I am passionate about empowering and teaching students to understand the social-cultural world, to fulfill their purpose in life, and to help them develop academic and life skills. Good education, I believe, is about holistically educating and preparing the way for a just and empathetic society; learning should cultivate the moral, physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of students.
My 9 years of teaching have informed me that the role of an effective educator is not limited to delivering knowledge, but extends to tending the emotional and social needs of students. Through visual art, home economics, and Mandarin, I encouraged young minds to explore their humanity and identity. For example, I designed the inquiry-based Emotional Life Project for Art 8 classes, to help youth recognize their inner turmoil, reflect their emotion and relieve stress through daily emotion check-in, body gesture expression, sculpture making and expressive art with emotional lines and colors.
In addition, I accumulated experience with classroom management, curriculum development and parent communication along the way in my own art school. In order to better engage students with diverse interests, I included drama, film, creative games, and storytelling, with the goal of making learning meaningful and personal. In order to help students achieve their final goal, I scaffolded the learning process by teaching and assessing students on fundamental skills and project development rather than the final product alone.
Making learning meaningful and personal is the goal I am striving for. Since students vary in their background and needs, I modified my lessons and provided accommodations for all of my students, including those not receiving special education services, to further enhance their educational experience. For example, in the Color Theory Unit, I simplified and enlarged the worksheet for students that are visually impaired, and encouraged students with amyotrophy to place color chips on worksheet in place of pencil strokes. With assistance, they could achieve success and gain confidence in life.
To cultivate community beyond the classroom, I selected some student’s art works at the end of the term and incorporated them into desk calendars, which have been widely distributed to schools, churches and families. The opportunity to work with the community has been highly gratifying; it has helped me gain a broader and more comprehensive perspective on formal education in school and extra-curricular learning in the community.
Furthermore, various hands-on working experience in the fashion industry and retail has enabled me to develop many transferable skills, including the ability to interpret complex information, lead teams, undertake research and evaluation, demonstrate excellent attention to detail, and develop confident oral and written communication skills.
Teaching and modeling as a leader is a calling for me. Humility and caring, for me, are the key characteristics for an educator. As a passionate and enthusiastic educator, I am dedicated to motivating young minds to fulfill their potential and enable them to achieve their best.
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