I will strive to define each child not by what he or she may be unable to do, but rather in terms of his or her present achievements and future potential.

My goal in teaching the visual arts is to facilitate students’ creative potential to the greatest extent possible. To this end, I will provide children with instruction that is both engaging and relevant. I will encourage all students along their journey of intellectual, emotional, and academic development, including those who require accommodations or adjustments for differentiation. Furthermore, I will strive to define each child not by what he or she may be unable to do, but rather in terms of his or her present achievements and future potential. I will therefore develop a visual arts course that will offer many opportunities for every student to explore and participate in a welcoming, supportive, and content-rich classroom environment. Through participation in class projects, discussions, field trips, and other activities, students will experience the pleasures of visual aesthetics; engage with the problems of visual design; and study the artifacts of material culture.

These activities are important because equitable opportunities in arts education have been linked to increased academic achievement, social and emotional development, and civic engagement. Students involved with the arts often exhibit gains in math, reading, cognitive ability, critical thinking, and verbal skills. Learning in the arts can be instrumental to increasing a child’s levels of confidence, concentration, and motivation, as well as her ability to work effectively as a member of a team. The role of the visual arts in conferring these advantages is particularly important, since the sense of sight is the primary means by which the majority of students come to know and interpret the world.

Michael A. Kodysz