Professional Growth Plan

My Background and
Why I teach

Why do I teach? I have wanted to be an art teacher since I sat in my first art room. I was not always a great student but the art room was my home. The place where I always knew I would be enough. I loved how much I believed in myself there, How I would grow, laugh and learn. I watched so many artists’ lives grow and change over the 4 years I was in the high School art room.  I wanted to be a part of the change.  To help students exceed their expectations and learn how to turn their passions into a career.

As an art teacher I strive to create an environment that is encouraging. That teaches students to have confidence, to not fear failure, to create with confidence, collaborate to expand their potential and to persist through what challenges them. My classroom is an environment where students’ voices are listened to and then are guided to solve whatever we need to solve.  

2021 marks my 18th year as a Teaching artist and my 23rd year as an artist! My Pathway to teaching was far from conventional. I worked as a graphics designer and photographer and then completed the alternate route to certification. The real-world experience gives me a unique perspective and also allows me to appreciate the teaching side of things. Over the past 18 years I have taught everything from Jewelry to Graphic Design.  In Colorado and NJ. 

Before teaching,  I graduated from The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in Photography.  After College,  I was a Freelance Graphic Designer for 15 years. My first teaching position was in my hometown of Ocean City, New Jersey.  In 2006, I relocated to Colorado, and started my second teaching position at Castle View High School, where I continued to develop my teaching skills and draw inspiration from teachers and students. In 2010 I relocated back to NJ.  I started my own photography business www.heathercoxphotography.com and In 2013, I returned to my hometown to continue teaching Digital art.

What motivated me? I was always driven to teach because of the students. I love my students, even the ones that test my patience. Early on in my teaching career, I had an administrator tell me that she could tell I was going to be a good teacher.  That I just have the right personality for it.   I am not sure if she was trying to build my confidence or if there is some validity to her claim. But over the years I have noticed that some people have what it takes to stick it out and others do not. According to Georgetown University …good instructors have several qualities in common. They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are patient with students, and assess their teaching on a regular basis. In the classroom, I strive for these qualities every day.  I love how no two days are the same and I enjoy being the guide on the students’ adventure with art. Because you never know how that day may impact a student and if you might change their feeling about the subject altogether. 

These moments keep
me teaching

Just the other day a super quiet student, Mike, was working diligently on his project and as I walked through the room his progress stopped me in my tracks.  He was excelling. His work was wonderful. His creative choices were strong and well thought out. He quietly asked how to adjust the path and then I said “this is so wonderful!  You must be so proud of yourself. How many art classes have you taken?”  Mike smiled and quietly said, “I hate art and this is my first class, I am really enjoying it so much more than I thought.” I replied, “I can tell by looking at this amazing work.”  Moments like this keep me going, keep me growing and remind me why I teach. I love the moment when a student realizes he has a new skill or potential to be something they never imagined and that they are more than a number or a test score.

Lifeline Learner

I am definitely a lifelong learner.  I love to explore new things all the time in the classroom and in life. I am perpetually learning and growing, exploring new digital artists on Behance, finding new and relevant projects to create and keeping up with the ever changing adobe programs. Like Practice #1 in the growth mindset article I will never stop growing (Gunn, n.d.).  Honestly, if I don’t grow as tech changes what I will be teaching the students will no longer be relevant in the real world.

I always set annual goals for growth and learning. This Year one of  my goals was to start working towards my masters. After 18 years of Education I felt like I was getting a little too comfortable and I wanted to learn and develop new skills so that I could keep providing the best education possible to my students. 

My personal growth goals are always to strengthen my teaching skill, Learn something new and build by Ed tech toolkit (Tracy, 2018).  To accomplish thisI annually take grad courses at Uarts in Philadelphia, pa.  Last year I completed a photoshop course and a photography course.  I find it incredibly useful to see how other teachers teach the content I teach.  I also love the time it allows me to explore the project myself. I get to go through the steps and see how it would feel to be a student again every year and that always opens my eyes to new feelings or ways to teach. This summer I will start my MED in Art Education.

In 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers, they discuss how “When Planning I begin with the end in mind.(2018)” Throughout my course use the same technique. What do I want the student to learn/create?  What tool do you want them to use to create it? What design problem will they solve?  I like to visualize the destination, gather the sample images needed.I create a demo file so students can see how to build a solution.  The end goal is the item I use to assess learning so the end goal is always where I start when planning. The end game is also what I use to reflect on. Once the project is complete the end product will allow me to assess and adjust the lesson for future classes. 

