If one has previously read  “Life is like a Painting: An Essay on Goals”  then one is aware of how goals change over time, similar to paint flowing through watercolor.  However, a painting often starts out with a plan, a layout for future work to be done. In the same way, I have planned out some future professional goals to guide me in the years following the completion of my Master of Arts in Education (MAED).  To understand my goals, one must know that I have been teaching math courses for the past two years, but will be teaching middle school art next year. Therefore my goals include:

 

• My old goal, to learn new methods of teaching to reach a more diverse range of students

• To develop my creative side to support teaching in an art classroom

• To implement more technology into the art room.  

 

First of all, learning new methods of teaching is a goal that I believe will be continuous due to the changes in our field.   By being a lifelong learner I can provide an example for my students to embrace knowledge and be open to learning new things. There are two ways I plan on achieving this goal. First off, I will attend professional development (PD) courses provided by Reed City Middle School and sign up and attend at least one additional PD opportunity provided by the district per year.  These PD opportunities are likely to focus on general teaching skills, rather than art, but will develop my ability to reach more students in the classroom. To find more art teaching specific strategies, I will renew my membership to the National Art Education Association (NAEA) and attend at least one of their courses per year. I have been part of the NAEA before but let my membership lapse when I began teaching math.  They are an excellent resource for art focused PD courses and art education conferences. As part of my membership, I will also become a member of the Michigan Art Education Association (MAEA) and I hope to attend their art conference once every two years. With all these professional development opportunities, I believe I can keep current in strategies that will benefit my classroom and me.

 

My second goal of pursuing more creative aspects in life is both personal and professional.  When I was teaching math courses, creating artwork came to a standstill. Now, developing my creative side is paramount to my profession of being an art teacher, and fulfills my passion. A criteria I have for this goal is to learn one new art technique a year to bring into the classroom.  For example, I am not that familiar with fiber arts, so this year my goal is to learn how to paper piece by completing the Project of Doom, a quilting challenge. Fortunately, my membership in the art associations will give me resources to find other art courses. Through the MAEA, The Adrian Center for the Arts provides studio art courses that I plan on completing next summer.  Another criteria for this goal is to travel each year. As an art teacher I have the opportunity to teach about different cultures and their artwork. The best way to learn about these cultures is through experience in the places that they exist from the people who live them. If budgeting doesn't allow a big trip, then I would at least like to visit a new museum each year. The first place on my list to visit is the Detroit Institute of Arts to experience and learn about different cultures through artifacts.

 

Finally, I want to bring more technology into the art classroom.  I learned about a few technology tools that you can view on my showcase page, but I am interested in finding a simple graphic design program that is online and available for use in middle school.  Most graphic design courses are expensive and unrealistic to provide for a rural school, but I would still like my students to be able to experience technology tools from an art context. For this reason, I also aim to get an Artsonia membership so students can upload their work to an online gallery.  Artsonia is a free program and offers parents a way to keep, view, and even purchase products with their student’s artwork. By implementing this program into the school, I can give students experience with technology in our 21st century world.

​

With this layout for the future I look forward to the years to come pursuing my goals to support my art teaching and any other teaching I may pursue.  Whether learning education skills, developing my creative side, or implementing technology, I know that I will continue to be a lifelong learner and use my goals to guide me on my path.