My Hope of Becoming an Exceptional Art Teacher - admissions essay sample

Want to Be an Art Teacher - Admissions Essay

Given my passion for art education, I am thoroughly excited at the opportunity to apply to the universities Art Education program. Throughout my life, I have come to appreciate all mediums of art. I love to create art, and aspire to teach high school students through artistic expression. I believe that every student, no matter how artistically inclined, has the ability to learn, express themselves, and grow through artwork. Furthermore, my academic and extracurricular experiences have shown me that I enjoy teaching, educating, leading, and mentoring.

As a swim instructor and literacy educator, I have developed a love for teaching and guiding. I have taught swim lessons with the Red Cross Program, working with children of all age groups (including mentally and physically handicapped individuals). I also served as a peer literacy tutor to younger students at my school. Many of the children I mentored had behavioral, mental, or physical disabilities. My experience working with handicapped students has taught me compassion, empathy, and patience. I have developed a gentle and effective method of dealing with difficult students. When I become a teacher, I hope to work in an inclusive classroom that allows me to teach disabled students through art. I desire to help special needs students gain confidence and build self esteem through their own personal artistic expressions.

My extracurricular activities have also taught me valuable leadership and mentorship skills. During high school, I was team captain on various sports teams including basketball, soccer, and volleyball. I was assigned the task of doing warm-ups, and beginning practices. Additionally, I took a leadership 120 class in which I learned how to lead and mentor groups of students. As part of the seminar, I preformed 35 hours of community volunteer work. I have also participated in myriad other extracurricular activities including theater, photography, film, school fashion shows, and university radio. However, my most rewarding extracurricular activity to date has been the youth leadership camp I attended.

Out of many qualified applicants, I was selected to represent my high school at the Royal Canadian Legion Youth Leadership Camp at Mt. Allison University. The leadership conference taught me the importance of team work, time management, and assertiveness. During my 10 day camp experience, I prepared detailed lesson plans and taught my peers, all the while learning how to lead. The conference taught me the importance of being a strong leader who coaches and motivates without being domineering and authoritarian. I learned that an effective leader inspires through encouragement and positive reinforcement, while an inefficient "boss" relies on fear and intimidation.

My camp experience taught me that a first-rate teacher must also be an excellent leader. Students learn best when teachers use positive methodology and work on building confidence and fostering creativity. Through my leadership conference, I also learned that a successful teacher must have outstanding written and oral communication skills. As I obtained the highest score on the NB English Proficiency Test in my district (required by all high school students in order to graduate), I am self-assured that I will be able to effectively communicate with even the most difficult students. Overall, I aspire to create a safe classroom environment where all students can feel inspired and unencumbered. I am excited to extend my leadership camp experience into the classroom.

In the years to come, I hope to continue improving my skills with the goal of becoming an exceptional art teacher. I want to motivate my students, while giving them a sense of purpose and confidence. As an outgoing and energetic artist, I have the ability show my students that everyone can express themselves through art, without exception.