Fernanda Espinoza
My Inspiration in Art
Ever since I was a child, I loved art. I would scribble in my grandma's book of phone numbers whenever I didn't feel like coloring in the lines of a coloring book. Although I would get in trouble for it, I did not regret it at all. My parents started passing me blank sheets of paper, in fear that I would move onto my next project-- drawing on the walls. This love for art did not really kick off until I reached high school, where I had the freedom of picking art as an elective. My high school art teacher, we'll call her Mrs. B, was my main inspiration to pursue a career in the art field.
Mrs. B was a kind woman who always saw the best in her student's artwork. She had great communication skills, allowing her students to easily realize what mistakes they could fix on their artwork and how to fix them. I was fortunate enough to have her as a high school art teacher for three years. When taking AP Studio Art my junior year, she pushed me to try a new medium every three weeks or so and this really helped me figure out what art medium I preferred (soft pastel pencil and charcoal). Whenever I would stay after school to work on projects, I would end up helping the younger kids who stayed after school. I voluntarily did this because watching others make art is amazing to me, and helping them along the way with the experience I've obtained only made me happier. Because of Mrs. B pushing me to try new ways to make art, I was inspired to help others along the way. Thanks to her, I realized what I want to be; an art teacher.
Teaching Philosophy
Students are like little tree saplings waiting to sprout and disburse as they grow older. They need various things to grow such as a reliable water source, healthy soil, time, and lots of sunlight. Because K-12 students are curious about the world and are exposed to masses of information as they age, they must learn to interpret the world through their environment. As a future educator, I aim to be a part of the resources that aid their knowledge of the world. Through art education and culturally responsive teaching methods, students think critically about how to use different art materials to convey their own lived experiences and examine their peers’ experiences.
Growing up, I saw myself as a small tree sapling and all the adults in my life as the resources I needed to grow. My art teachers played an important role in my life by exposing me to artmaking as an outlet to tell stories of my own lived experiences. However, there was a lack of diversity and importance on European artists. My curricular goals are to foster a community where all backgrounds are celebrated and recognized, every student’s voice matters and is encouraged, and question the structure of our society. I believe that art education builds a path for students to learn about visual culture and how to interpret the masses of information they receive through cartoons, advertisements, and other media forms.
Culturally Responsive Teaching is the method I will use to get students to think critically about their upbringings, alongside their peers, and connect it to bigger world issues. The strategies I plan to build upon is their prior knowledge by lining my curricula up with other art teachers while working with core subjects such as English and Science. In terms of curricula, because I witnessed art classrooms only focus on European artists I aim to consider the cultural capital of my classroom. I aim to be part of the vital resources these little tree saplings need to grow through my teaching methods.