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 years. Currently I am a high school visual arts teacher, teaching our Intro to Art, Ceramics and Sculpture courses and serving as the district Fine Arts Lead Teacher. For eight years prior, I served full time as the district Curriculum Content Leader for grades K-12. While teaching, I work with music, theatre, and visual art teachers facilitating curriculum composition, assessment writing, and professional development. I have been working in curriculum for ten+ years, fostering and feeding my insane fascination for the what and how we teach art. Incidentally, I work as a coach and a support system for my teachers in their daily work. I am also 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. 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. Most recently, I have started teaching our Summer School Summer Art Academy where I am lucky to work with middle school and elementary age students who are 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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• 2015 Missouri Supervision/Administration
Art Educator of the Year • 2016 National Western Division Supervision/Administration Art Educator of the Year • 2021 MAAE Administrator 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
• Backward Design in Fine Art Curriculum Writing
• Inquiry-based Art Instruction
• Authentic Performance Task Assessments in Visual Art
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.