Below is a sample of the student artwork which I gather throughout my course. The sampling of peer work is used in a presentation show to current students prior to each project. This presentation of peer work is much more engaging to students. They can see what is possible, with a little work and practice.

“EXPAND YOUR COMPACT FOR UNCERTAINTY. ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IS ONE THING JOHN KEATS CALLED NEGATIVE CAPABILITY. THIS ABILITY TO STAY IN SPACE WHERE YOU DON’T EXACTLY KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT. WILLING TO UNDERSTAND THAT NOT ALL OF THEM ARE GOING TO LEAD SOMEWHERE. BUT PURSUING AN IDEA WILL LEAD TO THE NEXT IDEA….CREATIVITY IS A SPIRAL OF EXCITEMENT AND DESPAIR AND ALLOWING YOURSELF TO DISAPPEAR BECAUSE IT LEADS TO NEW THINGS. KEEP AT IT.”

– JULIA BURSTEIN, 2013

Resources:

“Top Qualities of an Effective Teacher.” CNDLS, https://cndls.georgetown.edu/atprogram/twl/effective-teacher/.

Education and Personal Change (2016, September 29). 7 Habits of highly effective teachers YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVApcmbD_zI

PBS Digital Studios (2013, October 3). Off Book: How to be creative YouTube.https://youtu.be/weIQIthC3Ks

Mission & Vision

My Mission

As an art educator I will conduct myself with a positive attitude to motivate students to explore in a safe environment. I will teach the whole child and help them experience and view art and design.  I believe that to communicate visually is within every human being. My goal is to foster and encourage curiosity, creative thinking, artistic growth, and visual learning in the classroom and beyond. To challenge my students to take creative risks and allow them space to adjust if these risks are not successful. I will teach my students to persist. 

For a society to succeed, it must strive to make art education and creative thinking a top priority. Art is far more than decorative – it allows us to learn about the world and about ourselves through the use of visual language.” 

– Daniel Pink, “A Whole New Mind 

My Vision

My vision is to help students to develop their imagination.  Help them to explore aesthetic awareness and visual communication through Project based learning.  My goal is to continually inspire creative and original thought, wil teaching students to be aware, compassionate, creative and kind.

I believe through Art students can…

  • Develop creative thinking.
  • Be creative and kind Individuals
  • Aspire to lessen ignorance and embrace others ideas and cultures
  • Listen, observe and critique with kindness
  • Provide a means of communication and self-expression through design.
  • Strengthen self confidence.
  • Heighten aesthetic awareness and sensitivity.
  • Enhances the ability to visualize.
  • Provides problem-solving/decision-making opportunities.
  • Develops strong work habits and a sense of responsibility.
  • Build Collaboration skills
  • Believe in imagination and the places it can take us
  • All students can succeed 
  • Generates joy and happiness

References:

Pink, Daniel H. A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York: Riverhead Books, 2006. Print.

A teacher well being in today’s educational environment.

Teachers are always driven to teach for the kids. I know that is what motivated me to become a teacher. I love my students, even the ones that test my patience.  It’s shocking to me that there has been so little research on the importance of student-teacher relationships impacting the professional and personal lives of teachers. The teachers I work with are invested in their students’ education and that kind of investment can surely take a toll on your wellness, especially when the students test you daily. 

With the pandemic, testing requirements, Student behavior issues growing and teacher/sub shortages, and so many other responsibilities put on the shoulders of teachers it is no wonder that the majority of American Teachers feel stressed out. “Sixty-one percent of the teachers said their work was always or often stressful. Over half agreed that they didn’t feel the same enthusiasm as when they started teaching. They reported experiencing poor health and being bullied at work — by superiors, colleagues, students, or parents — at rates far higher than are reported for other professions. And the vast majority said they are sleep-deprived.(Mahken 2017)”

Most research has focused on mainly stress, lack of support from administration and staff, workload, classroom management and burnout. But a recent study in the Educational Psychology Review has found that “Research into teaching stress indicates that problem behaviors do not necessarily lead to stress. For instance, different teachers have been found to report substantially different levels of stress in relation to similarly disruptive children, which emphasizes its highly individualized and depends on the two individuals (Spilt, J.L., Koomen, H.M.Y. & Thijs, J.T., 2011). Which means it’s important to understand how the teacher perceives the  teachers’ perceptions of student behavior and relationships.  How a teacher handles and reacts to specific behavior can surely impact the level of stress it creates. 

