As a teacher, my classroom strives to be a place to question and investigate, as well as a place to spark joy and delight. It will be a community continually working towards unlearning systems of oppression while still holding a place for joy and care. My goal is to work in community with my students. I focus on facilitating transformative experiences for the students as they grow and hone their ideas through art making.

My curricula follow the Reggio Emilia1 approach to emergent curriculum, focusing on lessons guided by students’ interests. The physical classroom space serves as a third teacher2, or an environment that encourages the growth and development of my students as they lead their inquiries. In my classroom, Students at all ages are encouraged to play and explore through their art.

I ground my teaching in love and care. In bell hooks’ All about Love: New Visions (2001), hooks writes about love being the foundation for anti-racist theology(3). One of the ways I work towards equity in art and education is by using contemporary artists who represent the cultural and lived experiences of my students. Showing students contemporary artists that reflect their background can help students relate more to art as a personal and communal work. Marshall, Stewart, and Thulson4 (2021) cite the benefits of teaching contemporary art with themes and write “Instead, the ideas present in a work become a way that viewers can find significance in their own ideas as they allow themselves to consider differing perspectives on previously held assumptions (p. 21)”. Working with themes and ideas as the foundation of the lesson allows my students to know their ideas and perspectives are the most important aspects of their art-making. Students will be more excited to engage in honing their art technique if they are working towards communicating an idea that is meaningful to them.

I will continue to challenge my ideas and practices as an educator and hold space for student feedback to create a reciprocal relationship. Art is ever changing and so should art education frameworks. I plan to continue to grow and change and center my students as the catalyst for my growth.

4 Marshall, J., Stewart, C., & Thulson, A. (2021). Teaching Contemporary Art With Young People (pp. 27–42).

Tea chers College Press.

3 hooks, bell. (2001). all about love: new visions. Harper Perennial. (Original work published 1999)

2 Biermeier, M. A. (2015, November). Inspired by Reggio Emilia: Emergent Curriculum in Relationship-Driven

Learning Environments | NAEYC. Naeyc.org. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/nov2015/emergent-curriculum

1 Lucchinelli, V. (2023, November 6). What is an Emergent Curriculum? Cultivating Children’s Interests with the

Reggio Approach - Art Sprouts. https://artsproutsart.com/what-is-an-emergent-curriculum