Earlier in the year, much of my focus for teaching was on finding ways to connect what students learn in school to what goals they have in life. They could then apply those skills they learn to build their future. I do not have control over all the subjects my students study, but I wanted to especially find ways to show my students the impact art has on their thinking process (i.e., to open up their creativity and their ability to think outside the box) and in turn how that could help the way they problem solve. I was also focused on encouraging my students to be comfortable feeling challenged by their academics and to help them explore different avenues of learning.

Since then, I have honed my focus on differentiating my instruction as a way to help my students become comfortable with taking risks and challenging themselves in their learning. I want my students to feel empowered by their learning. I want them to feel successful with the choices they make. So I have planned my lessons to allow for more student choice. My students are free to choose the imagery for their projects, and sometimes even the materials.

A large aspect of my teaching philosophy involves respecting my students as individuals and learners, and in turn fostering those relationships so they can respect me as their teacher. I recognize that each of my students have different needs that manifests in different learning styles. So I have made many adjustments to my projects to ensure that all my students can successfully complete them. Much of that involves giving students the freedom of choosing what materials they want to use, after they have tried to use what I had originally planned. I try to cater to my students’ needs and provide a lot of positive feedback regarding their choices.

Particularly when my students struggle with the material or imagery they have chosen, I encourage them to persevere through those problems. I remind them of their success so far and demonstrate that they can continue to succeed. By reminding them of the high standards I have set for them, I hope that my students can begin to set higher expectations for themselves.