More about Michelle...
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Hello!
I'm Michelle. I am very excited to share my thoughts, experiences, and reflections in the field of art education. I was born and raised in a Mid-western suburb of St. Louis. After discovering my passion for art and a desire to teach, I went to the University of Missouri – Columbia for my undergraduate degree in Art Education. I focused on learning as many art processes as possible with an emphasis in Ceramics and Printmaking. I earned my Master’s degree in Learning, Teaching, and Curriculum with an emphasis in Art from the University of Missouri and then went on to pursue a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Western Governor's University. I hope to continue soon on my Ph.D., researching student learning in visual art. In the meantime, I continue to learn by keeping up on reading, collaborating with my colleagues, and taking an active role in my professional organizations like NAEA and MAEA. I have been an artist/educator for more than twenty-five years. Currently I am a high school visual arts teacher, teaching our Intro to Art, Adaptive Art, Ceramics, Sculpture, and Advanced Placement Art & Design courses. I am a National Board Certified Teacher, which was one of the best personal professional development journeys I've taken. Renewal during the pandemic added an additional layer to the process that truly had me reflecting on the decisions we make and thinking about why we do what we do in education. I also served as our district k-12 Fine Arts Curriculum Content Leader for seventeen years. I worked with music, theatre, and visual art teachers facilitating curriculum composition, assessment writing, and professional development. This work fed my insane fascination for the what and how we teach art. I had the chance to work as a coach and a support system for teachers in their daily work, ensuring they had what they needed in the classroom to be the best teacher they could be. Before stumbling into the supervision/administration side of education, I was both a middle school and high school art teacher, where I loved creating with my students. Each age group brought about unique challenges and celebrations. I missed working with students directly and started teaching at our Summer School Summer Art Academy where I was lucky to work with middle school and elementary age students who were enthusiastic about exploring their creative potential. |
Publications
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• SchoolArts Collection: Early Childhood
Davis Publications, 2020 • "Thinking Like an Architect" SchoolArts magazine December 2019 • "Science and Clay Snails" SchoolArts magazine March 2018 • NAEA Monthly Mentor December 2016 • Curriculum Guides - Douglass Square and Jolly Flatboatmen in Port Missouri Art Education Association April 2016 • What is Sculpture? Teacher's Guide St. Louis Art Museum web resource |
Awards
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• 2025 Emerson Excellence in Teaching award
• 2024 MAEA Member Exhibit, Honorable mention Nevermore, ceramics • 2021 Howell of Fame award, service to the district • 2021 MAAE Administrator of the Year • 2016 National Western Division Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year • 2015 Missouri Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year |
Workshop/Professional Development topics
Please contact me if you are interested in arranging a professional development session in the area of Visual Arts curriculum or on any of the following topics:
• National Visual Arts Standards
• Backward Design in Fine Art Curriculum Writing
• Inquiry-based Art Instruction
• Authentic Performance Task Assessments in Visual Art
See more in full resume
• Backward Design in Fine Art Curriculum Writing
• Inquiry-based Art Instruction
• Authentic Performance Task Assessments in Visual Art
See more in full resume
Our Process
We are a large school district with a large group of skilled and talented art teachers who care about their students and their craft very much. In our school district we are fortunate to have a teacher position dedicated to leading out and facilitating curriculum work within our content. This curriculum content leader works with teachers to lead them through a six-step curriculum cycle. Each step is generally assigned to one school year, but there is flexibility determined by need and outside circumstance.
The steps are as follows:
This process results in a rigorous and robust curriculum document that helps support educators in their teaching, while also allowing for autonomy and ownership by the individual teacher. Utilizing the Understanding by Design framework, common performance based assessments, and standards-referenced feedback, students are taught through a guaranteed and viable curriculum.
The steps are as follows:
- Step 1 - Research into Trends and Best Practices
- Step 2 - Curriculum and Assessment Writing
- Step 3 - Professional Development and Resource Review
- Step 4 - Curriculum Implementation and Resource Adoption
- Step 5 - Curriculum Coaching & Data Monitoring
- Step 6 - Course/Program Evaluation
This process results in a rigorous and robust curriculum document that helps support educators in their teaching, while also allowing for autonomy and ownership by the individual teacher. Utilizing the Understanding by Design framework, common performance based assessments, and standards-referenced feedback, students are taught through a guaranteed and viable curriculum.