Personal Teaching Statement

A Rationale for Elementary Art Education

Elementary art education should be about teaching the students the basic fundamentals in art,
while also letting them explore their creativity and allowing the students to express themselves.
Students should be taught about the elements and principles of art and design, colors, critiquing,
different movements and styles of art, different media, and a variety of artists from all over the
world, both contemporary and not. We should be giving our students a basic foundation in art so
that they can learn to love, or if they do not like to make or view art at least appreciate, art. If
they dont like art, many of the principles and fundamentals of art also apply to other areas in
life, so this information will be useful throughout their lives. Even though we believe that we
should teach these things, we also believe that they should be taught in a way that it allows the
students to be creative in the process and gives them the opportunity to express themselves. It
should be very hands on, and the students should be allowed to make choices in their art-making
process. By giving the students the space to make their decisions and take creative risks, the
students will be more interested in the lesson and learn more about the topic because they were
given the opportunity to make decisions in the process.
A Vision for the Elementary Art Classroom
The Elementary art classroom should foster creativity and a love, or at least appreciation, for
art. There should be different resources and materials for the students that inspire them and that
are to use and be creative with. There should be instruction on different artists and movements,
both contemporary and not. The students should be allowed room to experiment and take
different approaches with their artwork, within lesson guidelines. This way they will become
more interested in the lesson and the topics that are being discussed in the classroom. The art

classroom should also promote respect. The students should be taught to respect one another, not
only when theyre around the school, but also when they are making art. They should be taught
to respect their fellow classmates art, regardless of what it looks like. Also, if a student is
struggling with something in the lesson and the student next to them understands it, they should
be able to ask and help each other out. They should also respect the instructor and follow the
instructions given. Lastly, the art classroom should promote positivity. There will be students that
arent experienced with art and think that what they make isnt good. There will be students like
that in every classroom. It is our job to make sure that these students, and the rest of them as
well, stay positive about their artwork. We should encourage them and be positive about their
work. If there is a student that thinks they are not good at something or that they cant do
something well, tell them that they are just taking a different approach to the project and that
they are all going to look different. It is important that they learn that in art, there isnt a right
or wrong. In art, there are so many different ways to accomplish a task. (Gerber & Guay, 2007,
p.43) There will also be the students that excel in art and are very involved in it. There are also
the students that use art as an escape or for self-expression. All of these types of students should
be encouraged to do the best that they can do in the art classroom.
A Teaching Philosophy
Art instruction and learning should be both a combination of student centered and teacher
centered. The teacher should teach the basic terms and elements of art and design so that the
students know what they are and can identify them. However, these should also be presented in a
way that the students can make choices and place their own style into the art that they create.
There should be an even balance between teaching the things that the students should know
about art and letting them take creative risks in their artworks. The lessons should be set up in a

way that the students are able to learn the necessary things and are given the chance to be
creative and express themselves. The teacher should give guidelines of what the students are
creating, the materials they will be using, and the topic the artwork should be dealing with. This
way the students can take different approaches. They are able to depict different things in their
artwork, use different colors, have different compositions, and explore areas that they are more
interested in. This way, the artworks wont all look exactly the same and the students are able to
express themselves. The teacher should show the students how each project will be done and the
steps that will be taken. However, it should be made clear that as long as they are following the
instructions and stay on topic, they are able to incorporate different things in their artwork, it
doesnt have to look exactly like the teachers. The teacher should be open to considering
different approaches from the students as well. There might be some students that are more
interested in art than others. Therefore, they might want to use an additional material or add
something else to the project. However, if the teacher agrees to one student adding something,
the rest of the class should be given the option to do it as well, but it should be optional and only
after they have done what they already needed to do. Lessons should also be set up in a way that
allows flexibility depending on the students or as a teacher you should vary the types of lessons
you create, because a generic curriculum that can be applied to all art learning situations does
not and should not exist. (Stuhr, 1992, p.19) Since you will have a variety of different students
throughout your teaching career, you should youre your lessons be flexible enough or be willing
to change them depending on the students that you have. This way the students will learn the
most they possibly can.
Through these lessons, teachers should also be connecting the themes and topics to specific
artists from different time periods and different cultures. We have to ensure that all displays of

visual material and student artwork in the classroom reflect diversity with regard to age, gender,
race, and class. (Rosenberg, 2007, p.84) It is important that students see different cultures,
people, and time periods represented in art. This way they are not inclined to think of specific
cultures and groups as their stereotypes and they are educated on their cultures. As a teacher, it is
important that we encourage our students to learn about different cultures and different groups.
Even though all of these things are important to incorporate in the classroom, above all, it is the
teachers job to inspire and influence these students through their lessons. Teachers should be
teaching the students to love and appreciate art. They should be showing the students that art can
be so many things and that it can be an excellent outlet for them. It is important that we let them
know that art doesnt have to look like a Picasso or a Van Gogh, art can be anything you want it
to be, as long as it means something to you.

References
Gerber, B., & Guay, D. (2007). Reaching and teaching: Students with special needs through art.
Reston, VA: National Art Education Association.
Rosenberg, M. & Thurber, F. (2007). Gender matters in art education. Worcester, MA: Davis
Publications.
Stuhr, P.L., Petrovich-Mwaniki, L., &Wasson, R. (1992) Curriculum Guidelines for the
Multicultural Classroom. Art Education, 45(1), 16-24.