Abby Harnois
Supervising Practitioner Andrea Nordland Drakes at Phineas Bates Elementary School
"Hi! I am Abby Harnois and am currently teaching Studio Art Classes at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Art has always been an interest of mine, from painting to drawing, to more recently fiber arts and printmaking. I aspire to foster a love of art and the process of creation through art classes with elementary classrooms and beyond."
Teaching Philosophy
As art educators, we are inspired by the ways art has moved us in our own lives and have seen the ways art can benefit our students. Community development, human experience, and identity, creating safe spaces, art studio habits of mind and Visual Thinking strategies are all areas in art education that are important to me. I believe these areas of art are the most important reasons that art matters, especially in the school setting.
I believe the community development that happens in the art room is quintessential to a student’s well-being. Human beings need to feel a sense of belonging. Research shows that community connections help students in many ways including “enhanced academic performance, fewer disciplinary problems, higher staff morale, and improved use of resources,” (Adelman, H., & Tayor, L., 2007). In an inclusion school, sometimes I see students in the art classroom where I student teach, thriving in the art room and not doing as well in the general classroom. When students can do well in school, it allows them to build confidence in their own abilities. That is why it is really important for students to see themselves succeed in school.
Art enables students to foster social-emotional well-being and confidence. The students are able to express how they feel and develop their own sense of self through creating. Students get to explore different mediums and learn techniques. They also connect to subjects and develop personal identities. Identity development also happens in the art room. Students are able to explore their likes and dislikes, as simple as favorite colors and mediums or as deeply as subjects and topics for social change. “The arts facilitate personal and emotional growth by pro- viding opportunities for students to reflect on who they are and who they want to be. Artistic works expose students to deep personal perspectives and intimate experiences, and through these experiences students find new ways to see themselves and their role in the world” (Art for Life’s Sake, 2021). Social change is considered and questioned in the art room, as well. This allows students to feel a connectedness to how they have a say in their communities.
This is how I center my practice as an educator, focused on community development and social-emotional well being. I keep this in mind while I develop my lessons, connect with my students, and reflect on how to better my students' experiences in the art room.
Unit Plan
What Does Community Mean to You?
Fifth-grade students are leaders in the school. Approaching the upper elementary grades, these students serve as role models to the lower elementary grades. This is why it is crucial to explore the importance of community early in the school year. Creating a sense of community with students allows students to practice empathy and build relationships with other students in their grade and in other grades throughout the school. We will explore the meaning of relationships through: three dimensional Community Buildings, Community Mapping, Collaborative Soundscapes, Zines with a Message, and Puppets of community members made for kindergarteners.
Student Artwork
