​

Before I began to seriously consider what I wanted from my future, I had a completely different path mapped out for my life. I was going to be a lawyer, go to law school and practice family law as I have always believed that supporting children is the most important and rewarding thing I could do in my life. For a long time, my perspective was that, if I was not going to make a professional career out of Art, then I should not invest my time and energy into doing it. I could not feel more differently now. I have always loved art - seeing it, learning about it, experiencing it, and creating it. In retrospect, it both makes sense that this meditative art form was so appealing to the type-A me that sprinted breathless through most of my life, and is somehow equally puzzling to those around me. My artistic practice has led me to know myself better, to slow down, and to also contribute to my community. It is why I have majored in Art and why when I sat down and thought about what I wanted to wake up every single day and do with my life, it was not to argue in a courtroom or practice law, it was to teach and learn something I have always loved, to children and youths whom I have always wanted to work with. I have always believed that education can change lives because it changed mine and I always hoped to spread this passion I have for learning to others. I was a founding member of the GEN program at my high school. I held the position of president for two years. During my time as president, the program was able to fund the tuition for eight students to achieve their educational dreams of attending High School. 

​

I have had the privilege of attending CSU to get my master’s degree in Art Education, and in my last few semesters here I have begun my journey into the field of education for the first time. I have learned more about teaching than I ever knew before and I am so excited to continue on this journey. My perspective now on teaching is that while I know a lot about the foundation of teaching Art and how to integrate learning standards, practices for questioning, and the studio habits of mind. I still have so much to learn to improve my teaching. Teaching like making art offers fulfillment on so many levels- for me, my family, and others. Painting gave me the courage to open up but understanding and then teaching others in this program has allowed me to connect and express myself in simple daily situations and unexpected challenges. It allowed me to convey things through words that I had previously only been able to communicate through art, knitting sentences into something tangible and understood. I hope I can continue to learn and grow as an artist and an educator. 

​

In the future, I hope to be an educator that can continue my learning from my student every single day, so I can help them on their educational journey. I hope to inspire the art and passion that was inspired in me, and help students if not start a career in Art understand the benefits, and learn to communicate and express themselves utilizing this medium. I want to be a teacher that allows students to grow and experiment with what they have already learned and encourage new material use and new processes of creating art. Art taught me to expand my horizons, redefine what’s possible, get creative and do some good in the world. And I hope I can help my students see the same thing.  

​

The piece of Art I created this week is a painting I am hoping to build upon for all of my art journals this semester. It is a portrait of a young me because I truly believe that art comes from within and expressing yourself with art that is rooted in your voice, history, and experiences when it comes to creating., painting is what inspired me and so that is the medium I have used for this project. I experimented by using a different style and by not creating a traditional self-portrait, I separated it into sections and from within me, I have flowers growing. A metaphor for change, growth, and something that I am personally interested in. This is the foundation of my teaching, it's the foundation of my own experiences, learning, and teaching philosophy. And I hope that it will be added to as I learn and grow throughout this semester, changing and being changed by not only what I learn, but my experiences this semester and into my teaching.