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Teacher Quality Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate mastery of and pedagogical expertise in the content they teach.  The elementary teacher is an expert in literacy and mathematics and is knowledgeable in all other content that he or she teaches (e.g., science, social studies, arts, physical education, or world languages). The secondary teacher has knowledge of literacy and mathematics and is an expert in his or her content endorsement area(s).

The Colorado academic standards serve as the guiding principle for my lessons, anchoring them in meaningful and intentional instruction. While my heart is filled with various interests in the arts, my teaching remains steadfastly aligned with these standards, ensuring that my students benefit from a balanced, enriching curriculum. I am reminded of Josef Albers' profound humility when he said, "Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers." My role is not to create replicas of myself but to cultivate thinkers, creators, and problem-solvers who see the arts as an integral part of life. True and passionate art educators weave the arts seamlessly into literacy, mathematics, science, and every sphere of existence, for, as Marc Chagall once reflected, “Art is the unceasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers – and never succeeding.”

Art transcends boundaries and disciplines, offering a universal language through which my students learn not only about creativity but also about connection. The standards empower me to stay rooted in a larger vision of holistic education, nurturing empathy, imagination, and critical thinking within every lesson I craft.

Element A: Teachers provide instruction that is aligned with the Colorado Academic Standards, and their district’s organized plan of instruction.

Every lesson begins with a deep understanding of the standards and, just as importantly, the needs of my students. Data reveals that 45% of high school students experience daily stress—a reality that cannot be ignored. This inspired me to explore the intersection of neurobiology and art, leading to the creation of a class focused on neurographic art. Rooted in science and creativity, this lesson was designed to help students understand their brains and regulate emotions through art.

In this lesson, students explored the intricate dance between neurons, emotions, and artistic expression. They learned how breathing techniques and mindful artmaking could alleviate stress and improve focus. As Professor Pavel Piskarev, the creator of neurographic art, eloquently stated, "Neurographic art helps people transform their reality, allowing them to explore and resolve internal conflicts through creative self-expression." By connecting art to biology, psychology, and even physics, I empowered my students to not only create but also heal and grow.

The positive feedback I received affirmed my belief in the transformative power of interdisciplinary art education. I remain committed to designing lessons that are both meaningful and aligned with Colorado’s academic standards, ensuring that each student’s journey is as enriching as it is educational.

Element B: Teachers develop and implement lessons that connect to a variety of content
areas/disciplines and emphasize literacy and mathematical practices.

As an art educator, I believe in breaking down the false barriers between disciplines and revealing the harmony between art, mathematics, and literacy. Art is not confined to studios; it permeates life, weaving patterns of meaning and beauty. While it’s true that many artists feel intimidated by mathematics, I see it as an opportunity to inspire a new perspective.

In a recent high school lesson, I introduced students to the elegance of radial symmetry, geometric shapes, and mathematical patterns through the creation of mandalas. This lesson aimed to demystify math for creative students, showing them its inherent beauty and connection to art. As M.C. Escher, the master of mathematical art, once remarked, "Mathematics has beauty and romance. It’s not a boring place to be; this is where the real fun begins."

Drawing inspiration from figures like Mandelbrot, who revealed the fractal beauty of nature, and Euler, whose formula connected math to profound aesthetic truths, I emphasized to my students that art and math are both languages of wonder and discovery. Dostoevsky once said, “Beauty will save the world,” and I wholeheartedly agree. By integrating literacy, mathematics, and art, I aim to show my students that beauty can be found in symmetry, equations, and creative expression alike. In the future, I will continue to explore the intersection of art and math, helping students see the world’s beauty through these combined lenses.

Element C: Teachers demonstrate knowledge of the content, central concepts, inquiry, appropriate evidence-based instructional practices, and specialized characteristics of the disciplines being taught.

 I teach art because I believe in its power to transform lives and create ripples of change in the world. My passion for this subject drives me to continually expand my own knowledge, drawing inspiration from contemporary artists and philosophers. Currently, I am exploring the works of Dr. Iain McGilchrist and Yuval Noah Harari, whose insights shape my inquiry questions and deepen my approach to teaching.

In one of my recent lessons, titled "What the River Sees and Feels," I challenged students to empathize with rivers, using art as a means to bridge the divide between humanity and nature. We explored rivers as living entities, breathing and feeling as they encounter pollution, beauty, and human impact. Different stations represented themes like a polluted river, a river adorned with wildflowers, and a river burdened with plastics. As a class, we moved through these spaces, breathing and imagining what the river might feel. The students sketched drafts of these perspectives, capturing the essence of a river crying out for help and, ultimately, envisioning humans coming together to heal it.

Andy Goldsworthy once said, "We often forget that we are nature. Nature is not something separate from us. So when we say we have lost our connection to nature, we have lost our connection to ourselves." This exercise blurred the artificial divide between “us” and “them,” reminding students those rivers, like humans, are part of a greater whole. All rivers connect, flowing into one vast system—a metaphor for our interconnectedness and shared responsibility. Art became the voice of the river, delivering a message of hope, unity, and change.

Through this lesson, my students not only created meaningful art but also developed empathy and social awareness. Together, we saw that art is not just a reflection of the world—it is a tool for shaping it. As they continue to create, I hope they carry with them the knowledge that art can heal divisions, inspire action, and make the invisible visible.