A Little Bio...

In the Spring of 2004 I graduated with a BA in studio art and art history from St. Mary’s College in Maryland. In December of 2007 I completed a nationally accredited teacher certification program at Metropolitan State College in Colorado. I am currently enrolled in a Summer intensive Master of Science in Visual Arts Education at The State University of New York at New Paltz. I am going on my 6th year of teaching and have worked with Head Start, Public and Montessori schools, which has enabled me to acquire a unique set of skills to share. While working with Head Start and during my student teaching my classroom consisted of over 90% English language learners and 100% of students who received free or reduced lunch. This population quickly earned a place in my heart and have inspired me to want to increase my proficiency in speaking Spanish. Luckily, I have recently acquired a position teaching K-5 Art at Benjamin Franklin International School in Barcelona, Spain. The breakdown of the school is one third North American Students, one third Spanish students and one third students from other parts of the world. The curriculum is American and taught in English and leads to a diploma that is recognized in both The United States and Spain. I am very much looking forwardto the opportunity of creating an environment where children discover the language of art with a focus on the integration of other cultures while I too will be exploring another culture and language. I will be writing my graduate thesis on Multiculturalism while creating a curriculum for my program in Barcelona. My thesis statement as of now is as follows; “In order to address the various learning needs of a diverse student population as well as create empathetic and culturally aware students, art education should be taught with high regard for multiculturalism.” The purpose of my thesis is to expose students to other cultures and traditions, celebrate their culture and find ways to respond creatively to what they are exposed to. It is my goal through this process to enhance these students' construction of social and moral awareness and independent thought that they are comfortable to express through visual images.