My duty as my student's teacher is to provide them with the necessary tools to forge ahead within their artistic practice, and this can be attained through the philosophy called “process over product.” (“Arts Philosophy in Practice”: (n.d.) Retrieved from https://artsintegration.com/2016/11/21/arts-philosophy-practice/)  I firmly believe in providing my students the space to develop their vision using several techniques they are taught in art class. I never want my students to feel they must adhere to a certain standard for their work to be acknowledged. There is already enormous pressure on our student's shoulders to perform at a certain level. If a child does not meet those expectations, many of them, unfortunately, internalize those scores and even compare themselves to other students who may be performing at a higher academic level, which often results in a child’s low self-esteem. Unfortunately, many students have their self-worth rooted in academic success; if they perform well on an exam, they feel like they are on top of the world, but if they don’t, they feel less than. This is why we must teach our students that there is more to life than academics and that a grade does not define who you are.  

Through the process, students can go on their self-discovery journey and decipher what approach best suits them as young artists. Students are not limited to a certain notion but are free to express themselves creatively by engaging in various forms of creating a work of art. “This arts philosophy believes students tell their stories through their process and the journey that led them to their final product, and they speak through this interpretation and allow the process to reveal their narrative.”  (“Arts Philosophy in Practice”: (n.d.) Retrieved from https://artsintegration.com/2016/11/21/arts-philosophy-practice/)  So much can be learned through one’s trial and error because, through that experience, we can begin to flourish as artists. Throughout my teaching journey, I have noticed how children thrive when given free creative control over their work. They are excited at the thought that what they have envisioned will come to pass. Maxine Greene, an American educational philosopher, once stated how “the arts, it has been said, cannot change the world, but they may change human beings who might change the world.”  Students can use their creations to build relationships with those around them. When we look upon an artwork, something that dwells with us resonates with what our eyes are witnessing. Through that connection, we can begin to make a difference in this society. 

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