Sarah Needham

Teaching Philosophy

I am an art teacher because I believe that everyone can grow as an artist. Teaching art allows me to share my passion for learning and creating with those around me. My goal as an art educator is to inspire my students to push beyond their expectations, solve problems creatively, and think reflectively about their work so that they can grow in their abilities. The physical experience of creating art often allows students who struggle in other areas of school to feel accomplished in their work. It is truly amazing to see students surprise themselves with their own success. I work with students of all ability levels to achieve their best work, and I encourage my students to interact with each other throughout the artmaking process. As a result of collaboration, they are able to learn from shared experiences.

In my classroom, I demonstrate each new material or technique and plan time for students to practice and experiment before they start creating larger projects. I give daily feedback to students based on individual needs. For each project, I post a clear and objective rubric that I use to assess student work. I also believe that reflection is important and teach my students how to thoughtfully engage in constructive art critique. Throughout my teaching experience, I have enjoyed collaborating with other educators and developing lessons that teach skills which my students will use in other areas of life.