Brianna Hoftun
As an educator, I strive to build appreciation for the many ways that art surrounds us in our daily lives and to create a space for students to have an outlet through a creative medium. I believe that each and every student has an opinion and a voice and that art can be an empowering tool for self-advocacy, for self expression, for representation, and for social change. I believe that arts education is vital to the development of learners of all ages as they continue their paths to becoming well-rounded students and whole human beings.
I take a student-centered approach to design lessons that meet the needs of students where they are while creating enough of a challenge for them to still be learning and growing. Alongside explorations of individual and collective identity, many of my lessons include interdisciplinary concepts borrowed from math and science, as well as writing exercises and group discussions meant to strengthen critical thinking and verbal communication skills in tandem with visual.
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Selected works by high school students completed during my secondary student teaching placement.
Art learning, like art making, is not one size fits all! Every student will approach a creative problem differently. It is my duty as an art teacher to pass along my knowledge of the creative process while making space for the freedom that allows each student to shape their own artistic investigation and shine to their fullest potential. I am here to amplify student voices and guide them through their artistic endeavors, but the ideas, the curiosity, and the capacity to create rest fully in their hands.
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Selected works by kindergarten through fourth grade students completed during my elementary student teaching placement.