I consider myself lucky to be one of the few to have received the support they needed to make it.   “ A recent study by the Learning Policy Institute shows that if a teacher receives mentoring, collaboration, and extra resources, and is part of a strong teacher network, first-year turnover is cut by more than half. Unfortunately, just 3% of beginning teachers receive such comprehensive support.(Mulvahill, E. 2019) ”  Early on in my career I had several mentors who taught me to always keep my wellness as a priority. Which has always helped me to keep school and life well balanced.   But over the years I have noticed that some people struggle to balance it out  and they quickly burn out. Although nothing in these readings mentions itI believe that your personality should also factor into your teaching success. I am grateful that I have not experienced many of the reasons why people choose to leave and I can relate more to the reasons why teachers stay.

From my own experience, the mentoring and collaboration I received during my alternate route program helped to minimize the stress and create a good foundation for a long-term teaching career.  My mentor and the entire staff helped to keep me motivated, solve problems, and allowed me to brainstorm ideas and issues when they occurred.  Even to this day, I find that the staff I work with keeps me grounded, is happy to listen when I need to talk, and always gives me solid advice. Although statistics show  “The emotional stress teachers are dealing with seems to be at an all-time high. In fact, a national survey shows that 58 percent of classroom teachers describe their mental health as “not good. (Mulvahill, E., 2019)”  I can only remember a few times that I felt high emotional stress in my first year of teaching. I was hired to teach digital art in 2003 two days before school started.  With no teaching background, I was hired to pursue an alternate route certificate. I’ll be honest, I threw up the night before the first day.  It was stressful and at the beginning of that year, my mental health was not great.  But with the support of fellow teachers, I persisted and now I am in my 19th year of teaching. I was given solid advice from the veteran, some of which I continue to pass on to new teachers today. If I had to do it all over again I wouldn’t change a thing.

References:

Mulvahill, E. (2019, June 14). Why teachers quit [Multimedia file]. We Are Teachers. https://www.weareteachers.com/why-teachers-quit/

Spilt, J.L., Koomen, H.M.Y. & Thijs, J.T. Teacher Wellbeing: The Importance of Teacher–Student Relationships. Educ Psychol Rev 23, 457–477 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-011-9170-y

Mahken, Kevin, 61% of Teachers Stressed Out, 58% Say Mental Health Is Not Good in New National Survey https://www.the74million.org/61-of-teachers-stressed-out-58-say-mental-health-is-not-good-in-new-national-survey/

Creating Strong PLC’s

A Professional learning community or PLC is a According to “a professional learning community is an inclusive group of people, motivated by a shared learning vision, who support and work with each other, finding ways, inside and outside their immediate community, to enquire on their practice and together learn new and better approaches that will enhance all pupils’ learning.” (Antinluoma, 2018)

Over my years as a teacher I have experienced two different PLC experiences. Colorado was one of my favorite learning community experiences. “The academy model at Castle View High School is designed to support the three R’s: Relationships, Relevance and Rigor. Each of the four academies — Biotechnology and Health Sciences; Leadership, Global Studies and Communication; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; Visual and Performing Arts; are designed to provide smaller learning communities where students can develop significant relationships with teachers assigned to that academy. In essence, our academy model reduces a typical high school of 2200 students into one of roughly 400 to 450 students, “A place where everyone knows your name.”(The Academies Explained, 2021)” I was a part of the Visual and Performing arts academy, which was taught by a close unit of teachers who had shared office space within the center of the learning pod. All the students’ classes were within this pod. It created such an incredible “ school Culture” for learning.  “School culture describes the character of the school and functions of the organization, and it consists of the norms, values and social interaction in the organization. Culture builds a sense of cohesion within schools and provides a sense of identity; it promotes achievement orientation, helps shape standards and patterns of behaviour, creates distinct ways of doing things, and determines direction for future growth (Antinluoma, 2018)” The teachers within each Academy would meet weekly and discuss cross curricular activities, students success/failures and how we could improve their learnings. It was simply incredible how it created such a powerful collaborative environment with every child’s best interest at the center of everything we did.  “Positive school culture is conducive to professional satisfaction, effectiveness, morale, and creates an environment that maximizes student learning and fosters collegiality and collaboration (Antinluoma, 2018).” On top of the teacher learning communities the academy based model created a community of students within the building that had like interests.  It allowed the teachers to teach content aligned with those interested and it created such an emended amount of rigor, relevance and relationships in the classroom.  There was consistent progress and growth every week for both the students and the teachers.

