Reflections

Part Four: Onward and Upward

Wow! What a journey! I am so grateful for the opportunities and exposure to positive pedagogy in a museum setting. I have left this experience much more grounded and confident in my teaching style. In correlation with the internship, the art education classes have really allowed me to focus on how one interprets art and the methods in teaching this. In the beginning, I struggled with finding strategies on how to create a language with my students. This was a challenging thing to do but I began to be flexible with my curriculum. This allowed me to figure out what works best in a museum environment and change my lessons to accommodate to the students in my classes. My background in art history and visual design assisted me in creating lessons using art methodologies techniques with all types of materials. I wanted to make sure the students understood and constructively interpreted the information on activities and lectures I included in my curriculum. As months went on through this journey, my own style changed and molded into what I will carry into my future exploration, experimentation, and application of art education.

Unfortunately, I was not able to work with the Greater Denton Arts Council this semester. I did get the opportunity to work as a registrar for a gallery in Dallas, continue to work at the library, and coordinate the upcoming exhibit showcasing new acquisitions at the Special Collections library at UNT. As for the GDAC, I do plan on jumping back on board when the Spring comes around.

I am proud and excited to be receiving the teaching certificate in Art Education. I am appreciative of the people I have met, the conversations I have had, and the lessons I have learned on my way to becoming an educator in art museums.