Katherine Ingui

I believe that each child is a unique individual who both needs and deserves a caring, creative, engaging, and challenging environment in which to grow and mature academically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. I believe that it is my role as an educator to help students meet their fullest potential by providing a safe, respectful climate of learning in my classroom that supports creative learning and problem solving, as well as risk-taking and idea-sharing. All students deserve a quality education, no matter the gender, race, religious belief, background, or socio-economic status. I believe that it is my role as a teacher within the arts to facilitate learning and artmaking by providing students with appropriate materials, knowledge of art history, and active use of techniques that will help them create work that is personal and meaningful.

 

As an educational guide, it is my goal to create opportunity for students to become lifelong learners and curious individuals who ask questions and seek to solve problems and make their lives more positive and purposeful. I believe that self-discovery is an essential component of learning, and with this, it is important to have the opportunity to study things that are meaningful and relevant to one’s life and interests. We best learn if we are first engaged by something that appeals to us or represents itself to us as interesting. I find this motivating for me as an educator, and with this understanding, I keep it a priority in my curriculum design and development to always leave room for flexibility based on the body of learners that will enter into my classroom. Students should have input on their learning, and it is my role as an educator to help them achieve this; with more choice comes a richer possibility for authentic learning and high levels of achievement.

 

I myself am an active artist, engaging in the visual arts on a daily basis in and outside of the art classroom. I understand the importance of the arts and creativity in daily life, and because I value it personally, it is my goal to share my love for art with those that I teach. I have respect for creativity as it is manifested differently in the lives of individuals, and I understand that not all persons are destined to be achieved artists; I do, however, believe that all people should be exposed to creativity and visual artmaking in order to open up potential self-discovery and personal understanding that is limitless and free of pressure. I aim to help all students learn to love themselves and see that they are capable of doing and achieving anything they set their minds to; I do this everyday in my classroom, as I care and love each student, and it is my goal to help them succeed in and outside of the classroom.

 

For myself as a teacher, I find it a beautiful challenge to work with the human mind and individual condition of each and every student that I interact with. Teachers are key influences and major players in helping individuals in our society develop into successful citizens. Teaching is a lifelong process of learning and reflecting, instructing and creating, communicating and reacting; it is a responsibility that requires patience, understanding, acceptance, and care, all of which I aim to provide to each and every student.