My environment in NJ is not as diverse or exciting.  Throughout the year the four art teachers meet during Professional development days throughout the year during Professional development days.  Most times we discuss community events and or arts shows, new courses we would like to offer and or creating stronger pathways within our art program. The biggest struggle to make our PLC successful is time and common goals.  “Positive school culture is conducive to professional satisfaction, effectiveness, morale, and creates an environment that maximizes student learning and fosters collegiality and collaboration (Antinluoma, 2018).”  our struggles with our PLC and that outside the PD days, we do not as a group have a common prep like the other departments so we can not consistently collaborate to make progress, We do not all teach the same course, some teach photography, others graphics design, others fine art and the fourth ceramics and arts and crafts.  So although we all teach art there is not much collaboration for projects , course content discussions and even student discussions.  This creates a struggle within me, I think the fact that I have seen it done differently and better is what causes my frustration in NJ.  I would like to find a way to make this a more productive and collaborative experience. A way we can help students and make a difference more often in the classroom.

Resources:

Antinluoma, M., Ilomäki, L., Lahti-Nuuttila, P., & Toom, A. (2018). Schools as professional learning communities. Journal of Education and Learning, 7(5), 76–91. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v7n5p76

The Academies Explained. (2021) https://dcsdcvhs.ss14.sharpschool.com/cms/One.aspx?portalId=11439592&pageId=11809967

Social Change + Design

How can we affect social change within OCHS? My definition of Social change is the inevitable evolution of human interaction and relationships and how they impact cultural and social norms.  It occurs over time but has impacts and consequences on the society as a whole. Social change is not just a wave of ideas that we ride and evolve,  It is a movement which we have the power to cultivate and impact change with. 

Graphic design has the power to be a catalyst for social change and can help communicate the goals and ideas of change. To show my students how to amplify their voice we design and develop posters for change. I show the student real world campaigns at https://amplifier.org/campaigns/. “The project is based off of “Amplifier’s mission is to extend the reach and impact of art that addresses social issues. Part of the way they do that is by producing and distributing posters at protests and rallies across the nation.” The students pick a cause they are passionate about and research the topic, then develop Three poster designs that will communicate the message of the cause and improve the impact of social change.  I feel that it is important to teach students how to stand up for the things they believe in. Socially students struggle in this generation with conflict resolution. They are too quick to reach for the keyboard and lash out on socials.  They need to see there is a better way to effectively communicate.

This type of thinking will provide students the opportunity to transform themselves into socially aware citizens that will have the power and understanding to effect social change through design. Walden University’s vision is not quite aligned with my goals. I am working with social change on a smaller scale in hope that it will have a ripple effect and create citizens that will make a larger impact on the world. I am just hoping to spark an interest in the power of design, I tell them you never know where life may take you, most don’t feel like they will need the design skills. I like to show them the real world impact that a small poster can have.  The power that design can have to communicate is powerful. Word and design matter. 

My goal for the future is to collaborate with staff and administration to create murals within our building. Our building is very bland and I would love for our students to make more murals throughout the building. I would like to make a goal to produce at least 1 mural every 2-3 years for the school.  To make this happen I would like to create a Student based committee to collaborate ideas and locations for the art installations.  We would then present the ideas and costs to the administration and school board for approval. I hope that these murals will help to develop a stronger school culture within OCHS. 

Mural Graphics Club Created for The Wellness Room in 2019, Designed by Ali Hendricks.

