Art Teacher
Send a job offer directly to this candidate
My goal as an educator is to help students discover the multifaceted versions of themselves and find ways to heal and integrate those aspects through explorations in knowledge and self-realization. The goal of my work is to hold space for others to blossom as they nourish their own inner truths. To do this also means accepting the vast array of individuals and their needs.
The process of my own self-realization and learning to hold space was the start of my reframing of holism: making a holistic framework that is personal enough for one to feel seen and specific enough to be approachable. I view holism as an active inward journey to self-realization, and an outward relationship that embodies otherness in an everchanging and resonant nature.
As an instructor, I take a holistic approach to education. This means addressing each student as a person, and cultivating growth in that person’s mind, emotions, goals,
beliefs, world awareness, self-care skills, and empathy. To make this possible, I believe in a gradual release model to empower students to take charge of their own learning. As a teacher, the best thing that I can do is make it so the students no longer need to rely on me.
Thus, my methods focus on teaching how to learn, plan, solve personal questions, and dive into personal inquiry.
Throughout my practices, I lean into both quantitative and qualitative data. This mixed-methods approach lends tremendous insight when I begin to triangulate information to discover meaning. Holistically interpreting data helps inform me of individual students’
critical thinking processes and highlights how they have integrated their discoveries into their end results.
Continuing my personal growth and learning is an integral part of my teaching philosophy. Currently, I am taking graduate courses in educational philosophies, psychology,
and research methods to meet my students where they are and guide them through current developments in the field. These courses have also helped prepare me to make my classroom a space for healing through inquiry, representation, and sensitivity. The Ph.D.
dissertation I’m currently working on is centered around cultivating holistic school cultures,
curriculums, and pedagogical methods.
Being part of a community is one of my favorite parts of my job. I find my coworkers, the students, and the educational community at large to be a dynamic source of inspiration. I find that our professional communities grow the most when its diverse members feel included, are able to connect with others with shared interests, and co-lead dynamic projects together.
Beyond the walls of our school, I also believe it is important to integrate resources from our local neighborhoods, including parents and family.
Developing relationships with students is inevitable as a teacher, however developing healthy, personal, and dynamic relationships takes work. Each year I have invested myself into student clubs and activities based on student’s interests. Beyond my own clubs,
last year, I lead and managed the SAIL grant, a $70,000 after-school grant, and helped curate
27 different clubs for the school, helped connect teachers with supplies, offered a club fair,
brought in outside instructors, and provided incentive trips for students with high participation in extracurricular education. In this way, I was not only able to build relationships with the students myself, but I was able to help other teachers create deeper bonds outside of the classroom.
To address the many challenges faced by our marginalized and at-risk students, I developed a program at the end of last year called the Student-Voice Initiative. This program aims to hear the students’ firsthand experiences on issues surrounding race, gender, religion,
and other equity-based matters. This year the Student-Voice Initiative has turned into a three-year equity-focused cohort program for the school that I am co-leading. One of the biggest club projects that I took on happened over the past two years. At Chicago Math and
Science Academy, our school did not feel warm and inviting from outside the building, so I worked with a team of students and collaborated with outside resources to create a
40x20-foot mural on an exterior wall of the building. The goal of the mural’s imagery was to have students feel represented for who they are.
CHICAGO MATH & SCIENCE ACADEMY | Chicago, IL
Lead art and design classes for grades 6-12 focusing on students’ holistic development. Art prompts were used to guide students to a deeper understanding of themselves, various cultures, and interdisciplinary topics.
Technical skill development was offered in drawing, painting, animation,
sculpture, and design.
Additional involvements included: Chicago Young Scholars Program, Future
Institute mentor, after-school club instructor, senior mentor, Equity Committee,
Social Emotional Learning cohort, created after-school parent programs, new teacher mentor, Chicago Public School art liaison, created student-voice initiative
Ph.D. Curriculum & Pedagogy
Northern Illinois University 2017-Present
Masters of Science in Art + Design Education
IL Type 10: Visual Arts (K-12) Certificate
Also Certified in the following:
