Arts Education Personal Statement

The sounds of cannons in the American revolution. The sounds drummers playing! The act of performance! Are all things that appear of sharing nothing in common however, these simple short phrases share the underlying weight of why I am pursuing a career in arts education. Fortunately, in high school I was surrounded by educators who pushed me to question and learn how art is part of my every day life and not just a “extra-curricular activity”. Their influences gave me a new perspective towards the arts and motivated me in a way where I wish on pursuing a career in arts education where I will be able to leave my students with the same tools that some important figures did so for me. Stated simply, I wish to leave my students with three values
that they may use throughout their life: creativity, unity, and perseverance. I hope that with these tools all my students will leave my classroom with the belief that they can all be artists, innovators, and creators of the future. One individual who gave me a different perspective about the arts was my U.S.
history teacher who, through my eyes, always acted as a performer living out all of America’s greatest events right before our eyes. To say the least, I remembered most of his lessons because of the excitement that he created with his movements and voice changes as he discussed the American Revolution or World War II. What made his class more enjoyable was the fact that there was trust between us and him; we could ask anything without feeling as if we were wasting time. We were pushed to ask the questions, we were given an environment were asking was questions is a good thing that allows us to gain a better understanding of out world. Creating a judge-free environment is my number one goal as educator because I believe that more trust is developed when students feel comfortable to share their thoughts, questions, and concerns. Over all, this teacher opened my eyes to a new form of educating; performing while lecturing and instilling trust within his students. I want to create this same environment as an educator and create bonds with my students where we are free in questioning what they do not understand or need help in. In my classroom creativity and unity will flourish by acting lessons out and creating bonds where we all feel comfortable in experiencing art in new and different
modes. Another great influence on me was my band director who provided a deeper insight about the arts was through the power of music.
The band director has a very direct teaching philosophy; he would explain lessons and then send us off on our own letting us make mistakes as a way of truly understanding the material. This teacher, Mr. Jackson, believes that though playing and learning music students gain essential skills that no other subject can provide. To say the least, at the end of my high school career I witnessed how right he was, through music I learned the value of teamwork, discipline but, most importantly, I learned the true value of perseverance. Although learning music was never an easy task, I experimented and trial tested every possible rhythm, went out of my comfort zone and experienced some hard times as I tried to master the material. Just like any other performing arts, music pushed me to my limits but, I gained so much from the experiences. First hand I experienced how the performing arts may appear at first sight difficult, impossible, and even intimidating. Therefore, with the help of my previous knowledge on the arts I want to aid my students in feeling comfortable and going on and tackling the unknown even if the have no idea where they are going. I believe that as an art educator I have to open the eyes of my students and demonstrate to them the value of perseverance when making art and continuing their process as they find and fall over new obstacles
that will arise. Personally, what makes a ‘good’ teacher is one that never gives up and finds multiple ways of interacting with students with different backgrounds. What makes a ‘good’ student is one who is open to go along and trusts their teacher with their education. I believe that young minds need a space in their life where they are able to express and liberate themselves from their inner/outer demons. This is why in my classroom, my goal is to create an environment where trust, unity, and creativity is visually evident through teacher students’ interactions, which will ultimately aid in helping students gain a comprehensive understanding about art: culturally, historically, and personally.