Hello World! (Why teach Art?)

Greetings and salutations! From one creative mind to another, let me just say that I am excitedly anticipating a wonderful future in the art classroom. Art is fun and relaxing, as we all know. You should also know that art is so very important in developing our critical thinking skills, our motor skills, and the way we see and respond to the world every day.

You may be thinking "I have no talent for art. It'll be too hard and I won't get any better anyway." I'm here to tell you that that's just not true! My class will begin with the basics and build on skills as we learn them. Of course I wouldn't expect an Art I student to paint a self-portrait before learning about line, color, composition, and proportion. I am here to help -- help make art fun and feasible, as well as to help your concept of what art is expand as we progress through the year.

I was fortunate to attend Tuscaloosa Academy, a college preparatory school, in Tuscaloosa.  Tuscaloosa Academy is a Montessori through 12th grade school, and I had the opportunity to take Art every year I was there.  I had the same teacher, Mrs. Fitts, for the majority of my time at T.A., which was a great benefit to me and my fellow Art classmates.  She knew us as more than just students -- she knew us as individuals with different backgrounds, strengths, and passions.  Mrs. Fitts is a huge inspiration for me in the area of Art Education, and I think back to her lessons and her teaching style all the time when brainstorming about lesson plans or effectiveness in the classroom.