Caitlin Flynn’s Teaching Philosophy:
For most of us, it is difficult to deny the benefits technological advances have brought to everyday life. Yet, keeping pace with technology has its price. As technology continues to progress and our ability to make sense of the rapidly changing environment adapts, I fear we lose the value of reflection.
My goal as an artist educator is to bring elements of studio practice to the Art Studio to show students how to engage in the world around them through observation. Whether students are looking at a still life, going on a walk, playing a video game, or listening to their favorite song, I feel it is essential they ask questions, discover something they have never noticed, and reflect on these observations through the art making process. I give students the skills to deconstruct and understand what it is they are looking at, for when we extend our observation time, discoveries and connections are made.
Providing a safe environment for my students where each student feels comfortable and is willing to use their imagination is an important step toward guiding students to make those invaluable discoveries and subsequent connections. Encouraging my students to be reflective promotes the development of their own individual artistic style.
An important part of the process of developing individual artistic styles includes integrating and practicing higher order thinking strategies. Incorporating these strategies into my curriculum, along with keeping a journal, helps to build a literacy rich environment where students learn to reflect and talk about the world around them.
My ultimate goal as an educator is to convey that art making never stops. It is a process and a way of thinking that extends far beyond the classroom, and truly has no limits. We bring this style of thinking with us wherever we go, and students learn that possibilities of wondering “What if” are endless.
