As an art educator, my teaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that art is not only a way of knowing, but also a language that has the power to transcend cross-cultural, social, and individual boundaries on many levels.

I believe that there are many contexts and situations that we are a part of or become a part of everyday, and that they are in a constant state of motion, and therefore always changing. The world around us is increasingly becoming more visual with rapid and creative innovations in technology. Indeed, learning how to create, reflect, critique, question, and deconstruct visual images, from both the art world and the broader spectrum of daily culture, has become vital for today’s students.

As I continue to study the field of art education, I realize the complexities that our visual culture entails and the unique place it holds in our society today. I realize that the definition of art itself is expanding, and that the classroom is one of many sites where art education can take place. It is my goal to help students recognize these complexities, and to help them see how creative reflection through the arts can be used as a sort of visual literacy. This visual literacy can act as a tool to better understand the self on a deeper personal level, the self in relation to others, and the self in relation to the world in which we live.