Community Arts Partner

Teaching Approach

Teaching Philosophy + Approach

bell hooks writes, "The function of art is to do more than tell it like it is - it's to imagine what is possible." With words, we can search for identity, share our experiences, and we can dream. Understanding through exploration is my ideal. I appreciate the unique histories my students bring with them to the classroom. I learn from the students I am privileged to work with.     My residencies include an initial planning meeting and observation. Then I design a curriculum to fit the needs of the teacher, classroom, and school, which I submit to my partnering teachers for review and input. I recognize the diverse ways we acquire language and communicate. As a Creative Advantage Partner, my job is to encourage and facilitate creativity. An arts-integrated learning environment provides choices and scaffolding to support a wide array of learning styles, while fostering critical thinking.   I give regular feedback to students through personalized comments in class and in their journals. I guide students through editing and selecting their best work to compile into a classroom anthology. I value verbal participation as well as the written word, and encourage structured and improvised collaboration between students. Our work takes place on the page and out loud.

Curriculum Integration Possibilities

Science, the natural world, math, and history inspire my work as a literary artist. I designed and implemented curriculum integrating science and poetry in elementary and middle schools. I presented this as a guest lecturer at Northwest College's Education Department. Developed with an education specialist at the Pacific Science Center, I used key concepts about plant communication to lead a discussion with 2nd-5th graders, who responded via collaborative question and answer poetry. We also looked at molecules in motion in a still glass of water by adding a few drops of blue food coloring, making predictions, watching what happens and writing down our observations. We then got up and moved like molecules at different temperatures: slow and far apart when frozen, then faster and closer as a liquid, until we heated to a gas and moved frenetically, pushing (gently) off each other. An example of a 2nd grader's poem to come out of this: "I'm a drop of blue dye. When I hit the water, I sink. I explode. I swirl like a dragon guarding its treasure. I twirl like a tornado hitting everything in its path. Then I am still. Sort of." We learned about cause and effect by looking at Rube Goldberg machines in comic strips, and videos of enormous, complicated ones, and then trying out making our own on paper, and using this as a poetry prompt. A 4th grader wrote this Rube Goldberg Machine poem: "How To Drink Water. Visit a place that has a ton of water. It has to rain a lot. Pick a comfortable spot to lie down. Open your mouth and wait until it rains."

Special Skills and Areas of Expertise

Through WITS I have had the opportunity to work with ELL and Special Education students in the classroom, as well as working with special needs individuals. I have worked with homeless adults, people in recovery, and youth in detention through organizations like Path With Art, King County Public Library, and the Hugo House.

Testimonials from Schools

Sarah Lockenvitz, NBCT, Washington Middle School Humanities teacher salockenvitz@seattleschools.org, 206-252-2650 Martha Worthley, Centrum, Program Manager mworthley@centrum.org 360-385-3102 x 120, 360-301-1494 cell Jeanine Walker, WITS Program Director, Seattle Arts & Lectures jwalker@lectures.org, (206) 621-2230, x13 Rebecca Hoogs, Seattle Arts & Lectures, Associate Director rhoogs@lectures.org (206) 621-2230   Further references available upon request