Gina Viola
Artist & Art Educator
Teaching Philosophy
Self-Expression
I believe that students should be aware that art can be an outlet for whatever they are feeling or thinking. They should be able to express themselves however they want without the strict limits of technical art terms. Not all thoughts and feelings we have we are comfortable sharing out loud, so I want to make sure my students know that they can use art to help them with that. In order to maintain our emotional well-being, we need to create a healthy, creative outlet for those emotions. One of the main reasons I chose to become an art educator is that I saw how expression through art has changed my life for the better, and I wanted others to have access to that feeling as well.
Community
I also believe it is important to have strong community connections within the classroom and art world. It is imperative that students are introduced to and acknowledge all of the resources they have around them. Visiting artists help to introduce students to the different backgrounds of these artists and hopefully inspire them in their own art making. Field trips to surrounding community art centers and museums allow students to see the connections they can make right in their own community. Doing so will create a more enriched art making experience. It can be hard to find inspiration when you are so used to doing the same thing, but having these connections myself has allowed me to broaden my skill set and inspire new ideas to create about. It's important to note that community starts in the classroom! Creating a strong community of young and inspired artists in my classroom is the very first step to creating a healthy and enriching environment for creating art.
Accessibility
Throughout my years of schooling, I have learned a lot about the needs of individual students. One of the most important aspects I have learned is that each student is unique and what works for the majority may not work for all. I believe teachers should work towards making their curriculum accessible to all students. Equal educational opportunities need to be provided to everyone. Not everyone learns in the exact same way, so why would we teach everyone in the exact same way?​
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There are many ways this can be practiced. Whether it be creating tools that help students have easier access to specific art materials, slightly changing the curriculum to help with a student's needs, or choosing an accessible art form in itself, it's important to make sure everyone has the same access to learning no matter the circumstances.
Lifelong Learning
One of my most important beliefs and goals is to be a lifelong learner. While teacher and educator may be my title, I will never stop learning. I believe in constantly improving and evolving my ways of thinking as the years pass. A lot can be learned from my students as well. As long as I am an active listener and am open-minded, I believe I can take these ways of thinking and use them to become a better role model for my students, and in turn my students will be more open-minded to different ways of thinking as well.