Forming Relationships

It is my personal belief that one of the most crucial elements of teaching is fostering an environment that not only encourages curiosity, but also serving as an active listener to our students. When a student is in an environment where they feel welcome to express their thoughts and actions, they will feel respected enough to continue to share their interests. Building relationships with students is so important to me, because I feel that they care about what you share with them, leading to greater exploration of subjects by them. Plus, It just makes the classroom that much more fun to be in. As a teacher, it is important to have open and authentic conversations with the students at their level, without being dismissive or judgmental. Asking open-ended questions in which there may not be a definitive answer will encourage students to be creative and curious about the world around them. This curiosity can be expressed in a student’s work, and giving them an environment in which they are comfortable to express themselves is extremely important.

Art invokes feelings of curiosity by observing, listening, questioning, and wondering about the world around us. In art, we tend to avoid modeling answers and analyze a work by our own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. While responding to art, there is no definitive right or wrong answers and it seems more natural to process information in order to problem solve. Art inspires us to be inquisitive about the world and creative in our self-expression.

Above photo: Given to me by a student on my last day of student teaching.