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Creative ID: 514

Art form(s): Community arts, Crafts/objects, Visual arts
Language(s): English
Based in: Bay of Plenty
Where I'm available:
Bay of Plenty

My arts or creative practice (including details about my specific focus within that art form/practice and my strengths)

In my own art, I enjoy making art from anything and everything. Paint features heavily in what I do, but I like to use a range of media and am interested in the interaction between media and how different media fulfil different functions in the work. I like to experiment and find myself flitting between 2D and 3D forms, often led by my teaching and learning experiences.

I am a registered primary and intermediate teacher and have been teaching for around 10 years. I have been teaching specialist visual arts for about 2 ½ years in primary and intermediate schools and privately. I have taught both in single cell and open plan schools, run schoolwide art programmes, taken extension groups, organised an artist visit, co-ordinated murals and outdoor art installations and prepared students for art exhibitions and competitions.

I believe strongly that the visual arts provide an important opportunity for all students to practice being creative, problem solve and empathetically understand others. These are skills that are required in all walks of life for successful people, so regardless of where students are heading, the arts will benefit them heading into their futures. The mediums I most often work with are pencil, charcoal, chalk, pen, paint – acrylic, outdoor paint such as testposts , soft pastel, oil pastel, collage, wire, tinfoil, paper clay, paper, cardboard etc, etc. In my teaching I enjoy exploring and using materials in a range of unexpected ways to develop skills and explore possibilities. 

My track record of experience and success - or the track record of experience and success of the creative or artist that I will partner with 

In 2017, I undertook my first specialist art teaching role short term in Auckland at a small low-decile intermediate school as part of their technology programme. Unfortunately, with their roll dropping they had to lose the majority of their technology teachers, so their technology programme had fallen to classroom teachers for delivery. This meant I really fell into the role. I loved it, and felt an affinity with it, and saw the learning as extremely valuable for my students... however I saw my shortcomings and decided to seek out learning in order to specialise properly in the curriculum area. 

Between 2018 and 2020 I was able to take evening classes through several local art schools covering clay, drawing, painting – acrylics and oils, and mixed media, as well as developing my own ideas through the continuation of my own ‘play’. Between 2018 and 2020 I also sought out work opportunities to allow me to learn more; particularly in regard to teaching. I spent two years teaching at a children’s art school (alongside the most amazing and knowledgeable manager ever, learning from her many, many years of art teaching experience!). After developing some confidence, I taught privately for a while under my own business.

In 2019 I was able to take a larger role teaching art across a whole school (to all classes) at a local primary through a timetabled programme over three days a week for three terms. At the same time, I was lucky enough to establish an art programme at another local primary school where I taught for three terms. In both schools my art programmes took place during CRT release time and were a meaningful use of this time. I was also able to take extension groups and work on murals and larger scale work at these schools. 2020 has seen myself and my family move to the Whakatane district where I have wasted no time in creating relationships with schools and promoting quality art teaching. During term 2 and 3 I have:

  • worked with a local school to facilitate art learning for a successful art exhibition
  • worked with teachers and modelled art teaching to share my expertise
  • and worked with extension groups throughout the school on mural and large-scale art installations.

I have also worked with extension groups at another local school as they prepare for their art exhibition at the end of Term 3.

Describe the experience you have had working with children or young people, teaching or facilitating creative processes

I am a registered primary and intermediate classroom teacher and have been teaching since 2007. I have been teaching art since 2017. I have and regularly do work with students at all age groups and have taught art across all levels. Because of this I have a good understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum and am able to differentiate learning and build on prior learning in order to achieve the best for projects we are working on. I generally work with the school to ascertain what is coming up for students and enjoy using schoolwide learning themes to influence planning of learning goals and projects.

Why I want to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme and how my involvement will link to my creative practice

I would like to be part of the Creatives in Schools programme as a way to continue the work I have been doing over the last few years. I believe the ‘mahi’ I have put in and the pathway I have chosen has given me a different skillset than other general teachers; however my background as a primary and intermediate teacher also gives me a different understanding of the fundamentals of learning and skills in developing a learning pathway for my students, that other creatives may not have. I believe the Creatives in Schools programme offers the best way of giving all students access to quality art teaching as this ‘access’ is a main driver for why I do what I do. The programme will link to my practice as my work always influences what I am interested in learning about and exploring. Often ideas are unearthed during the process that I develop further when the time is right, and this sharing of ideas is an important understanding for students also.

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