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Teaching Practice & Curriculum

My teaching practice is rooted in creative exploration, student agency, and a globally inclusive art studio. I design units that connect contemporary art, culture, and skill development through hands-on, concept-driven projects. My classroom centers collaboration, critique, and student choice—empowering learners to think creatively, communicate visually, and build confidence as artists.

How I teach

Studio Culture

I build a studio environment where students feel safe to take risks, experiment, and make mistakes. Through structured routines—like my Glow & Grow critique format—students learn to give and receive constructive feedback, reflect on their process, and develop artistic independence.

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Student Choice & Voice

Student autonomy is central to my instruction. I regularly integrate polls, media-choice menus, and student-driven adaptations into units. This allows learners to participate in designing their own pathway, increasing engagement and ownership of their work.​

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Inclusive, Multimodal Learning

Because so many of my students speak multiple languages, I pair visual models, demonstrations, anchor charts, and step-by-step slide decks with hands-on exploration. Technology like my DocCam helps me model process thinking, which supports diverse learners and builds art vocabulary naturally within the creative process.

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Daily Studio Routines

How class begins:

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  • Students enter and immediately start their 5-minute Daily Sketch while I take attendance.

  • The project of the day and learning goal are posted on the board so students always know what we’re working on.
     

Visual cues for class flow:

I use LED lighting to give students instant, nonverbal signals about expectations:
 

  • Blue – Sketch Time: Quiet warm-up

  • Red – Instruction: Eyes on teacher, no talking

  • Green – Studio Time: Music allowed, collaborative talking

 

This system supports multilingual learners, reduces repeated instructions, and keeps the studio calm and focused.

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Studio jobs & clean-up:

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  • A rotating weekly clean-up chart ensures every student has a role in resetting the studio.

  • These routines build responsibility, community, and studio pride while helping maximize art-making time.

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My classroom follows clear, consistent routines that help students transition smoothly into creative work and feel confident in what’s expected each day.

Core Practices: Process Over Product

Core Art Skills Taught

Before beginning any major project, I teach foundational skill-building lessons that give students the confidence and technical ability to work at a high level. These mini-lessons create consistency across secondary grades and ensure students have a strong visual vocabulary before applying it to creative, concept-driven work.

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​Some examples of Skills taught:
 

  • Value & shading (include spheres example)

  • Line techniques

  • Proportion & scaling

  • Mark-making

  • Thumb Sketches & Visual Planning

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​These foundational exercises prepare students for more advanced creative work. Below is one example from our Reverse Shading unit, where students applied their value knowledge to create realistic forms on toned paper.​​

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Examples of student work for Reverse Shading:

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What students learn:

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Thumbnail sketching is embedded into almost every major project in my classroom. Students create a series of quick, small sketches to explore composition, experiment with ideas, and avoid getting “stuck” on their first concept. This teaches creative flexibility and strengthens problem-solving skills.

 

Why it matters:

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Thumbnailing helps students:

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  • generate multiple ideas before committing

  • test layout, proportion, and spacing

  • visually “plan” in a low-pressure way

  • understand that the artistic process evolves

  • take risks without fear of ruining a final piece

 

This routine builds resilience, reflects authentic artist practice, and gives students confidence in developing original, thoughtful compositions.

 

How it connects to learning:

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  • Creative Thinking: Encourages brainstorming, iteration, and refining ideas.
     

  • Critical Thinking: Helps students evaluate what works and make purposeful decisions.
     

  • Visual Literacy: Students learn to communicate ideas quickly using symbols, shapes, and compositional studies.
     

  • Cross-Curricular Skills: Proportion, scaling, and spatial reasoning naturally connect to mathematical thinking.

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Thumbnail Sketching & Visual Planning

How I Build a Positive, Creative Classroom Culture

​Clear routines, relational teaching, and high expectations create safety and trust.
I design my classroom culture around:

 

1. Belonging & Relationships​

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  • Greet students at the door

  • Learn every name quickly

  • Normalize risk-taking and mistakes

  • Celebrate individual artistic voice

  • Share “community agreements” created with students

 

2. Structured Freedom

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  • Predictable routines (warm-ups, demos, work time, reflection)

  • Clear expectations + visible objectives

  • Enough flexibility for exploration and creative autonomy

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3. Inclusive & Culturally Responsive Practice

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  • Artists from many cultures represented in lessons

  • Opportunities for students to bring personal identity and lived experience into their work

  • Choice-based elements inside structured projects

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4. Growth Mindset & Skill-Building

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  • Students learn to talk through struggles instead of shutting down

  • Emphasis on progress over perfection

  • Rubrics tied to skill development and creative risk-taking

     

How I Support All Learners​​

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Differentiation
 

  • Scaffolded demos + step-by-step mini-lessons

  • Multiple entry points for beginners and advanced students

  • Modified expectations and personalized supports

  • Visual references, templates, and guided practice
     

Student Discourse & Critique
I teach students how to talk about art using prompts such as:
 

  • “I notice…”

  • “I wonder…”

  • “This choice makes me feel…”

  • “One suggestion is…”

  • Short weekly reflections on what they said or learned from peers (current MSL goal)
     

Classroom Management Philosophy
 

  • Firm, calm, consistent

  • High expectations + compassionate tone

  • Quiet signals, redirection scripts, and logical consequences

  • Proactive structure instead of reactive discipline

  • Real conversations before things escalate
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Assessment & Feedback
 

  • Formative: daily check-ins, thumbnails, practice pages

  • Summative: final projects with rubrics aligned to skills + creativity

  • Self-assessment: students reflect on process, choices, and growth

  • Portfolio-building: students save work for end-of-term review

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Daily Studio Flow
 

  • Warm-up sketch

  • Mini-lesson / demo

  • Guided practice

  • Independent studio work

  • Check-ins + small conferences

  • Quick reflection exit slip or group share-out

My lessons follow a consistent, supportive structure that helps Secondary level students feel confident, independent, and engaged in the studio. Every unit I teach follows a clear flow that balances demonstration, exploration, and student voice. To see examples of my lesson click the button below. 

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