Hello Daily Kos, how are you all doing on this glorious Sunday evening?
I am a bit exhausted and a bit overjoyed. I have been writing for the past few hours, after getting over that "must do this" hurdle. See, I was chosen Teacher of the Year at my school and now I have to type 10 pages explaining my philosophy of education as part of the district finals.
I am about halfway done. If you have a few minutes to read my first draft, I would appreciate any feedback you might have. I must warn you, I write in happy hyperbole with heaping helpings of exhalted exaggeration. But I mean every word.
This is why I love teaching...
The professional educator is a member of the greatest community in the world. Building future generations of intelligent citizens is the most important job that a human being can choose. I feel endlessly blessed to be part of this field, and I do everything in my power to make it the best it can be.
Professionalism demands open-minded empathy for fellow educators alongside disciplined dedication to the needs of the developing student. There is no room for a negative attitude when it comes to a professional teaching community. I have always considered a simple smile to be the most valuable asset in the school environment. No matter what new program or problem arises, it is of ultimate benefit to remain pleasant with everyone involved.
Throughout my 26-year career, I have been able to instruct and share the latest methods and techniques with my fellow educators in over 30 different workshops and faculty meetings. Everything from the latest computer artwork lessons to IPEGS evaluation processes has been studied and shared, and the community has been strengthened. In those years I have attended many more sessions as a student. I feel that Miami-Dade County has one of the exemplary professional development systems in the nation, and I am proud to be a part of it.
As an Art teacher, I spend countless hours studying the latest trends and methods from the world’s galleries and museums. Thanks to the technological advances of our time, this can be accomplished at the keyboard of any computer connected to the Internet. When I am not visiting exhibitions in person, I am scanning the world for new techniques online. Since I get hundreds of great ideas for lessons from artists and teachers around the globe, I reciprocate by posting my own classroom results on a school-based website that I have created. Sharing is caring, and the entire planet gets together every moment in a giant group hug.
The United Teachers of Dade (UTD), the Dade Art Educators (DAE), the Florida Art Education Association (FAEA), and the National Educators Association (NEA) all contribute to my teaching methods. They all make me a better educator by publishing monthly magazines, providing workshops, organizing yearly conferences, and hosting social events. Birds of a feather grow stronger when they meet and share ideas, and I fly much higher in my profession thanks to the organizations to which I pledge my membership.
The single greatest accomplishment that I have achieved in my career is the continuous inspiration that I see in the independent creativity of my students. One recent example occurred the day after a lesson involving the trading card game industry and its incorporation of artistic input in various forms. After school while I was monitoring the hallways, a student approached me and told me excitedly that she had gone home and started creating an entirely new card game using characters and abilities of from her own imagination. It is my goal as an instructor to form a new generation of inventive human beings, rather than a mindless mass of consumers. Examples like this show me that I am headed in the right direction.
Since Art educators also have ample opportunities for external validation of the success of their student output, I have also been fortunate enough to build a sizable resume of student awards. From the Youth Fair to multiple professional design publications, my classroom has produced artwork that has been chosen for local, national, and international accolades both big and small. Every time that one of my students wins a contest, it is the joy in their eyes and the glow from their family that is my cherished reward.
Perhaps the most impressive accomplishment of my career was the life-changing effect that my influence had on a student named Stephen Bauman. He is now teaching in Florence, Italy. A prestigious New York gallery sponsors him with his own one-man shows. He sells every painting he finishes, for as much as fifteen thousand dollars each. He was featured in Art Collector magazine, and has become a world-renowned artist at the forefront of the new realist movement. Stephen Bauman, however, was not always this focused. When he entered my class he was spray-painting graffiti on walls and trains. He had been arrested three times for vandalism. It took three years of role modeling and constant debate, but eventually he understood the value of painting on canvas instead of the streets. I convinced him to go to college and refine his skills. Now he is one of the most successful young artists in the world.
My classroom environment is built upon the cornerstones of equality and exchange. I always remember that I was once the same age as my students and I strive to model all the great educators that helped form my own developing mind. I feel that structure and guidance must be balanced by inquiry and expression. Students are allowed to freely explore their creativity while learning traditional artistic concepts.