Teaching Philosophy

Mara Fox
I believe the purpose of education is to provide the students with the fullest possible
development and learning capabilities that will allow them to flourish in the future. My
philosophy revolves around how I as an educator can provide that to my students. In art, this can
translate to supplying the students with knowledge and skills that they can utilize in their
creations. For my future students, I want them to be able to leave the classroom knowing more
and feeling more prepared or aware of a topic than they had before. When teaching, I believe
learning occurs best when students are actively engaged and participate in developing their
understanding of content. I want students to push themselves and challenge themselves to grow
and learn new things. Students should be driving themselves to improve when given opportunity
and feedback. Students should also want to search for more information after the lesson is over
and continue learning about a topic on their own long after the class.
Within the class, students should learn something new or expand upon knowledge in
ways they might not have known before by the end of my class.

Meanwhile, teachers should act as a guide for students and should ask questions that
cause them to seek more knowledge outside of the classroom. Teachers should also serve as role
models both in and out of school. I will model my expectations both with art projects and how I
act in my everyday life. As an educator, I hold responsibilities to myself, my district, students,
and the community. One of the primary responsibilities I have as an educator is to help stimulate
that development previously mentioned as well as boost the student to new heights both
artistically and in everyday life. Teachers, similar to students, should continuously learn and
grow both in their craft and how they teach. I want to be able to help and encourage students, to
develop a growth mindset. The development of a growth mindset is incredibly important to me
as I feel it is essential for students to know that they are not stuck in place academically,
artistically, or in their everyday lives and can and will continuously learn and grow.

All students learn differently, and their experiences in a classroom can have a massive
impact on their learning. In my classroom, students should be able to feel safe and welcomed in
all manners, be it physically, socially, or emotionally. I want students to feel comfortable and
become confident with their art. To do so, I will be flexible and adaptable to the students’ needs
as well as provide variety in how I teach. Being flexible also means catering to students'
strengths and helping them improve upon their weaknesses. Learning should be something that
can be hands-on and should be able to be catered to the student’s different intelligences. Howard
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences states nine different types of intelligences and this
theory is important to consider as every student is different and learns differently. Another way I
will improve their learning is by providing valuable, timely, and actionable feedback. This means
giving students the opportunity to improve or correct their work and supplying them with the
skills to do so.