Teaching Philosophy of Bart Dluhy
I believe art education is a multifaceted tool that shouldn’t be regarded as a means to an end for any one purpose. To study art is to enhance one’s self, to understand one’s culture and surroundings, to appreciate and understand other disciplines more thoroughly, to recognize one’s opportunities and potential, and to learn to appreciate beauty. Art education can be an effective way to accomplish any number of goals, but an art instructor who limits his or herself to a select few is committing an injustice to the students, his/herself, and to society.
Learning of any kind is most effective when the students are genuinely engaged. The primary goal of teachers should be to find a method of reaching the students collectively, and on an individual basis; the subject matter is secondary. An excited and interested class will learn more from a fifteen minute lesson than a bored class would benefit from an hour of instruction. The more resources and attention school systems provide their art programs the more they will succeed in producing intelligent, well rounded citizens, maintaining a student body that is excited about going to school, and ultimately gaining the respect of their communities. The key to being an effective and nurturing educator is to refuse to allow one’s self to become satisfied with one’s accomplishments. The relentless pursuit of growth and excellence is evident and contagious to those who surround a dedicated teacher.
I most look forward to the opportunity to get students excited about art, and to help them realize that Art can be much more than a break from academic classes, or a place where they can socialize. Whether the students go on to pursue more advanced art classes or not, my aim will be to leave them with a greater appreciation for art as a whole, and the underappreciated pleasure of taking time to notice the simple beauty in everyday objects that the majority of society takes for granted