REFERENCES

Walden University. (n.d.). Social change. https://www.waldenu.edu/about/social-change


Walden University. (n.d). 5 things that everyone should know about social change. 

https://www.waldenu.edu/about/social-change/resource/five-things-that-everyone-should -know-about-social-change
Amplifier. (n.d). About. https://amplifier.org/about/

Adding My Voice

My Professional Library

While working on my coursework for Teaching as a professional at Walden University. We were asked to reflect on the following item; Why teaching is your passion,How you see the role of the teacher in today’s learning environment, and How the NBPTS Five Core Propositions and RWRCOEL Professional Dispositions align (or do not align) with your passion for teaching and your view of the role of the teacher today. We then created a video which would be added to the Walden library for future teachers to explore.

“The evolving educational climate and learning environment is one where teachers must collaborate and share resources in order to promote P–12 student success and college and career readiness, and to support the diverse learning needs of all students. Communicating and collaborating with teacher-leaders—whether in your school setting, in your Walden cohort, or beyond—is just one way to continually refine your professional practice, transform your classroom into a 21st century learning environment, and connect with other teaching professionals.” 

EDUC 6610: Teacher as Professional / Module 4

After working as a graphics designer for several years, I regretted not completing my education minor in college. In 2003, Ocean City High School, posted a position for a Photography and graphic design teacher. My father said I should apply.  I thought he was crazy.  I didn’t have a license, they wouldn’t hire me.  I was Skeptical but applied anyway, and after two rounds of interviews I got the call. “We would like to offer you the position.”  I went from shocked, to overly excited. To what did I just get myself into.  I was excited and passionate about teaching the arts I love at Alma Mater OCHS. I would work with the teachers who inspired me as a teenager in the department which was my happy place during my 4 years at OCHS.  Mrs. Mulford, my studio art teacher, always pushed me to be a better artist and be a part of the community. Mrs. D helped me find my passion for photography, while learning to teach it herself her first few years of teaching..  Mrs. Lentz found ways to help me relate to science even though it was not my favorite class to be in and Mrs. J found a different way to explain algebra to me that made sense and saved me from falling out of Mr. Carson Algebra class. The teachers who helped me to learn even though I was doodling in their classes would now be my co-workers.  I couldn’t wait to begin working side by side with them so they could mold me into a passionate teacher like them. I too wanted to make an impact, to see the students aha moment, to be the person to help them learn and grow, to inspire the future OCHS students to create art. 

Over the years I have learned a lot, it’s not that easy of a job, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Teaching has shifted over the years and incorporates a lot more technology.  I am glad that I am techy, so the shift to online gradebook and class pages has been an easy jump. There is less lecturing and more project-based learning, which the art teacher in me loves.   PBL is a student-centered and inquiry-based approach to instruction that can enhance student problem-solving skills, motivation, and conceptual knowledge (Morrison) Project-based learning is where I thrive, and most students who take my course do well in that environment too. I am the guide to their creative adventure. I have the skills and experience to lead them to wherever they dream. Along the way, I also show them how to be resourceful so they can explore and learn on their own. The internet is an amazing resource for the content I teach. 

My teaching style aligns with The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership Professional Dispositions I believe teachers should be ethical, present a professional appearance, should always advocate for fairness, and be culturally responsive.  We need to be self-aware, differentiate for all learners and create a safe learning environment (RWRCOEL).  I also feel that my teaching style aligns with the National Board of Professional Teacher Standards (NBPTS). I commit to students and their learning. I show up every day ready to teach and handle whatever the day throws at me.  I know the subjects I teach and how to teach those subjects to my students. I have 20+ years of experience using the Adobe Programs I teach and I am continually learning and improving my knowledge. I am responsible for managing and monitoring students’ learning. I communicate with my students daily and check in with them to make sure they are on task and being successful. I think systematically about my practice and learn from experience. I have a pacing guide and units that relate to one another and build upon previous lessons. I am a member of at least one professional learning community.  

Resources

Morrison, J., Frost, J., Gotch, C., McDuffie, A. R., Austin, B., & French, B. (2021). Teachers’ Role in Students’ Learning at a Project-Based STEM High School: Implications for Teacher Education. International Journal of Science & Mathematics Education, 19(6), 1103–1123. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10108-3

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. (n.d.). Five core propositions. https://www.nbpts.org/certification/five-core-propostions/

RWRCOEL Professional Dispositions PDF, Click to access 390c0924723dc502253f764a9c468bc3.pd, RWRCOEL Professional Disposition

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