As an artist and an educator, I believe in the importance of learning through art making and art appreciation. I believe in art that promotes higher-order thinking through artmaking by developing student-centered and age-appropriate lesson plans for my students that is geared toward play and explorations of art materials as well as making artworks that reflect on the students' own interests, experiences, and cultural richness. I also strongly believe in providing my students with a safe environment to create freely. Art is important for children and adolescents because it allows them to think imaginatively and pushes them to think critically. Art encourages exploration, expression, organization and reflection of personal thoughts and feelings. Art teaches empathy and allows for the understanding of differing views. In my classroom, students are encouraged to develop their own voice by finding personal meanings through the creation of their own art and through discussions on fine works of art.

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     By the end of the class, I hope that my students will be able to learn something about themselves, their peers, and/or ideas that they have not discovered before. I also hope that they will continue their art making outside of the classroom, not because they have to, but because they naturally want to.