Teaching Philosophy

Visual art fosters more than technical skills; it invites critical thinking and self-expression and can provide a safe space to learn regulatory skills essential for life.  What does it even mean to be regulated? Regulation, similarly to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, begins with physiological needs being met (Sleep, food, water, shelter, breathing, etc.). Furthermore, regulation requires individuals to stay out of the part of our brain that often enables fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. I have learned to call this our downstairs brain, as taught by Kristen Van Marten Souers and Pete Hall, Authors of Relationship Responsibility and Regulation. Trauma is far more prevalent in our children than we care to think—Souers and Hall teach Downstairs brain (where we are unregulated) v.s. Upstairs brain, where we can function emotionally and therefore bring our best in any scenario. I believe in using terms like "upstairs" and "downstairs" as an easy-to-understand framework for communicating about and addressing regulation and behavior (Souers et al.).

Teaching regulation through visual arts requires structure, thoughtful scaffolding of artistic and thematic processes, and an underpinning of compassion. With reliable routines, nervous systems grow to anticipate what's coming next, providing an appropriate foundation for creative intervention. In a similar vein, students should feel confident with the materials they use. To build students' confidence with artistic materials, I must allow for exploration and scaffold techniques before starting on that final paper. As a teacher, I aim to introduce regulation through themes in lessons.  For example, a lesson on technical portrait drawing could require a student to draw a picture of someone they disagree with while also trying to understand their point of view. While this approach will likely require students to get out of their comfort zone, it will also require them to pursue nuance and step out of a fixed mindset, planting a seed for emotional development.  

Teaching regulation requires patience, forethought, and creativity, which art taught me as a child. I will perpetuate art as a method of regulation and self-exploration so that kids of all backgrounds begin the journey into adulthood with the tools I was afforded through creativity and curiosity.  

Works Cited

    Souers, Kristin, et al. Relationship, Responsibility, and Regulation: Trauma-Invested Practices for Fostering Resilient Learners. Echo Point Books & Media, LLC, 2024.