To me, this means prioritizing hands-on learning, encouraging mistakes, and asking unanswerable questions.
My goal as an educator is to show students that what exists in their imaginations does not have to remain imaginary. I listen to my students’ interests and create projects that incorporate what they find meaningful and inspiring. I don’t require projects to be done exactly the way they are presented, as long as thought and effort are put in.
I know that impact does not have to be conscious or intentional, so the best I can do is be there for my students every day and be happy. I care for my students, try to understand their lives and identities, and support them and their families as much as I can.
In this project, students will look at the works of artists (Arlene Bandes, Maarit Hanninen, and Tan Kar Mern) who use the medium of printmaking to explore and discuss the natural world, including environmental activism. They will then collect leaves and other flat plants outside and make experimental monoprints with the natural objects in order to observe shapes and forms that exist in nature. Next, they will sketch designs for postcards using the monoprints and the artist/activists as inspiration. Students will be asked to address an environmental issue or cause in their design. Finally, they will carve their designs into 4x6 linoleum blocks and produce multiples of their postcards. Throughout the project, the students will have opportunities to document their work using digital photography, as well as journal about their process.
Students will look through a selection of poems by Mary Oliver, Robert Frost, and Shel Silverstein, selecting one each to work from. Students will read their poems and work towards interpreting them through journaling. The collage work of Natasha Chomko and Karen Lynch will be looked at for aesthetic inspiration. Students will be asked to identify the colors, textures, scenes, images, and interactions described in the poem. Students will look through magazines and art books to find pictures that align with the details identified in the poem, and they may also create colors and textures with watercolor paints. Students will arrange their collage, depicting a scene, idea, or feeling from the poem. Students will have a “turn and talk” with a classmate after completing their collages. They will read each other’s poems and journal entries, look at their collages, and have a short discussion.