FRANKY SCAGLIONE

As an artistic mentor, my primary goal is to inspire, motivate, and empower students to discover personal relevance in creative endeavors. By building connections through relationships, first with my students then with their art, I witness their passions come out in the art they create and the lives they live.

I recognize the importance of imparting a strong foundation of the elements of art and the principles of design to all students. With sound comprehension and application of these grounding theories, students have a greater appreciation for experimentation and knowledge of how to apply themselves as developing artists. I establish a safe culture for risk-taking in the studio and encourage discovery through doing. This allows students to take pride and ownership in their work and experience a greater sense of achievement as individuals as well as artists.

My enthusiasm in the studio stems from my genuine passion for art and I strive to inspire all students to cherish the excitement and potential found in a creative environment. The energy in a studio has a lasting impact on how artists act, react, create, and essentially learn. Therefore, I am committed to maintaining a positive atmosphere that stimulates the senses, from the visuals that fill the walls to the eclectic sounds that spin on the turntable.

As a teacher, I feel responsible for broadening horizons and opening doors to acceptance and the understanding of diversity through multicultural educational experiences. Culture reflects patterns in art as art reflects models of culture. Contributing to a greater depth in education, students become more interested, more involved and thus more engaged in their desire to learn. The universal language of art is accessible to everyone through our interactions of everyday life. I aim to nurture a global context through the study of aesthetics, culture, and media.

Ultimately, it is my ambition to promote life-long experiences in the arts. By offering a wide array of learning opportunities, I hope to encourage a new generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers. I teach the importance of strong presentation and representation in an effort to prepare the students for endless possibilities including potential careers in the arts. The ever-changing world we live in calls for a curriculum that adapts to the shifts in popularity and design; from traditional studies in art history movements to cutting edge experiments of the contemporary world, my students have the opportunity to survey a variety of disciplines and perspectives.

I believe art is the paradigm for all learning. Through art exploration, students connect to all subjects and deepen core knowledge. I understand the importance of supporting literacy and communication skills in the art classroom. Teaching students how to speak and write about their artwork encourages self-confidence and expands thought stimuli. The arts also serve as a vehicle to facilitate mathematic understanding. This higher order thinking encourages students to form creative solutions to real world problems. The infusion of a multi-disciplinary art program heightens the student educational experience and motivates them beyond school, into life.

Educational Philosophy