Margaret Derrig

Statement of Intent
Art has been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always
doing different art projects and my gravitation toward art only grew stronger as I got older. In
middle school, my teacher suggested that I take the advanced art class because she saw my love
and dedication to art. In my first three years of high school, I took five art classes, one of which
was the Honors/AP Portfolio class during my junior year. During senior year, I took my skills
outside of the art classrooms and became the design editor for our yearbook. It was in this
position that I realized my potential as an art teacher.
Reflecting on my first three years at OSU, I know I have learned so much from my
instructors about myself as an artist and about the kind of teacher I want to be. I’ve seen
examples of both things I want to do and things I don’t want to do as a teacher. I want my
students to be independent, yet guided. They should feel like they are in charge of their projects
while also feeling like they were properly prepared and taught the necessary skills to complete
that project. I want my art classes to allow students to use their creative expression to create
works that they are proud of, while making sure I teach them the technical skills that are required
for them to do so.
As an art teacher, I want to change the way that students think about art. The most
common reaction I get when I tell people that I am going to teach art is, “Oh I’m terrible at art, I
can’t even draw a stick figure” or something similar. It has made me realize how distorted
peoples’ views are about art. Art isn’t about drawing stick figures or circles, and it isn’t about
how “good” or “bad” you are. There are so many mediums and styles to choose from, I want to
show my students that there are endless possibilities in art, it’s just about finding what you like. I
also believe that art is about progress not the product. I want my students to focus more on
improving their skills and less on how “good” their piece is.
Every day I’ve spent in Ohio State’s art education program I have grown more confident
in my decision to become a teacher. I know that teaching art is what I am meant to do and that I
am becoming the best teacher I can be through this program. I have learned so much about who I
am as an artist and a teacher. I am very excited to put my new knowledge and skills to work in a
classroom and to share my values and ideas with students.