I come from a long line of educators. I have seen the impact that the right instructor can have on the trajectory of a person’s life. As I have gained experience as a Teaching Artist, along with my work history as an Occupational Therapist, I have began to see how important it will be for me to pass my knowledge on to the next generation.  On my journey as a Teaching Artist, I want my students to learn the fundamental content of each skill that I teach. Beyond that, I leave experiences to foster critical thinking, facilitate the acquisition of life-long learning skills, prepare students to function effectively in an information economy, and develop problem-solving strategies. I feel that my role in orienting students to a discipline, to what it means to be an expert in your field, is to be an advocate for passion and the desire to make a difference. My responsibility is to be a resource to my students. I hope to bring in real world experience to my students’ education by incorporating information from various sources and real world experiences.

As I develop each curriculum, I prioritize the information that would benefit the student most, not only in learning about the specific topic, but after the class is over. My choices are in an effort to provide a more global awareness of the topic addressed. Projects are individualized and grouped, based on whether that skill or knowledge area requires collaborative skills, critical thinking, or self directed decision making. Multiple forms of information, in various ways, can make an impact on the comprehension of  information and skill.

As a Teaching Artist, it is my goal to be able to have left a positive impact on each student I meet, and hopefully leave them with a thought, or two, that they can bring with them for a lifetime.