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Teacher's
Statement
Over the years I have steadily come to the decision (realization) that I could optimize and authenticate my daily life by living it out as both an artist and a teacher... the two work hand-in-hand.
As an artist I often debate the existential dilemma of questioning
my purpose, intent, spirituality, and other connections made by my art to
my life and the reality that I am attempting to function in... this debate
lead to my becoming a teacher.
As a teacher this debate has been extended to my realizing the need of a higher quality of education for my students, with “real” connections to a richness of life that all teachers should provide, beyond the classroom. I opted for becoming an elementary school teacher because it makes me a “Renaissance Man”... I have the great pleasure and honor of being able to teach math, language arts, history, science, physical education, music... and art! All in the same classroom!
As a Bilingual (Spanish) teacher working for the Los Angeles Unified
School District (L.A.U.S.D.) I am faced with the dilemma that all teachers
face: How do I combine the Standards, teach from district mandated materials
(Open Court, etc...), operate under a strict “pacing plan,” meet
the many needs of my English Language Learners, enrich the lives of children
that live under deprived social-economic conditions, contend with students
that pose as “classroom challenges," and keep my lessons interesting,
authentic, and rich with content that teachers often don’t have time
to include in their lessons... such as art?
A convenient solution...
As teachers we are all familiar with Thematic Units, lessons that
combine a variety of strands (math, language arts, etc) within a theme...
I think that this is a way to teach most efficiently and effectively. Thematic
Units allow for the opportunity for students to make connections within the
many things that they have been learning/learned, and to extend what they
have learned and apply it new relevant ways. I have opted for using Origami
(the Japanese art of paper folding) and Kirigami (the Japanese art of paper
cutting) as a major artistic connection within my Thematic Units.
For an example of this, please see my Lesson
Plan.
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