Teaching Philosophy
“How can we help children find the meaning of what they do, what they encounter, what they experience?” — Carlina Rinaldi, 2005
I believe learning is an active, lifelong process rooted in curiosity, relationships, and meaningful experiences. As an educator, my goal is to create environments where students feel safe to explore, ask questions, take creative risks, and develop confidence in themselves and their ideas.
As an art educator, I value the creative process as much as the finished product. While technical skills and artistic concepts matter, I strive to create opportunities for students to experiment, problem solve, make choices, and express their unique perspectives without fear of being “wrong.” When students feel supported in taking risks, they begin to see themselves as capable, creative thinkers, a mindset that extends far beyond the art room.
Whether teaching young children, adolescents, or adult learners, I aim to create engaging, developmentally responsive learning experiences that help students feel confident, capable, seen, and inspired to continue creating.
Teaching Experience
My experience spans public schools, military-connected communities, homeschool enrichment programs, preschool environments, and online education. Across every setting, I strive to create learning experiences that are engaging, developmentally appropriate, and centered on creativity, curiosity, and student voice.
K-12 Art Education
Experience teaching elementary and secondary visual arts through standards-based instruction, interdisciplinary projects, and student-centered learning experiences.
Process Art & Early Childhood Education
Designed and taught process-based art experiences that prioritize experimentation, sensory exploration, problem solving, and creative confidence for young learners.
Photography & Adult Education
Founder and educator of Manual Mode for Moms, an online photography education platform designed to help adults build confidence with cameras through approachable, visual instruction.
Curriculum & Instructional Design
Experienced in designing engaging curriculum, lesson sequencing, assessments, instructional videos, and digital learning materials for both children and adults.
Featured Lesson & Curriculum Samples
A selection of lesson plans, curriculum materials, and instructional resources demonstrating my approach to visual arts education and curriculum design.
Sample Lesson Plan
Click the button below to download a copy of a sample Basquiat-inspired Lesson plan. This is a student-centered contemporary second grade art lesson exploring symbolism, identity, mark-making, and visual storytelling, answering essential questions such as, "does art have to be beautiful?"
Process Art Invitations
Developmentally appropriate invitations designed to foster experimentation, creativity, and independent problem solving.
Photography Education Resources
Instructional materials developed to teach photography concepts through accessible, visual learning experiences. I have a free YouTube Channel with educational content as well as an entire online photography course I created for moms called, "Manual Mode for Moms" which includes video based-lesson, learning assessments, supplemental resources like an exposure simulator I created, a custom ChatGPT bot assistant, and more. Click the button below to visit Manual Mode for Moms.
Assessment & Reflection
Examples of rubrics, artist statements, reflection prompts, home-communication and formative assessment practices that encourage student growth and self-expression.
Classroom & Student Work
Representative examples of classroom environments, student-centered projects, and creative learning experiences.
