My teaching philosophy always puts students' identities at the forefront, aiming overall to create a strong sense of community. It is extremely important to make the art classroom a place where students can feel safe to express themselves and foster a strong sense of understanding. It's imperative to me that my lessons are always rooted in meaning-making, incorporating parts of all my students' identities and interests. To make space and allow room for students to explore and learn about both their identity, as well as their peers’, my lessons often include self-reflection, brainstorming, journaling, and discussion. As much as making art about personal experiences is essential as a form of self-expression, it's also vital in creating a sense of community in my classroom, encouraging empathy, understanding, and a sense of belonging.  

Respect is a virtue I hold firmly in my classroom as an educator and artist. Through conversation and sharing art, students in my classroom are expected to respect everyone, listen, and give everyone the same level of respect. Much of my teaching practice in art revolves around community and conversation with the class, so students can learn from each other and build mutual understanding. This approach comes with an emphasis on how to actively listen and be open to learning, since sharing personal art can be vulnerable. Students are taught to use art as another form of communication, especially in stories where they cannot do so as easily with words. 

My goal as an art educator is to equip students with the skills to tell their stories through art, while also leaving them with the ability to understand, listen to, and learn from their community and those around them. I aim to bring students in, whether they have an existing community or not, and leave them with a new one they found through art, no matter what.