Palmer Trinity School

12 W W W. PA L M E R T R I N I T Y. O R G MY 4 TH -GRADE ART TEACHER, Ms. Scott, always told me that each art piece I developed was my very own original creation and I could choose my own design, shapes, and colors. Her advice overwhelmed me because I almost never had a chance to explore my own creativity in school. Art allowed me to branch away from the set formulas of division and multiplication, and I felt encouraged to make choices myself. Ever since Ms. Scott's class, art has been one of my favorite subjects. e independent thinking and the creative freedom built my confidence as I expressed both myself and my culture through my projects, especially after my move back to the U.S. following my years living abroad. After I gained confidence through my grade school art classes and college, I decided I wanted to share it with children who, like me, blossomed when creating art projects. My interest in art-based youth empowerment led me to immerse myself in a career teaching middle school students at Palmer Trinity because I find artistic expression to be particularly critical for this age group. In my middle school classes, the young artists learn to generate and reveal their own ideas and values through art and are provided with an opportunity for personal expression solely through their unique perspective. I believe that exposure to art in these grades instills self-confidence and personal growth, and intellectually challenges students. Middle school art experiences are especially important because of all the physical and personal changes that the students go through. Art becomes an instrument for processing these changes in their internal and external worlds. Moreover, we live in an age where there is a proliferation of images. Media affects our youth's perceptions of themselves and the world. Art gives them a space to process the images we are bombarded with, to be mindful, and to thoughtfully develop their own personal perspectives. In 6 th grade Discovery Art at Palmer Trinity, students design and execute everything from long-term projects such as original dot paintings inspired by Aboriginal art to quick five-minute warm-up drawings that help them utilize their imagination and transition into thinking outside of the box at the start of each class. In the 7 th and 8 th -grade middle school art elective, students become even more independent, further developing their unique ideas, and beginning to take their own positions on social issues. For instance, in a project inspired by artist Keith Haring, students build large-scale sculptures of dancing figures and paint symbols, words, and drawings that reveal issues they support and subjects they value in their everyday lives. Art becomes a pivotal medium for their own exploration and development. Additionally, middle school students are capable of more risk-taking, innovation, and sophisticated manipulation of materials and techniques. is process sets the groundwork for their more advanced upper school art classes. BY TEACHING ART, I AM HONORED TO SHARE MY PASSION FOR ARTISTIC EXPRESSION WITH STUDENTS, HELPING TO BUILD THEIR IMAGINATION, BOOSTING THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, ENCOURAGING SELF-EXPRESSION, AND CHALLENGING THEIR MINDS AND HEARTS. Middle School Art BY SE JA L VAY WA L A , MIDDL E S CHO OL A RTS , FACULT Y

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