Mark Woodcox with his painting "Ole Glory" at the New Britain Museum of American Art
Philosophy of Art Education
My name is Mark Woodcox and I am both an art educator at Lewis S. Mills and one of its alumni. Both my children have attended Lewis S. Mills as well. I have been a resident of Burlington for almost forty years. Needless to say, I am connected to this community in multiple ways. My Degrees include: an Associates Degree in Graphic Design from Tunxis Community College, a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Art Education from Central Connecticut State University, and a Six Year Degree in Art Education from University of Hartford. My concentration is in ceramics but I have worked in multiple mediums for many years. I am a practicing artist and sell in galleries and have had artwork in local galleries as well as in national shows at both The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts and The New Britain Museum of American Art. I am also a local musician and have helped with community service projects within the surrounding towns.
An outstanding teacher must be a master of the subject area she or he teaches. He must also possess the ability to be kind and display an understanding of the diversity of the student population. She needs to have a good sense of humor. An outstanding teacher would also have the ability to deliver relevant and exciting content within s/he’s discipline. This teacher would be knowledgeable in the developmental aspects of his student population and deliver age appropriate lesson plans. An outstanding teacher would seek out education to further his understanding of his content area. He would also mentor other staff members within his department as well as collaborate with other disciplines. He would also be an expert in classroom management in such a way that students would not even consider becoming a distraction. His classroom would be a place that all students seek to go.
The art classroom is an excellent example of a place where multiple modalities can be taught and achieved. My philosophy of art is that all students have the ability to become a good artist. Chuck Close is a great example of this idea. Even with the most debilitating disability, he was able to overcome his limitations and be a modern master artist. My philosophy is also concordant with the Stanford University Psychologist, Carol Dweck. She conducted a study that found students that thought his or her talents were god given were more likely to give up when they encountered difficulties. The students that thought his or her talent came from practice and hard work were less likely to give up when faced with those same challenges. I believe that is determination and hard work that creates not only a good artist, but also a person with a sense of great personal achievement.