Justin Scherer

April 20, 2020

My Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is mostly grounded in the base principles of humanism.

Rather than being hyper-focused on definitions and fact retention, I believe the best

teachers focus on the emotional needs of their students above all else. As far as I'm

concerned, the average student won't remember how to properly slip and score a piece

of clay – and that's completely fine. If they remember anything at all, they will remember

the way my class made them feel.

School is stressful. The expectations placed on students’ shoulders seem to be

growing larger and larger with every passing year. I want my classroom to be a space

where students can take a deep breath and refocus their energy towards the process of

Artmaking. Artmaking can serve as a vehicle for self-expression, play, or critical

exploration. While all of these are important and worth exploring, I really want each of

my students to use the process of creation in whichever way best addresses their

specific emotional needs. The earlier we can implement these kinds of practices in the

art classroom, the earlier students will be able to find autonomy in their own learning

processes.

On top of this, I want my curriculum to raise difficult questions. Questions that are

grounded in the themes of privilege and equity. The desire to raise these questions

comes from my appreciation for critical and reflexive teaching practices. A critical

education can result in students learning how to engage in productive discourse, all the
while coming up with creative solutions to complex problems. This kind of curriculum

can also work to foster and spread empathy.

I believe art teaching should be oriented around the emotional needs of each

student (with a base focus on global injustices and creative problem solving). In short, I

hope to expose my students to the wonders of art while providing them with the

knowledge and tools they will need to traverse the complexities of life.